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Bills tweaking Montana aerial hunting laws meet hurdles in initial hearings
Ranchers losing cattle and sheep to coyotes and foxes want to be able to hire out-of-state aerial hunters statewide to protect their livestock, and the state would like to be sure drones can’t be used to spot or hunt game in Montana, according to two bills that saw their first committee hearings Thursday. “While other […]
Bills aim to repeal Montana voting, elections laws struck down in court
Two bills that would repeal Montana laws surrounding voting and elections that have been struck down by judges saw no opposition in the initial committee hearings Friday. Senate Bill 30 aims to repeal the Clean Campaign Act, which was struck down by a federal judge last January, while Senate Bill 31 would repeal the Ballot […]
Gianforte directs Montana FWP to develop new wolf management plan
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte on Thursday ordered Fish, Wildlife and Parks to develop a new state wolf management plan, which the department believes it can finish by the end of the year. “Given the public and legislature’s engagement in wolf management, it is an appropriate time to revisit the Wolf Plan,” Gianforte wrote to FWP […]
Bills aimed at speeding up construction in Montana see little opposition in Senate committee
Two bills that aim to reduce the time it takes for land use and certain construction project decisions to be made at the local level breezed through their first committee hearing Wednesday without significant opposition. They are among a slate of bills related to housing and construction planned for this session as Montana’s housing shortage […]
Bill aims to expand treatment options for naturopathic providers in Montana
Naturopathic physicians in Montana would be able to prescribe more approved treatments to their patients if a bill heard Wednesday — one opposed by the Montana Medical Association and some medical doctors — becomes law. Naturopathic physicians are not currently federally recognized, said Ingrid Lovitt, the director of the Montana Association of Naturopathic Physicians. Lovitt […]
Resolution calls on Congress to fully fund law enforcement on Montana reservations
A joint resolution heard in committee Tuesday seeks to press Congress and the federal government to fully fund public safety and law enforcement agencies, and services on tribal reservations in Montana as one tribe says its funding has barely increased in 25 years. In addition to pushing Congress for full funding, the resolution, SJ5, calls […]
Hearing on Montana Water Court overhaul highlights divisions over water rights
A Senate committee hearing Monday on a bill that seeks to overhaul the Montana Water Court as the state tries to finish working through 50 years of water rights adjudication showed just how complicated water law is, and how many people it affects in the Treasure State. Senate Bill 72 had its first hearing Monday […]
Montana tries again on annual fees for electric vehicles
Another attempt to impose annual fees on electric vehicles in Montana saw its first legislative committee hearing Friday following Gov. Greg Gianforte’s 2021 veto of a similar measure — and extensive work done since by an interim committee to come up with what the sponsor says is a good compromise. House Bill 60, sponsored again […]
East Helena man sentenced to 46 months in prison for Jan. 6 Capitol breach
One of two Montana brothers sentenced to 46 months in prison for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol mob.
Gianforte calls on lawmakers to pass tax relief proposals ‘as quickly as possible’
Gov. Greg Gianforte wants to sign a property tax relief bill as soon as possible — and he wants to be sure counties are being good stewards of property taxes as well. The Republican governor, speaking at his first news conference of the legislative session, said he would like lawmakers to make child tax credit […]
Indigenous lawmakers push back as GOP senator calls for investigation into reservation alternatives
A draft joint resolution from Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, aims to push Congress to investigate “alternatives” to American Indian reservations, arguing they have “failed to positively enhance the lives and well-being of most of the Indians or the other citizens of the State of Montana.” “Is there a better way of supplying for these Indians […]
Republican Zack Wirth picked to fill Montana House District 80 vacancy
Commissioners from Lewis and Clark and Powell counties on Tuesday picked Zack Wirth, a Republican rancher from south of Wolf Creek, to fill the House District 80 seat vacated by Becky Beard’s appointment to Senate District 40. All three Lewis and Clark County commissioners voted to appoint Wirth to the seat, while the Powell County […]