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Lawsuit accuses Mineral County officials of misconduct, asks for audit of court cases
Dozens of people have accused Mineral County officials of misconduct in trying criminal court cases and failing to adequately vet law enforcement officers. Now the county attorney is pledging to clean up the mess. In a recent court filing, attorneys for the complaining residents argue the Mineral County attorney failed to disclose exculpatory evidence, known […]
Legislators worry about student privacy with facial recognition technology in Montana schools
As many as 30 Montana schools could be contracting with a school security company that offers facial recognition technology surveillance as a safety measure, and the one school confirmed to be using the technology was hacked last year. Of the nearly 30 schools that contract with Verkada, one school district — Sun River Valley School […]
Montana’s Supreme Court rules officer unlawfully searched cell phone in child pornagraphy case
The Montana Supreme Court handed down a ruling Tuesday that puts stricter confines on what information law enforcement can access when carrying out searches on digital devices, marking a big win for digital privacy advocates. At the center of the case is Bradley Mefford, of Butte, who was arrested in 2016 for child pornography. Mefford, […]
Montanans looking to update their birth certificates face wait times up to 6 months
The state health department is again accepting applications from people who want to update the gender marker on their birth certificates following a court order this week. However, the Department of Public Health and Human Services said it could take up to six months to process an application. Jon Ebelt, spokesman for the Department, did […]
More than 100K Montanans eligible for student debt relief, according to White House projections
More than 10 percent of Montanans will be eligible to receive student debt relief through Biden’s student loan forgiveness initiative, according to new data from the White House. A breakdown of eligible recipients shows that about 120,400 Montanans will qualify for debt relief; of that number, 78,600 Montanans who received Pell Grants are eligible for […]
Montana AG raises concerns about credit card companies tracking firearm purchases
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a group of attorneys general in calling out a handful of financial institutions for a new policy that would track and monitor firearm purchases. At the center of the coalition’s ire is recent action taken by the International Organization for Standardization — a worldwide federation of national standards […]
Regulation of facial recognition technology fails in interim committee
Economic Affairs Interim Committee members failed to move forward with any draft legislation to regulate the use of budding facial recognition technology at its final meeting before the 2023 legislative session. The committee has spent a good portion of the interim studying the technology and how it interrelates with Montanans’ heightened right to privacy. The […]
Montana part of coalition to receive $45M in Indigenous economic development grants
A coalition dedicated to improving economic development opportunities among Native Americans in Montana and the region received $45 million in grants — the largest donation in the history of the coalition — to grow the Indigenous finance sector. Mountain | Plains Regional Native CDFI Coalition was one of 21 groups to receive a portion of […]
Montana Lottery projecting biggest year yet for sports betting in fiscal year 2023
Sportsbet Montana is expecting its most prominent year yet, with the Montana Lottery projecting that $47.17 million will be wagered in the state in the fiscal year 2023. If history is any indicator, the state is likely to come close to that number. In FY 2021, Montanans bet $43.25 million on sports, $15 million over […]
Legislative committee advances proposal for harsher disorderly conduct penalties
A legislative interim committee on Tuesday advanced a bill proposal that would harshen penalties for disorderly conduct charges, a move that opponents say will lead to more incarceration of vulnerable Montanans. The Criminal Justice Oversight Council, which oversees the implementation of criminal justice legislation, adopted the language of a bill draft proposal with a 9-3 […]
Lawmakers halt Health Department rule to extend religious vaccine exemptions to childcare centers
State lawmakers agreed Friday to temporarily prohibit the state from adopting an administrative rule that would allow children attending child and daycare centers to receive religious exemptions for vaccines. Democrats and Republicans on the Children Families, Health and Human Services Interim Committee, which oversees the state health department, voted to postpone the proposal, albeit for […]
Montana lawmakers move forward with child protective reforms, including using warrants
State lawmakers moved forward with a bill that, among other things, would require Child Protective Services, to obtain a warrant to remove a child from their home in most cases. The decision to move the legislation forward came in the face of objections from the Department of Health and Human Services — the agency that […]