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Tester talks veteran’s healthcare, elections and OPEC at Helena town hall
Thirteen year-old Bode Doud skipped school Friday to ask U.S. Sen. Jon Tester about the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC, and President Joe Biden reconsidering the nation’s relationship with Saudi Arabia. The seventh grader asked for Tester’s thoughts on the issue during a town hall hosted in Helena, the senator’s second in-person […]
Adult-use marijuana sales now legal in Great Falls city limits following judge’s ruling
Great Falls must now allow adult-use marijuana sales within city limits, a district court judge ruled earlier this week. In June, owners of Green Creek Dispensary sued the city, arguing Great Falls contradicted new measures passed by the Legislature in 2021 by not processing a certificate the business needed to operate and claiming it went […]
Montana State Library Commission votes to accept new, slightly altered logo
The Montana State Library Commission voted 4-2 on Wednesday to adopt a new logo featuring a prism design and colors similar to an earlier rejected proposal that proved controversial to some for resembling the Pride flag. At the meeting, commissioners generally praised the new design despite the controversy it had caused earlier and ensuing delay. […]
Ronning, Buchanan spar over government spending on climate during debate in Billings
Democrat Penny Ronning and Independent Gary Buchanan split hairs over government spending on climate change during a debate in Billings on Wednesday. Democrat Ronning said that one of the biggest differences between her and Independent Buchanan was their support for Build Back Better, President Joe Biden’s economic and climate package that passed this year as […]
Montana State Library Commission to vote on new logo design
The Montana State Library Commission will consider a new logo design after rejecting a similar design in August. The new design’s color scheme incorporates colors from the Montana state flag, according to a memo from the rebranding subcommittee to the commission on the new design, and keeps the original open hexagon shape and prism concept […]
Eastern district candidates face off in debate in Great Falls
Independent congressional candidate Gary Buchanan told Incumbent Rep. Matt Rosendale that his position on firearms taxing cost him an endorsement from the Montana Sportsman Alliance. “Even the NRA, Matt, is against you on this,” said Buchanan. But Republican Rosendale said firearms were the “only right that we have that gets taxed.” Democrat Penny Ronning took […]
Housing Task Force assembling draft report, to be released Monday
Looking at the impact of short-term rentals like AirBnb and property tax relief were among suggestions from Gov. Greg Gianforte’s Housing Task Force as members close in on the deadline for presenting recommendations. The recommendations would largely provide incentives to developers and amend regulations, although some task force members expressed dissent over “one size fits […]
Montana Supreme Court seeks response from ACLU in birth certificate litigation
Montana’s Supreme Court is giving the ACLU of Montana 20 days to file a response to the state’s request to strike down a lower court’s order that the health department needed to permit gender marker changes on birth certificates. In an appeal last week, the state disagreed with Yellowstone County District Judge Michael Moses’ order […]
Petrol board director speaks out against changes to tank clean-up oversight
Terry Wadsworth doesn’t want the legislature to reduce the Petrol Board’s ability to oversee money that goes to petroleum tank cleanup Director for the Petroleum Tank Release Compensation Board Wadsworth was among those who spoke in opposition to suggested changes to statute. They included limiting the Board’s authority over approving reimbursements for petroleum cleanups, one […]
Health Department requests Supreme Court stay Judge’s order on birth certificate gender markers
The state health department is requesting the Montana Supreme Court suspend a district court judge’s order that required the department return to allowing Montanans to update gender markers on birth certificates that was issued earlier this month. The Department of Public Health and Human Services argued in a filing on Friday that the Yellowstone County […]
UPDATED: Art Noonan replacement Jennifer Lynch follows father’s footsteps
Jennifer Lynch said Monday her late father, Butte legislator J.D. Lynch, would say she’s “crazy” for getting into politics. “This is going to be one of the toughest legislative sessions in our state’s history, but I think he’d be very proud,” Lynch said. This weekend, Butte-Silver Bow County Democrats selected Lynch, the local teacher’s union […]
Secretary of State’s Office spends more than $1.3 million on election law litigation
The Secretary of State’s office spent about $1.3 million on legal fees, far surpassing its $100,000 budget, defending election laws being challenged in courts in the state. According to a report to the Revenue Interim Committee last week, the legislature budgeted $100,000 to the office for election litigation. The additional money was taken from the […]