On March 11, before there were any confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Montana, 57 Montanans filed a new claim for unemployment benefits. On March 18, with 15 cases of the virus in the state, there were 2,830 new claims — an increase of nearly 50 times in seven days. Gov. Steve Bullock and the Department Read More…
The State of Montana will be implementing emergency onsite and remote work procedures for many state employees begining Montay, Mar. 23. The change is to reduce potential exposure to the COVID-19 virus while maintaining necessary state-government operations. The State of Montana is one of the largest employers in Montana with more than 20,000 employees. READ Read More…
BILLINGS – Hospitals and other medical facilities around the country have been facing a shortage of masks in recent weeks, as the threat of COVID-19 has spread. In Billings, surgeons who typically would use a new mask for every procedure have been asked to use just one mask a day so that they don’t eventually Read More…
Vice President Pence is hiring a former George W. Bush administration official to serve as his office’s legal counsel. Pence’s office confirmed Monday that Gregory Jacob will take over the role being vacated by Matt Morgan, who is joining the Trump reelection campaign as director of litigation and legislation. “Greg is a man of deep professional experience, but also one Read More…
Don’t get AOC started on bailing out corporate America over coronavirus. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Queens) fired a political shot across the bow of the airline industry and others hoping for multi-billion dollar taxpayer bailouts as the crisis worsens. “If there is so much as a DIME of corporate bailout money in the next relief package, Read More…
(The Center Square) – U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii announced Thursday that she is ending her Democratic presidential campaign and endorsing former Vice President Joe Biden. “I know Vice President Biden and his wife and am grateful to have called his son Beau, who also served in the National Guard, a friend,” Gabbard said Read More…
Washington (CNN)Idaho’s Republican-controlled Legislature has sent a bill to the governor’s desk that would effectively block transgender people in the state from changing the listed sex on their birth certificates to match their gender identity, despite a federal judge having before struck down a similar state ban. HB 509, which was approved on Tuesday by the state’s Read More…
North Dakota generates tax revenue in three main ways: sales tax, income tax, and property tax. The state also has a Legacy Fund that is worth nearly $7 billion dollars to draw from. One law maker wants North Dakotans to vote to abolish property taxes, and make up the revenue-gap from mostly the oil tax Read More…
Gov. Mark Gordon announced the creation of five task forces designed to tackle the effects of the spreading coronavirus in a press conference in which he chastised Wyomingites who rushed to hoard supplies in recent days. “Think about actions and exercise common sense,” the governor said Monday in his fourth coronavirus news conference in the Read More…
The spread of the new coronavirus has halted travel and prompted a price war between two of the world’s biggest oil producers, putting many in the Bakken on edge as the outlook for the oil industry turns bleak. “It’s been extremely brutal,” said Ron Ness, president of the North Dakota Petroleum Council. “We’re going to Read More…
The Wyoming state government has launched a webpage to keep residents up to date on the latest information on the COVID-19 outbreak as well as available resources. Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon made the announcement on Wednesday. According to a release from the governor’s office: “We want to offer a single location to share information and resources from multiple Read More…
The Montana Office of Public Instruction said in a news release on Wednesday that it has submitted state and federal waiver requests to ensure that schools in Montana continue to receive funding, do not have to make up lost hours due to school closures, continue to have nutrition resources for students, and do not have Read More…
GREAT FALLS — Governor Steve Bullock on Wednesday evening said that two new cases of coronavirus (COVID-19) have been confirmed in Montana. The two new cases are a Missoula County man in his 50s, and a Gallatin County man in his 60s. The tests, conducted by the DPHHS Public Health Laboratory, were confirmed Wednesday evening. Read More…
HELENA – A sprawling lawsuit to force the state to rewrite its energy policy, to combat climate change, has been filed in state District Court – and most of the lead plaintiffs aren’t even old enough to vote. 16 Montana youths, acting through their guardians and with the help of two environmental law groups and Read More…
HELENA – Secretary of State Corey Stapleton said earlier this week he was taking a “deliberate pause” before giving direction on the June 2 primary election as concerns increase about the coronavirus. “There’s been a lot of interest, a lot of questions about how the newly touched-down coronavirus could affect our elections,” he said in a Read More…
Industry leaders and educators are hoping to teach the tools of the trades to the next generation of workers. As the Flathead Valley continues to grow, the demand for work in local trade professions like construction has never been higher. But with the aging workforce and fewer new employees entering these fields, local employers have Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — On Monday, Missoula City-County Health officials announced an order closing bars and limiting restaurant service starting at 8 a.m. Tuesday through 8 a.m. Tuesday, March 24. The health department is doing this to follow guidelines set out by the Centers for Disease Control. “It’s not just about money, it’s really about the ethics Read More…
Residential electric rates for one of Montana’s largest rural cooperatives compare well to NorthWestern Energy, when measured at the co-op customers’ average usage, says the co-op’s CEO. “We compete very well, actually,” Yellowstone Valley Electric Co-op CEO Brandon Wittman told MTN News. “So, is it fair to compare? It is, at the correct usage.” In Read More…
Kentucky delayed its primary election on Monday, becoming the latest state to take the step to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The state will move its nominating contest to June 23 from the originally planned May 19, Secretary of State Michael Adams announced. He said he made the decision with Gov. Andy Beshear during Read More…
Montana governor Steve Bullock has spent his entire political career saying he wants to remove dark money from politics. Now running for the U.S. Senate, Bullock is receiving help from one of the largest liberal dark money networks in America. Protect Our Care, a shadowy group that attacks Republicans on health care issues, announced Thursday Read More…
Governor Doug Burgum makes a historic announcement Sunday night closing schools statewide. Burgum says schools will be closed this week in North Dakota, for five days. Schools public and private will be closed by executive order March 16-March 20. A decision at the end of the week will be made as well. The Governor says Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Department of Health said on Monday, March 16 that they will continue to monitor COVID-19 coronavirus in the state. “We don’t yet know exactly how easily COVID-19 spreads and how many people will experience severe illness,” said Dr. Alexia Harrist, state health officer and state epidemiologist with WDH. “We expect Read More…
U.S. airlines are seeking government assistance of more than $50 billion, including a mix of direct aid and loan guarantees, as the industry reels from the coronavirus outbreak, a lobbying group that represents 10 U.S. passenger and cargo airlines said Monday. The aid, if received, would be the industry’s first bailout since the wake of Read More…
In an effort to contain the spread of Coronavirus, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is closing the Canadian border to all non-citizens. “We can still slow the spread of this virus,” Trudeau said. “It is time to take every precaution to keep people safe.” READ FULL STORY
The Lewis and Clark Public Health Officer issued an order Monday afternoon closing most food, drink, and fitness establishments in Lewis and Clark County, beginning at 6 a.m. Tuesday, March 17. The order specifically applies to bars, breweries, distilleries, casinos, restaurants, fitness centers, athletic centers, gyms, and workout studios. It exempts food establishments that provide Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont. – The Yellowstone County Health Officer has declared a public health emergency and ordered the closure of bars, brew pubs, wineries, and casinos in Yellowstone County to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus. The order also includes restaurants, with the exception of takeout and delivery services. Excluded from the order are food service Read More…
Congressman Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) invited high school students in Montana to participate in the 2020 Congressional Art Competition. “Through the Congressional Art Competition, Montana’s high school students can showcase their talents. The winner’s artwork will hang in the U.S. Capitol where hundreds of thousands of visitors will see it,” Gianforte said. “I look forward Read More…
HELENA — The Montana High School Association executive board has decided to suspend spring activities across Montana following the growing threat and concern of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19). “All MHSA spring activities will be indefinitely suspended until further notice,” stated a release sent Monday morning. “This includes practices and contests/meets/festivals.The Executive Board will reevaluate this Read More…
It was no secret that Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana has an oversized ego. He’s the guy who promised he was going to “take our democracy back” when he announced his disastrous presidential bid in May. Instead, he took a shellacking and exited the Democratic nomination battle with the same “less than 1%” support in Read More…
Even the leader of the Squad is conceding a big defeat for Bernie Sanders. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-Queens) conceded a major setback for her progressive hero after Joe Biden crushed Sanders in Michigan and several other states. “There’s no sugarcoating it. (It’s) a tough night,” Ocasio-Cortez told supporters on an Instagram video. Ocasio-Cortez sought to Read More…
The Montana Department of Commerce announced that five Montana communities have been accepted to become affiliate members of the Montana Main Street Program. The program helps Montana communities strengthen and preserve historic downtown commercial districts by supporting economic development, urban revitalization and historic preservation through long-range planning, organization, design and promotion. “The Department of Commerce Read More…
The North Dakota Emergency Commission voted Tuesday to accept up to $6 million in federal funds to contain and mitigate the spread of the coronavirus disease, COVID-19. Congress passed and President Trump signed legislation last week appropriating $8.3 billion for COVID-19 preparedness, prevention and treatment efforts. Of the total, $950 million will go to state Read More…
BILLINGS, Mont. — A Canadian company said Wednesday it has started preliminary work along the route of the proposed Keystone XL oil sands pipeline through the U.S. in anticipation of starting construction next month, as opponents await a judge’s ruling on their request to block any work. TC Energy spokeswoman Sara Rabern said the Calgary-based company Read More…
Montana State University and two Bozeman schools have cancelled international trips due to concerns over the spread of the novel coronavirus, and students studying in Italy will cut their trip short. Seventeen MSU art students and one professor in Italy are leaving Rome this week, and have been asked to self-quarantine off-campus for 14 days Read More…
Update 4:50 p.m. Gov. Steve Bullock said in a news release that the Montana woman who tested positive for COVID-19 in Maryland was last in Montana in November 2019 and was not in the state during the 14-day incubation period. “Since the case was announced earlier today, public health officials have been working nonstop to Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — Montana Gov. Steve Bullock raised $1.2 million in campaign donations in the 24 hours after he filed to run against Montana Senator Steve Daines. According to a press release from Bullock’s campaign, more than 1,250 contributions from Montanans were made in the first day of the campaign. READ FULL STORY
Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) on Monday unveiled a handful of proposals that he said Congress and the administration should enact amid growing concerns about the coronavirus’s impact on the economy. “I will be working with the Trump administration, Congressional Leadership, and Republicans and Democrats in both chambers to ensure these priorities are addressed and put forward to help Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — A bill allowing only biological women to play women’s high school and college sports in Idaho is now one step closer to becoming law. On Monday, House Bill 500 was sent out of committee to the Senate floor for amendments. Critics of the bill say it is trans-phobic to prevent Read More…
The Wyoming Senate on Monday gave initial approval to a bill that could eventually lead to doing away with the twice-a-year time changes in the state. But House Bill 44 was also significantly changed from its original form. Senators adopted an amendment proposed by Sen. Ogden Driskill [R-Devils Tower] that would change the requirement in the House Bill that Wyoming would Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. – This is a look at the toilet paper aisle at Target in Bismarck Monday afternoon. Dina Maas sent us this picture and says you can’t see it by this picture, but there were just a few packs of toilet paper left. Maas says Target also has a sign up at check-out limiting how Read More…