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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 […]
Judge tosses newspaper lawsuit, rules school district didn’t violate First Amendment
ROUNDUP – A Musselshell County Judge has ruled that Roundup Public Schools didn’t violate a media company’s First Amendment rights when it barred reporters and broadcasters from attending girls’ volleyball games. Judge Randal I. Spaulding denied the Yellowstone County News a preliminary injunction, which would have forced the district to allow the media company owning […]
Small media group challenges getting booted from covering rival’s sports events
BILLINGS—Sports rivalries run deep in any high school. Now, a court battle in central Montana may take it to a different level. Yellowstone County News and its sister radio station, KFHW, have been stymied from covering school sporting events at Roundup High School, a rival of several of the high schools in the newspaper and […]
Rosendale joins with Daines to contest election results
Rep. Matt Rosendale, Montana’s lone representative in the United States House, announced Tuesday that he will vote against the certification of the presidential election claiming there are widespread and credible allegations of fraud, despite the absence of evidence validating those claims. With his decision, Rosendale joined U.S. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana in voting against […]
Auditor denounces political prayer that invoked reseating Trump, prosecuting evil Deep State
What was supposed to be a simple prayer for wisdom and blessings, turned out to be a fiery political sermon at the swearing-in ceremony of State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance Troy Downing. Downing’s office confirmed that neither he nor his staff had seen the prayer before the ceremony and did not know […]
Ehrlick: Introducing the Daily Montanan. You’re always welcome here.
Nearly a year ago, I left The Billings Gazette fairly certain about two things — first, that we needed more journalists, not fewer, and that my run in the profession was done. Like so many things in life, I was half right. We still need more journalists: One study recently reported that nearly eight in every […]