Author
American Prairie Reserve resolves long-standing dispute
A dispute between the American Prairie Reserve and officials in Phillips County has been resolved after more than four years of legal wrangling. The conflict began when the American Prairie Reserve announced controversial plans for a 3.5-million acre complex in the northern Montana county that would allow free-roaming bison to be reintroduced. In the end, […]
SB101 moves to final reading in the Senate
A Senate Bill that would clarify that direct provider care in Montana would not be regulated by the Commissioner of Securities and Insurance passed its second reading in the state’s Senate, 35-15. Bills go through three readings in each house before being passed, with a vote taken after every reading. Senate Bill 101, proposed by […]
Montana Dems roll out 3 bills to cut taxes
Montana Democrats and Republicans agree on one thing – Montanans need tax cuts. Beyond that, there are a number of proposals and plans, including Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte’s, on how to achieve lowering taxes and still end up with a constitutionally-mandated balanced budget. Previously, Gianforte presented his budget to the lawmakers, and it held the […]
Ehrlick: For people who love freedom, these lawmakers have a funny way of showing it
I need the lawmakers to make up their mind. And personally, I am rooting for them. Apparently, the government has more of an interest in my health than I thought, and I think it’s mighty big of them to want to take over. I am in my mid-40s, paunchy, and I’d really like someone else […]
Abortion bills get committee vote Thursday
Lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee will vote Thursday on a series of proposals to limit abortions in Montana, part of a broader push by legislative Republicans to pass conservative social policies that stalled at the desk of a Democratic governor in past sessions. The bills would create restrictions around the margins of abortion law […]
Testimony positive for direct patient care bill
Dr. Brandon Bilyeu knew when he was in a high school class in Red Lodge what he wanted to do. He wasn’t going to be a surgeon. He wasn’t going to invent a cure for cancer — nice as that would be. He told the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee on Wednesday that […]
Ehrlick: A mountaintop still untouched by Montanans
Even as a young man who mostly had only the experiences of Montana to draw upon, I knew what was happening at that moment. We were in the presence of something great, and I was lucky enough to meet Coretta Scott King twice in my life. This isn’t an exercise in shameless name-dropping, though. It’s […]
It’s the message, not the medium
I agree with U.S. Sen. Steve Daines for all the wrong reasons. Last week, as Twitter and other social media took the nearly unprecedented step of booting President Donald J. Trump from their platforms, Daines took to the traditional media to demand that the leader of the free world be given his 240 characters back. […]
Montana Dems tout three healthcare bills
After last week’s proposal by legislative Republicans to establish a baseline budget for the state’s health and human services budget $1 billion lower than what fellow GOP Gov. Greg Gianforte recommended, the Democrats offered their vision of legislation that would help Montanans. On Wednesday, a group of lawmakers presented three bills that would change healthcare […]
Dems call for Gianforte to reconsider flag proclamation
Democrats in the Montana Senate are urging Gov. Greg Gianforte to order flags across the state to be lowered to half staff, following a proclamation by President Donald J. Trump. Senate Minority Leader Jill Cohenour of East Helena asked Gianforte to reconsider his decision not to lower flags in honor of U.S. Capitol Police Officers […]
Dems challenge proposal to cut $1 billion from human services budget
Travis Hoffmann asked lawmakers Friday how many times they would like him to shower. The Missoula man, a U.S. Army veteran and a person with disabilities, said he already needs help showering, and because of limited resources is limited to three times a week. More cuts to what he already considers the struggling health and […]
Ehrlick: We must choose our words more carefully
There’s the phrase: Elections have consequences. The day after a coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol, that phrase sounds a little plastic, a little overmatched. Good Lord, I never thought I’d have to write “coup attempt at the U.S. Capitol.” And if Wednesday’s rebellion has taught us anything – and by the grace of that […]