U.S. Senators Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) and Chris Coons (D-Del.) have introduced the China-Africa Mining Transparency Act of 2026, a bipartisan bill aimed at exposing China’s use of forced labor, child labor, and environmental abuse in critical mineral mining operations across Africa. “As we restore American energy dominance and onshore critical mineral production, it is imperative Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has invoked supervisory control over Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell, following her failure to issue a memorandum clarifying that Gallatin County may share confidential criminal justice information (CCJI) with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for civil immigration enforcement functions. On April 2, Attorney General Knudsen sent a letter to Read More…
Congressman Ryan Zinke announced the House passage of the Farm, Food, and National Security Act of 2026, commonly known as the Farm Bill, a comprehensive piece of legislation designed to strengthen American agriculture, support rural communities, and improve forest and land management. The bill includes six provisions sponsored or co-sponsored by Zinke. “The Farm Bill Read More…
Spirit Airlines announced on May 2 that it was suspending all operations after years of financial hardships, compounded by a recent spike in fuel prices, leaving travelers scrambling for alternative flights and refunds. All Spirit flights have been canceled and the airline’s customer service is no longer available. “For more than 30 years, Spirit Airlines Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen spearheaded a coalition urging the Biden administration to maintain the operations of a significant commercial ammunition manufacturing plant. This call to action was prompted by requests from Democrat attorneys general to investigate the plant, a move that could disrupt production, diminish ammunition supply, and compromise national security. In a letter Read More…
(The Center Square) – Former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, defeated by former President Donald Trump in New Hampshire on Tuesday, has vowed to continue her quest for the Republican nomination in the 2024 presidential election. The voters in the state she once led may be the last remaining hope. While Nevada is next for Republicans, Read More…
By Brett Rowland | The Center Square (The Center Square) – A new poll shows that Democrats and Republicans are concerned more about inflation than other potential crises, but voters from the two parties don’t see eye to eye on other concerns, including the potential of a terrorist attack on U.S. soil or potential chaos Read More…
Despite being characterized by various media outlets as a key moderate figure, Senator Jon Tester of Montana demonstrated strong support for President Joe Biden’s positions on legislation and nominees, aligning with them over 99% of the time during the 117th Congress, as per a scrutiny of his voting record. Tester, facing a challenging re-election bid, Read More…
(The Center Square) – With presidential primary season under way, the majority of Americans disapprove of the job President Joe Biden is doing as president, according to a new poll. The Center Square’s Voter’s Voice Poll found that 59% of likely voters disapprove of the job Biden is doing as president, while 39% say they Read More…
(The Center Square) – An illegal foreign national in Montana faces up to 40 years in prison after pleading guilty in Bozeman to mitigated deliberate homicide for stabbing a man to death. Francisco Padilla Canales initially pled not guilty and faced charges including deliberate homicide, aggravated kidnapping, tampering with witnesses and information, and aggravated burglary. Read More…
(The Center Square) – Less than two months before implementation, a federal law impacting gig workers is being challenged in a Georgia court. Founders of Fight for Freelancers, a coalition of more than 2,500 independent contract workers in varying professions, seeks an injunction to prohibit enforcement of the new law announced this month by the Read More…
BOZEMAN – Montana State University, the state’s largest research entity and a designated Carnegie R1 institution, has received a $500,000 grant from the National Science Foundation to significantly expand its computational infrastructure for research. The grant was awarded to MSU’s Research Cyberinfrastructure Core Facility, which manages the advanced information technology systems that support large research Read More…
Scheduled for a mail-in ballot this March, the $4.6 million levy, if sanctioned, will finance the acquisition of new equipment and the recruitment of additional personnel for Kalispell’s police and fire departments. After experiencing a rise in call volumes and delayed response times over the years, Kalispell city officials are initiating an educational campaign ahead Read More…
(The Center Square) – The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security is holding its second hearing next week as part of its efforts to bring impeachment proceedings against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The hearing will examine the human cost of the border crisis, and witnesses will testify as to how they’ve been Read More…
(The Center Square) — New York City Mayor Eric Adams is considering a curfew at the city’s homeless shelters amid complaints about migrants shoplifting and wandering neighborhoods begging for money. The Adams administration is considering the plan as the ‘sanctuary’ city continues to wrestle with the influx of tens of thousands of asylum seekers arriving Read More…
On a single night in 2022, 582,462 people experienced homelessness in the United States, and numbers are on the rise. Since 2017, there has been a 6% increase in homelessness. About six in 10 of the people experiencing homelessness in 2022 had access to emergency shelters, transitional housing programs, or safe havens, while the remainder Read More…
Montana’s Attorney General, Austin Knudsen, declared his candidacy for re-election in November, emphasizing his commitment to combating drugs and crime, challenging the perceived detrimental effects of the Biden administration’s agenda on Montanans, and safeguarding the freedoms and liberties of the state’s residents. As the leader of the Montana Department of Justice, overseeing agencies such as Read More…
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled against a Biden administration effort to require emergency room doctors to perform abortions, the latest step in an ongoing legal battle that could end up at the U.S. Supreme Court. In the case in question, State of Texas v. Becerra, the Read More…
In a press conference held Thursday to observe Human Trafficking Awareness Month, Governor Greg Gianforte was joined by Attorney General Austin Knudsen, law enforcement officials, and nonprofit leaders. Governor Gianforte expressed his strong stance against human trafficking, condemning the perpetrators who prey on individuals and engage in heart-wrenching crimes. He emphasized Montana’s unwavering commitment to Read More…
(The Center Square) – Former President Bill Clinton is among several high-profile names identified in nearly 1,000 pages of unsealed court documents stemming from a defamation lawsuit related to Jeffrey Epstein. The documents released out of the Southern District Court of New York Wednesday evening, were filed by Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre against Ghislaine Maxwell, Epstein’s Read More…
The competition for control of the U.S. Senate in 2024 is already underway, with Republicans strategizing to flip the chamber. In the upcoming election cycle, a total of 34 Senate seats are at stake. Democrats face the challenge of defending 23 seats, while Republicans have to protect only 11. The majority of competitive seats currently Read More…
As Human Trafficking Awareness Month begins, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen urges Montanans to familiarize themselves with the indicators of human trafficking and report any instances they observe to aid the state in combating this reprehensible crime. In a stern message, he warns human traffickers and their accomplices against conducting business in Montana, emphasizing that Read More…
Montana Highway Patrol Sgt. Jay Nelson has verified the evacuation of the Montana State Capitol in response to a bomb threat received around 8:30 a.m on Wednesday. MHP troopers efficiently cleared the Capitol, evacuating both staff and visitors. This incident is part of a series of threats directed at state capitol buildings on Wednesday morning, Read More…
(The Center Square) – Starting Monday, electronic cigarette products will be banned inside public places in Illinois. Kristina Hamilton of the American Lung Association said the association has been leading the charge to encourage states to expand their smoking bans to include e-cigarettes. A coalition of partners across Illinois have been working with the association Read More…
(The Center Square) – Americans pay hundreds of dollars per year in taxes on their wireless “family plan” for their cell phones. The Tax Foundation research shows the average American household with four phones would pay about $300 per year in taxes on a family plan costing $100 per month. “Since 2012, the average charge Read More…
A beer company that calls itself “anti-woke” and gained popularity in response to Bud Light’s promotion of transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney has announced that its recent campaign successfully raised thousands of dollars for the Riley Gaines Center, dedicated to safeguarding women’s sports. Conservative Dad’s Ultra Right Beer collaborated with Riley Gaines, a women’s sports activist, Read More…
Electric Vehicles are “piling up on dealer lots” as consumers continue buying traditional cars at faster rates, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Wall Street Journal reports that, contrary to expectations from both the administration and the automotive industry, President Joe Biden’s green energy agenda has not gained widespread acceptance among Americans, despite substantial investments Read More…
The IRS recently announced the waiver of approximately $1 billion in common penalties for taxpayers who faced delays in paying their taxes during the pandemic. This decision aims to bring relief to nearly five million taxpayers who may have been unaware of accumulating balances from tax years 2020 and 2021. The IRS had temporarily suspended Read More…
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced that it has filed a lawsuit against Grand Canyon University (GCU), marking the second federal agency under the Biden administration to take legal action against the largest Christian school in the nation within the past few months. The university asserts that this is part of a coordinated attack by Read More…
(The Center Square) – Four high school female track athletes in Connecticut have stood against the influx of transgender athletes seeking to compete against girls in school sports, likely setting up a defining legal battle of 2024. The U.S. Court of Appeals rescued the legal challenge, Soule v. Connecticut Association of Schools, in December after Read More…
Efforts to convene a special session of the Montana Legislature aimed at addressing tax-related concerns have fallen short. On Friday evening, the Montana Secretary of State’s Office disclosed the outcomes of a legislative poll. Of the total votes cast, 55 were in favor of scheduling a special session on January 15, falling short of the Read More…
Pro-Palestinian demonstrators disrupted morning traffic on Wednesday at Los Angeles International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport—two of the busiest airports in the nation—during coast-to-coast protests that concluded with numerous arrests. The Los Angeles Police Department reported that 36 individuals were apprehended at LAX, where the protesters became unruly. According to the Read More…
As the 2024 election cycle gains momentum, all eyes are on the Montana Senate race, which is anticipated to be a focal point next year. The state hosts one of three Democratic-held U.S. Senate seats up for grabs in states won by Donald Trump in the previous election, the others being Ohio and West Virginia. Read More…
For over a decade, the Flathead County Detention Center has consistently operated at or beyond its intended capacity, as highlighted in a recent jail needs assessment. Numerous discussions among commissioners have taken place, and during a recent work session, all three commissioners unanimously affirmed the necessity of a new facility, expressing a preference for it Read More…
In a press release, the MCV Action fund, an independent Political Action Committee aligned with the liberal environmental activist group Montana Conservation Voters, proclaimed its formal endorsement of Democrat Ryan Busse in his gubernatorial bid for Montana. Democrat political staffer Jill Lombardi, the chair of the MCV PAC board, praised Busse, saying, “Ryan Busse has Read More…
The mayor of Joliet, Dakota Zachariah Mitchem, who also holds the position of the town’s Postmaster, is facing a felony assault charge. The charge was filed in Carbon County District Court on Monday. According to court records, the charge is related to an incident that occurred on Sunday at a residence on Second Street in Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte has announced a strategic investment of up to $17.5 million to enhance access to community-based behavioral health and developmental disabilities care for Montanans. This marks the initial allocation of the $300 million funding commitment made by the governor this spring to overhaul and enhance Montana’s behavioral health and developmental disabilities services systems. Read More…
On Friday, a legal challenge was initiated by James Goetz, a longtime trial lawyer from Bozeman and a prominent Democratic Party contributor. The lawsuit questions the constitutionality of four bipartisan laws recently enacted by the Republican-controlled Legislature in Montana. These laws were designed to address the state’s housing shortage by promoting proactive land use planning Read More…
A group of people came together outside the Cascade County Courthouse Annex in Great Falls on Monday, December 11, 2023, to protest a proposal to remove election duties from the County Clerk and Recorder’s Office. “It’s our right as citizens to elect the person that takes care of our elections,” said Lisa Bennett. “If that goes Read More…
National Democrat aligned groups are actively working towards placing a state constitutional amendment on abortion on Montana’s ballot next year. The move is aimed at bolstering the re-election prospects of Democratic Senator Jon Tester, who is identified as one of the most vulnerable Senate incumbents in the upcoming 2024 elections. READ THE FULL STORY: https://politics406.com/montana-abortion-ballot-measure-aims-to-boost-tester/
Helena – A judge heard testimony in a case aiming to resolve an ambiguity regarding the interaction between the governor’s authority to veto a bill and the Legislature’s power to overturn that veto. Attorneys presented oral arguments in a lawsuit concerning Gov. Greg Gianforte’s veto of Senate Bill 442. District Judge Mike Menahan, a former Read More…
Representative Mike Gallagher, who chairs the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, and Congressional Republicans are urging a University of Montana institute linked to former U.S. ambassador Max Baucus to sever ties with a Beijing proxy group operating in the United States, as reported by National Review. The GOP lawmakers contend that the Read More…
Hunter Biden faces a heightened legal scrutiny with an indictment on nine tax charges as part of a special counsel investigation into the business dealings of President Joe Biden’s son, unfolding against the backdrop of the 2024 election. Filed on Thursday, these new charges—comprising three felonies and six misdemeanors—are in addition to federal firearms charges Read More…
Montana Senator Steve Daines is urging a progressive fundraising powerhouse to cease processing donations for groups sympathetic to Hamas. ActBlue, the primary fundraising platform for Democratic campaigns nationwide, facilitates contributions for several organizations that either participated in or amplified rallies commemorating Hamas’ violent attack on innocent Israeli civilians on October 7, resulting in over 1,200 Read More…