A bipartisan provision championed by Sen. Steve Daines to sharply increase penalties for unauthorized disclosure of taxpayer information cleared the Senate Finance Committee as part of a broader tax administration package, moving one step closer to becoming law. The Daines-Cortez Masto provision passed as part of the Taxpayer Assistance and Service Act, which the Finance Read More…
Montana State University will host an interdisciplinary symposium Oct. 1-2 to explore the possibilities and challenges of artificial intelligence for human knowledge. “The Future of AI” conference, sponsored by the Interdisciplinary Institute on Artificial Intelligence at MSU, will be held on campus. Attendance includes lunch and an evening reception on Thursday, and a light breakfast Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Montana will end the “orphan tax” — the longstanding practice of diverting Social Security survivor benefits from children in foster care to cover the cost of their state care — following a federal directive earlier this year calling on states to end the practice. For more than two decades, the Montana Read More…
Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced the Montana Motor Vehicle Division is extending its fee waiver for driver license and identification card renewals and replacements through September 30, following a strong response to the program that saw more than 18,000 Montanans add the new citizenship marker to their credentials in July alone. The waiver, originally set Read More…
President-Elect Donald Trump has offered the Interior secretary job to Montana’s lone Congressman Ryan Zinke, according to Washington D.C. news outlet Politico. Politico sources said Zinke has yet to accept the position and as not indicated which way he is leaning. Mr. Zinke met with Trump in New York City earlier this week. He was Read More…
As Democratic senators weigh when to fight and when to compromise with Donald Trump, Republicans on the other side of the Capitol are watching — with 2018 in mind. From Politico
When it comes to Donald Trump and James Mattis, Montana Republican Rep. Ryan Zinke is looking forward to the future. “I’m actually excited about the next 100 days,” he said. “This election was deep in its change.” “I’m an optimist, we’ll figure it out,” From Roll Call
Once Donald Trump secured the Presidency, Montana Senator Steve Daines began compiling a ‘wish-list’ of issues he wants the new President to tackle once he settles in to the Oval Office. From KGVO
The nation’s biggest business lobbying organization is “cautiously optimistic” about the prospects of the Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Congress, though the next president himself will be “the wild card,” according to an official with the organization. From Flathead Beacon
The Gianforte Family Foundation once again has shown its dedication to supporting education and job creation in Montana, pledging $290,000 to the University of Montana’s Department of Computer Science. The two-year gift will help the department grow its enrollment capacity, ultimately graduating more computer science majors and minors for careers in Montana’s growing technology sector. Read More…
So here it is, a month after Greg Gianforte lost his election bid for governor, and Evan Barrett is still denigrating him (Dec. 7 opinion). Maybe we should call him Evan “kick-them-while-they’re down” Barrett. This time Evan is alarmed about Greg using his own money to fund some of his campaign. I would think Evan Read More…
Jon Tester, Democratic U.S. Senator from Montana, rode to national elected office on a pledge to restrict lobbying, end campaign finance violations, and the like. Despite his promises to the contrary, Senator Tester is now in the midst of a scandal, involving allegations of campaign finance violations, illicit lobbying practices, and a firm of trial Read More…
The University of Montana School of Journalism will join other top-tier media schools in the launch of a new Google “News Lab University Network” in an effort to better train new and existing journalists in data, search and emerging technologies. The network is the latest effort by the School of Journalism to deploy technologies to Read More…
Great Falls – HD 19 Representative Randy Pinocci has filed a lawsuit against Advanced Litho Printing and the Montana Contractors’ Association alleging that his legislative voting record led to his firing in 2015. The conservative Republican filed his suit on November 14th in Missoula District Court. Pinocci worked for Advanced Litho from 1999 to 2015 Read More…
Washington – President-Elect Donald J. Trump has tapped pediatric neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson to head the Department of Housing and Urban Development. Carson previously ran for the Republican presidential nomination before dropping out of the running and endorsing Trump’s presidential bid. Carson was an early favorite for Department of Health and Human Services with his Read More…
Helena – Montana commissioner of political practices dismissed a state ethics complaint against Governor Steve Bullock and Commerce Director Meg O’Leary on Monday with no investigation. The complaint was filed by state Representative Brad Tschida of Missoula. Commissioner Jonathan Motl, who was appointed by Governor Bullock, said that trips taken by Meg O’Leary to a Read More…
To be in business is noble and virtuous. To implement a plan for a good environment in Montana for business will cost Montana Chamber members a million dollars. Business people were called upon by Greg Gianforte to be proud of what they do in the private sector, and to do their part in planting “a Read More…
U.S. officials cancelled 15 oil and gas leases on Wednesday in an area bordering Glacier National Park that’s considered sacred to the Blackfoot tribes of the U.S. and Canada. The cancellation was aimed at preserving the Badger-Two Medicine area, a largely-undeveloped, 130,000-acre wilderness that is the site of the creation story for members of Montana’s Read More…
Frank Gazella Jr.—the founder of Creek to Peak Wear, a new Bozeman-based outdoor apparel brand—exudes an enthusiasm that is nothing short of infectious. A natural entrepreneur, Gazella’s passion and drive has served him, but is not self-serving. Rather, his energy is buoyed by a genuine desire to help other small startups make their vision a Read More…
When lawmakers, lobbyists and observers gather Jan. 11 in Cheyenne for the start of the 64th Legislature, they will notice even more Republicans and men in a state that already has among the fewest number of women and Democratic lawmakers in the nation. During Tuesday’s election, voters made choices throughout the state that ultimately resulted Read More…
Voter turnout last week reached a historic high in one Wyoming county – where 100 percent of registered voters cast a ballot in the general election. “I think everyone was wanting to get out and vote and voice their opinion,” said Jane Carr, deputy county clerk in Johnson County, Wyo. “I just think it’s great.” Read More…
Wyoming U.S. Sen. John Barrasso has been re-elected to serve as chairman of the Senate Republican Policy Committee. The Republican says the committee plans to move quickly and to work closely with the new administration of President-elect Donald Trump. Barrasso says policy areas that will be high on the list for the new Congress include Read More…
xAd, the ad network that serves you ads in apps and mobile web pages based on your location, is today announcing another hefty round of funding, as well as its first acquisition in the world of consumer apps to grow its audience and dataset. The company has raised $42.5 million, and it’s buying WeatherBug, the popular weather Read More…
After taking the top spot at Disrupt San Francisco’s Startup Battlefield, Mobalytics has been hard at work preparing to roll out their analytics-driven competitive gaming coach to more and more of the nearly 20,000 users who have signed up for early access. In the six weeks since Disrupt SF, the company has been raising Read More…
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock proposed Tuesday to create new taxes on the wealthy and medical marijuana in an attempt to bolster state revenues that have stagnated amid a downturn in oil and coal production. One week after winning re-election, the Democratic governor released a two-year budget plan that would increase state spending $35 million by Read More…
A committee of state lawmakers voted on party lines Tuesday to keep the super-majority rule for removing a tabled bill from committee in the Montana House of Representatives. Six Republicans on the Legislative Council, including Speaker of the House Austin Knudsen, beat the five Democrats and squashed the recommendation that “blasting” a bill from Read More…
Montana Attorney General Tim Fox and the Montana Public Service Commission, along with 25 other state attorneys general, co-authored and co-signed a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency objecting to a new rule that they argue is an attempt to circumvent the Supreme Court. “The rule making is called the Clean Energy Incentive Program Read More…
Native Americans in Montana expressed anger, hurt and betrayal toward Governor Steve Bullock shortly after his reelection became official, for sending Montana law enforcement to protests in North Dakota. The Governor’s decision is based on a national interstate agreement called Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), which allows states to help other state governors for assistance. Read More…
Doug Burgum, a former Microsoft executive and lifelong resident of North Dakota is now that state’s governor-elect. Burgum, a Republican, defeated a lightly funded Democrat, Marvin Nelson, and Libertarian Marty Riske by a wide margin, according to local news reports. Born into a farming family in Arthur, Burgum attended North Dakota State University then Stanford Read More…
North Dakota’s Highway Patrol locked down the state capitol on Monday as more than two dozen protested the Dakota Access Pipeline nearby, according to local media. A request for comment from Governor Jack Dalrymple’s office, which is on the first floor of the capitol, was not immediately returned. The Bismarck Tribune newspaper reported that the Read More…
CorEnergy Infrastructure Trust (CORR) has announced that a subsidiary of Ultra Petroleum has agreed to assume the lease on its Pinedale Liquids Gathering System without amendment, through a motion filed today in bankruptcy court. CORR is the first publicly listed real estate investment trust focusing on energy infrastructure. According to the CORR website, the Pinedale Read More…
President-elect Donald Trump says he will repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, a national health care reform measure also known as Obamacare. “On day one of the Trump administration, we will ask Congress to immediately deliver a full repeal of Obamacare,” information on Trump’s website says. So what do his plans mean Read More…
There will be lots to talk about at the Central Wyoming Economic Forecast in Casper on Dec. 13 at the Parkway Plaza; and the Wyoming Business Report has assembled an impressive slate of speakers to cover every angle. Kicking off the event will be UW economics professor Anne Alexander, who will provide the low down Read More…
Microsoft Corp. has announced its largest wind power deal to date: 237 megawatts (MW) that will power their data center outside of Cheyenne. This will bring Microsoft’s total investment in wind energy projects to more than 500 MW. This deal will combine a 178 MW from the Bloom Wind project in Kansas with a long-term Read More…
The Wyoming Business Alliance and Wyoming Heritage Foundation have created a new initiative where business people across the state will be able to help improve public education. Wyoming Excels was officially launched during Gov. Matt Mead’s Business Forum at Cheyenne. “Wyoming Excels is about business engaging with educators,” said Fred von Ahrens, the Read More…
Made in Montana; it’s a slogan you see on everything from huckleberry jams, to jewelry, to films, and of course beer. For breweries, finding that authentic Made in Montana path is as challenging as it is rewarding. Mike and Greg Howard opened Missoula’s Great Burn brewery two and a half years ago. “We’ve been craft Read More…
The election of Donald Trump may mean a new bridge over the Clark Fork River for Missoula. After all, the real estate mogul likes to build stuff, and Trump talked about the need for infrastructure during his raucous campaign. That infrastructure is vital to Montana’s economy and those nurturing growth in the business sector, said Read More…
At Archie Cochrane Ford, a safe culture for its 115 employees led to a big payday Monday. At the Billings auto dealership, officials from the Montana State Fund distributed about $43,000 in dividends from Archie Cochrane workers’ compensation premiums. Archie Cochrane was among the largest recipients in Yellowstone County, which received $4.6 million Read More…
Montana’s political enforcer said he plans to reach out to Gov. Steve Bullock late next week to discuss his replacement. Commissioner of Political Practices Jon Motl said he hasn’t spoken to the governor since his appointment in 2013. His term as commissioner expires Dec. 31, according to his letter of appointment. Motl told the Chronicle Read More…
Montana Republicans, who had a very good day at the polls Tuesday, have expanded their majority in the state Senate and held a 59-41 spread in the Montana House. “It was an electoral rout,” Montana GOP Chairman Jeff Essmann said of Tuesday’s results, noting that Republicans won all statewide offices except governor and didn’t lose Read More…
Senate Republicans on Monday elected a self-described “staunch fiscal conservative” in Sen. Scott Sales of Bozeman to be Senate president for the 2017 Legislature. Sales, 56, won what was described as a close race for the top job over Sen. Eric Moore of Miles City. The vote was by secret ballot, with the Read More…
For the fourth year in a row, Montana Attorney General Tim Fox and Montana’s U.S. Senator Steve Daines continue their ‘Brawl of the Wild’ wager for the University of Montana – Montana State University football game. The Cats and Grizzlies clash this Saturday in Missoula. The terms of this year’s bet: the winner will buy Read More…
The upcoming session of the Montana Legislature will focus on tightening the state budget, and there will not be much money available for new initiatives, the incoming leaders of Republican legislative majority said Monday. Republicans elected Sen. Scott Sales of Bozeman to be Senate president for the session that begins in January. Sales, a former Read More…
With just a few days left before Election Day, the battle for a pivotal seat on the Montana Supreme Court is heating up. But much of the spending in the last week isn’t coming from the candidates themselves – it’s coming from outside groups. One of those groups is Montanans for Liberty and Justice. It’s backing Read More…