Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a 27-state coalition urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Washington state’s ban on firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. The coalition filed an amicus brief Monday in Gator’s Custom Guns, Inc. v. State of Washington, arguing the law violates the Second Amendment. In May, the Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte this week signed an executive order creating a new Energy Task Force charged with developing strategies to expand affordable, reliable energy production in Montana. “With increasing demand on our energy grid, we must meet the challenge head-on to ensure affordable, reliable power for Montanans now and into the future,” Gianforte said. “After Read More…
U.S. Senator John Hoeven announced that U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Troy E. Meink will be a featured guest speaker at the 19th annual UAS Summit & Expo, scheduled for October 14–15 at the Alerus Center. The Summit, one of the nation’s premier gatherings for unmanned aircraft systems, draws government, military, and commercial Read More…
The Montana Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) is now accepting applications for the Chrome for Kids Wish Fund, a grant program that supports nonprofits dedicated to granting wishes for chronically or seriously ill children. The Chrome for Kids Wish Fund was created by the Montana Legislature and is financed through voluntary $20 donations collected when residents Read More…
Gov.-elect Greg Gianforte on Tuesday named the first member of his cabinet, announcing that outgoing U.S. Attorney for Montana Kurt Alme will be the new Republican administration’s budget director. Alme, who has degrees in law and business, just announced his resignation Monday from the U.S. attorney job in Billings. Gianforte said voters gave his administration Read More…
HELENA — Montana is known for its beautiful mountain scenery, and some would even consider it the best place on earth for fishing so when avid fisherman Patrick Hogan was out on the Missouri River near Townsend and saw it sprinkled with old water bottles, he couldn’t let it go. Hogan says, “When you put Read More…
Two U.S. citizens have settled a lawsuit with Customs and Border Protection after they were detained by a Border Patrol agent who heard them speaking Spanish at a convenience store in Havre, Montana, and demanded that they show identification. The monetary settlement was announced on Tuesday by the American Civil Liberties Union, which filed the lawsuit on Read More…
All tickets for the 2020 drawing of Montana Millionaire have sold out, once again selling out in record time. Tickets sold out before 5:00 p.m. on Monday Nov. 23, nine days earlier than 2019 and four days before the first early bird drawing. “Sales for Montana Millionaire have been more and more brisk every single Read More…
As Montana U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme prepares to step down Dec. 2, he spoke with MTN News about the biggest challenges facing his successor. First and foremost, the new U.S. attorney for Montana will be dealing with COVID-19 and its impact on Montana’s justice system, including an alarming jump in violent crimes. According to new data Read More…
OAKLAND, Calif. — As speculation grows that Gov. Gavin Newsom is leaning toward California elections chief Alex Padilla to fill the U.S. Senate seat of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, a crowd of top Democratic donors and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown are launching an aggressive campaign to argue that another woman of color should Read More…
Montanans voted to legalize recreational marijuana earlier this month, but there are still hurdles to overcome before people without medical marijuana cards can head to the pot shop. I-190, one of the two initiatives that legalized recreational marijuana in the state, may still be changed by the Montana Legislature during the upcoming 2021 session, Read More…
BILLINGS — Warrior Wishes Montana works to provide veterans in Billings and surrounding areas with assistance and connect them to the right resources, and veterans can come get the fixings for a warm Thanksgiving meal in Billings on Tuesday, November 24. “Warrior Wishes Montana is going to be giving our annual Vetsgiving Meals to the Read More…
The Montana Department of Commerce announced November 19th, 2020, it has completed a bond sale worth more than $52 million to help finance the construction of a new facility for Shodair Children’s Hospital. The bond issuance by the Montana Facility Finance Authority will support a new facility in Helena, which will include 82 private rooms Read More…
BISMARCK, N.D. (KFYR) – Teachers, staff and school administrators in Fargo and West Fargo school districts will be the first to get rapid testing for COVID-19 this week. The districts are part of a pilot program with the North Dakota Department of Health to identify asymptomatic COVID-19 cases. READ FULL STORY
The impacts of Wyoming’s COVID-19 surge are being exacerbated by spikes in neighboring states and the concurrent strain on the region’s healthcare resources. Demand for Wyoming’s scarce hospital capacity is expected to build, at least in the short term: County health officers have counseled that the state could soon see 3,000 new cases a day Read More…
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – Two South Dakota law enforcement officials want the courts to overturn a citizen-approved constitutional amendment legalizing marijuana in the state. Pennington County Sheriff Kevin Thom and South Dakota Highway Patrol Superintendent Rick Miller filed a lawsuit Friday challenging the constitutionality of the amendment. READ FULL STORY
CASPER, Wyo — Liz Cheney, Wyoming’s sole delegate and third-ranking Republican in the U.S. House of Representatives, has called on President Donald Trump in a statement to either back up his claims of voter fraud or respect the “sanctity of our electoral process.” “America is governed by the rule of law,” Cheney wrote. “The President Read More…
GILLETTE — The son of a Wyoming state representative who opposed COVID-19 public restrictions said his father was positive for the coronavirus when he died. Roy Edwards, 66, died Nov. 2 at Wyoming Medical Center in Casper after being hospitalized for more than a week with illness that was not immediately disclosed, The Gillette Read More…
The highest legal needs in Wyoming are family law, medical debt and housing issues – and the coronavirus pandemic has the potential to create an even greater need in each area for Wyoming’s low-income population. Equal Justice Wyoming, the Equal Justice Wyoming Foundation and Legal Aid of Wyoming recently partnered to conduct and fund a Read More…
As COVID cases surge across the US, Waffle House CEO Walt Ehmer does not want to shut down indoor dining. And, he really does not want the government to force him to do so. “A lockdown is going to put a lot of people out of work,” Ehmer told Business Insider. “It’s really not about Read More…
The Trump campaign is mulling a recount request in Wisconsin after a statewide canvass showed the president trailing President-elect Joe Biden there by 20,608 votes. All 72 counties in Wisconsin have now completed their canvassing process, The Associated Press reported. The final tally shows Biden, who has been projected president-elect, with a lead of about 0.6 percentage points, or roughly Read More…
Dustin Johnson may be the champion of the moment, but the golfer’s future father-in-law knows more than a thing or two about winning. Wayne Gretzky — known to hockey fans as The Great One — is an NHL icon, winning four Stanley Cups during his illustrious career. He’s also the father of Paulina Gretzky, who Read More…
LIMA, Peru — Peru’s political crisis appeared on the verge of resolution Monday as Congress cleared the way for an elder statesman and consensus candidate to become the country’s third president in a week. People waved the nation’s red-and-white flag and blared horns outside the gates of Congress as Francisco Sagasti of the centrist Purple Read More…
GREAT FALLS — Blackfeet Tribe business owners can now apply for grants to help them make up for some of the money they’ve lost this year due to the pandemic. Application are being accepted through December 11. As of Tuesday, about two dozen businesses had submitted applications. The committee overseeing the grant was still in Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. — Starting Wednesday, through next Tuesday, Bozeman School District administrators say Meadowlark Elementary will be on a remote learning format. Officials say a large number of staff members have to quarantine, so there is not enough coverage for classes and other positions. READ FULL STORY
Governor-elect Greg Gianforte unveiled advisory teams on Monday that will help him find new directors for the Department of Commerce, the Department of Labor and Industry and Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Gianforte was elected governor Nov. 3 and takes the oath of office Jan. 4. All members are voluntary and are not compensated. Last week, Gianforte Read More…
Montana Gov. Steve Bullock proposed a two-year state budget on Nov. 16 that he says preserves essential services while boosting education and infrastructure spending. YPR News’ Kevin Trevellyan reports it’s the two term Democratic governor’s final budget proposal. During a news conference at the capitol, Bullock proposed using $75 million, or two thirds of the state’s rainy Read More…
Here’s something you probably won’t hear from either the left or the right: West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin is a much more important and influential Democrat than New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (or “AOC” for marketing purposes). Just this week, Mr. Manchin did something far more consequential than anything AOC has done in her entire Read More…
South Dakota Attorney General Jason Ravnsborg was “distracted” before he drove onto a highway shoulder where he struck and killed a pedestrian in September, state Secretary of Safety Craig Price said Monday. Price said 55-year-old Joseph Boever was walking on the side of the road and displaying some type of light on the night of Sept. Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — Gov. Brad Little is mobilizing 100 members of the Idaho National Guard to help out hospitals and long-term care facilities across the state in response to the influx of COVID-19 cases. Little signed an executive order on Friday to help with Idaho’s response to the pandemic. The National Guard will help when Read More…
As the coronavirus surges in the U.S., now topping eleven million cases overall with new cases averaging 150,000 a day in the past week, university revenues are being pounded, leading to a new round of budget cuts and personnel terminations. Within the last few days or weeks, several major institutions announced new cost-cutting measures. University of Read More…
Camping World Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: CWH) (“Camping World”), the nation’s largest network of RV and outdoor lifestyle – centric retail locations, today announced an agreement to acquire the Outlet Recreation dealership based in the Fargo market. This acquisition marks the Company’s first location in North Dakota, with plans for the deal to close in December Read More…
That’s when Kraken Financial became the first entity to receive a special purpose depository institution (SPDI) charter in the Cowboy State, giving the cryptocurrency industry insight into roughly how long it takes to become a bank. It’s also the first newly chartered (de novo) bank the state has approved since 2006. While Kraken Financial still has some hoops Read More…
Back in 2014, I first interviewed the technology and security leaders in “Big Sky Country” for this blog. A lot has changed in the past six years, including the state’s government technology and security leadership. But what hasn’t changed is a focus on excellence and professionalism in public service that continues to surprise observers around the country. Read More…
This year in Montana, Republicans swept every statewide and federal race, while also increasing their majority in the statehouse by 10 seats. Montana, once dubbed a purple state for its split-ticket voting, is now deep crimson. After four terms of a Democratic governor, a Republican will sit in Montana’s governor’s mansion for the first time Read More…
U.S. Sen. John Thune, (R-South Dakota), has been re-elected to Senate Republican Whip, the second highest position in Senate Republican leadership, according to a press release from the senator’s office Tuesday. He was re-elected unanimously and his term as whip will begin in January for the 117th Congress. Thune was first elected as Republican whip for Read More…
Gov. Steve Bullock is on president-elect Joe Biden’s list to head the interior department, The New York Times is reporting. “The governor of Montana, Bullock recently lost a close Senate race to Steve Daines, a Republican incumbent. Bullock has been active in environmental issues: In 2014, he signed an executive order creating a habitat for Read More…
Former Maine Gov. Paul LePage made it crystal clear on Friday that’s he’s ready to return to public office. Asked in an interview with NewsRadio WGAN in Maine if he has plans to seek a third term as governor, LePage said “yes I do. Unequivocally. If I’m breathing, I’m running.” Term-limited after two four-year terms in office, from 2011 Read More…
Gov. Doug Burgum is seeking legal representation for a likely lawsuit over a Bismarck-area state legislative seat won by a deceased candidate. The governor on Friday asked Attorney General Wayne Stenehjem to appoint three attorneys with Vogel Law Firm in Bismarck to represent him “on legal matters related to Legislative District 8’s membership in the North Read More…
Micron Technology is one of Idaho’s largest employers, but it only pays property taxes on a fraction of its taxable value. The reason? An unsuccessful attempt to lure a nuclear company to East Idaho during the Great Recession. The company paid $4.75 million in property taxes in 2019, only 23% of what it would owe Read More…
BOISE, Idaho — Due to the continued rise in COVID-19 cases across the state, jury trials in Idaho have been put on hold until Jan. 4, 2021. The Idaho Supreme Court issued this latest order on Monday. It applies to both criminal and civil cases. On Sept. 10, the state high court issued an order Read More…
About 60% of South Dakota prisoners have contracted COVID-19 since March while active cases at the Rapid City prison increased from 45 on Monday to 183 on Tuesday. There have been 2,009 coronavirus cases among DOC inmates since the pandemic began and 241 are active, according to Tuesday data from the Department of Corrections. Read More…
CASPER, Wyo. — The Wyoming Game and Fish Department said on Wednesday that pheasant hunting season is underway in the state. The department raises and releases pheasants at locations around Wyoming. “If you are interested in keeping up with the releases for the Ocean Lake and Sand Mesa Wildlife Habitat Management Areas (WHMA) outside of Riverton, Wyoming, you should check out Read More…
Georgia’s top election official said Wednesday the state will conduct a hand recount of all paper ballots cast in the Nov. 3 presidential election. Uncertified results in the state show Democrat Joe Biden leading President Donald Trump by 14,000 votes out of nearly 5 million votes counted in the state. Nearly all ballots have been Read More…