News
Members of Congress blast TikTok CEO as bipartisan support for U.S. ban looks possible
A U.S. House panel grilled TikTok’s CEO for more than five hours Thursday over the social media giant’s ties to China, and indicated there may be bipartisan consensus for a national ban on the platform. Members of both parties showed an unusual level of agreement during tough questioning of TikTok CEO Shou Chew. Several members […]
Budget bill clears the House and is headed for the Senate
The bill to appropriate more than $14 billion, including federal dollars, for state government for the upcoming two years advanced after a marathon hearing on the House floor Wednesday. House Bill 2 passed second reading on a party line vote, Republicans in favor and Democrats in opposition, after more than a dozen attempts by Democrats […]
Bill to ban gender-affirming care in Montana clears key House hurdle
House Democrats pleaded with their Republican colleagues Thursday to stay out of other Montanans’ health care decisions and reject a bill that would ban gender-affirming care for minors and punish providers. After addressing her colleagues, Rep. Emma Kerr-Carpenter, D-Billings, looked directly into the camera mounted at the front of the chamber, broadcasting the hearing to […]
Great Falls Public Library Mill Levy election set for June 6
The Great Falls Public Library Mill Levy will be held on June 6 as originally planned, a library press release said Thursday. Cascade County Elections Officer Sandra Merchant sent an email in March to the library saying she would prefer the election take place during the September primary election because of strains on the office […]
Chair on DPHHS: ‘All of us are not happy with this budget, but all of us might like this budget’
In his opening remarks on the largest portion of the state budget, Rep. Bob Keenan, R-Bigfork, said a text message he had received might bode well for the discussion on the state health department. One day before the Montana House took up the big budget bill, a provider told Keenan they were heading back to […]
Education budget funds more staff for new Heritage Center, ongoing language preservation
In the past, the Montana Indian Language Preservation Program didn’t have guaranteed funding, but it may have it soon. Wednesday, the Montana House took up the big budget bill that covers state spending for the next two years, and Rep. David Bedey, R-Hamilton, said money for education includes paying for that program “on an ongoing […]
Legislative budget proposal breaks with governor on OPD, prison bed shortage requests
The section of House Bill 2 that concerns the judicial branch, law enforcement and justice contains tens of millions of dollars worth of additional investments compared to the past biennium, but breaks with the governor’s requests on certain aspects, like more support for the Office of State Public Defender and how to deal with a […]
Presentation for election plan in Cascade County canceled, to be rescheduled for date unknown
A planned presentation on how Cascade County will conduct upcoming elections was cancelled as Elections Officer Sandra Merchant tested positive for COVID-19, County Attorney Josh Racki said on Wednesday Racki said the meeting would likely be rescheduled for next week. The presentation was slated to provide details about how the elections will run after Merchant […]
Rep. Buckley’s Best Beginnings Scholarship expansion moves forward
A bill that aims to expand eligibility for a scholarship that helps lower-income Montanans pay for child care and could help another 723 children is moving forward after some tweaks and a bipartisan vote. Rep. Alice Buckley’s House Bill 648 passed the House Human Services Committee on Friday, as amended, on a 13-8 vote, with six […]
U.S. Senate committee postpones vote on Denver airport chief’s nomination to lead FAA
The U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee postponed a scheduled vote Wednesday on Denver International Airport CEO Phil Washington’s nomination to lead the Federal Aviation Administration. The panel’s chairwoman, Washington Democrat Maria Cantwell, said the vote would be held at an unspecified future date and offered few details about why it was pushed. The […]
Moderna plan to hike COVID vaccine price to $130 a dose rebuked at U.S. Senate hearing
WASHINGTON — The CEO of Moderna on Wednesday defended the company’s decision to drastically increase the price of its COVID-19 vaccine later this year, arguing that an expected drop in demand, changes to its distribution process and the overall benefit of the vaccine warrant the higher cost. That decision was met with bipartisan condemnation from […]
Fresh produce is an increasingly popular prescription for chronically ill patients
When Mackenzie Sachs, a registered dietitian on the Blackfeet Reservation, in northwestern Montana, sees a patient experiencing high blood pressure, diabetes, or another chronic illness, her first thought isn’t necessarily to recommend medication. Rather, if the patient doesn’t have easy access to fruit and vegetables, she’ll enroll the person in the FAST Blackfeet produce prescription […]