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Former lawmakers mount another challenge to SB140
Even though the Montana Supreme Court has ruled that Senate Bill 140 fits within the framework of one section of the Montana Constitution, another group has filed suit challenging the new law, which abolished the judicial nomination commission and allowed for the governor to directly appoint judges. Tom Winter and Barbara Bessette, two former Democratic […]
Gianforte, Knudsen mum on any PSC action
About a month ago, a legislative audit of Montana’s Public Service Commission showed falsified financial records and a host of spending issues. While even Republican lawmakers have chastised the PSC, demanding auditors push farther, two of Montana’s top leaders remain mum on whether they’re contemplating action against any of the fellow GOP public service commissioners. […]
Lightning causes first Yellowstone fire of the season
Yellowstone National Park officials are reporting the first fire of the 2021 season. The fire was caused by lightning, which is typical for this region at this time of year. Usually, any moisture is accompanied by lightning. A visitor reported the strike Thursday night. Dubbed “The Elk Creek Fire” it was 0.1 acres in size, […]
Court administrator: Continue to examine legislative subpoenas
Even though the Montana Legislature withdrew subpoenas it issued to the state’s Supreme Court justices and the Department of Administration, the attorney for Court Administrator Beth McLaughlin said that because lawmakers were pressing on in their investigation of the judiciary, the high court should still consider the legality of those subpoenas. In a response to […]
New increased wolf harvest plan goes out for public comment
With lawsuits regarding wolf hunting already in court, and news of more lawsuits likely, the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission took the first in a series of steps that would serve two purposes — establish a 2021-2022 wolf hunt and comply with the intent of several bills passed by lawmakers earlier this year. By a […]
State’s high court may have gotten the law right and history wrong
If there’s a cancer in politics in today, it’s that we’ve forgotten something that used to be taken for granted and went without saying: Reasonable, intelligent people with integrity can come to different conclusions about the same subject without the disagreement being evidence of some conspiracy or moral flaw. By default, the other side — […]
Legislature drops judicial branch subpoenas, court administrator will ask Supreme Court to hear the case anyway
On Tuesday, the Montana Legislature announced that it was withdrawing legislative subpoenas it had issued to the justices and the court administrator for emails from the judiciary. However, the lawmakers also said that withdrawal will not stop the ongoing investigation into the judiciary, and legislators will continue to press the judicial branch for answers and […]
New legislation aims to boost number of rural, ‘frontier’ doctors
Montana’s shortage of doctors and nurses has been well documented and almost as constant as the unpredictable weather in the state. However, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester has introduced legislation that could make a substantial difference in the number of doctors being trained in Montana’s frontier medical centers. The problem is simply stated: Montana needs more […]
Billings franchise fees case moves along as judge picks original group to represent citizens
A legal battle between the City of Billings and almost every single resident in the state’s largest town regarding utility bills and “franchise fees” moved forward after nearly three years of court filings and judicial substitutions. The case, which began in 2018, was brought by a group of residents who said the city’s practice of […]
Rosendale votes no on Juneteenth, medals for fallen officers
Montana’s lone Congressman Matt Rosendale was one of only six members of the United States House of Representatives who voted against both the legislation to make Juneteenth a federal holiday and award Congressional Gold Medals to fallen U.S. Capitol Police officers killed in the line of duty. Rosendale took to Twitter and other media to […]
Lawsuit challenges gray wolf harvest near Yellowstone National Park
A dispute about the wolf population around Yellowstone National Park and the size of elk herds has gotten chippy, as at least one Fish Wildlife Parks Commissioner alleged intentional pain and suffering, while an outdoor group claims the commissioners who are now in the minority are using legal stall tactics to appease out-of-state environmental groups. […]
The voters can speak just fine for themselves, Mr. Knudsen
In a rather extraordinary interview with the Montana Free Press, state Attorney General Austin Knudsen said that he wasn’t elected to please the Helena legal elites. That makes me question whether he’s ever been to Helena. “I guess I’m more concerned about what the voters of Montana think than, you know, a handful of former […]