Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a coalition of ten state attorneys general in calling on the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission to conduct a rigorous review of any filings submitted by OpenAI ahead of the company’s anticipated initial public offering, citing concerns about undisclosed conflicts of interest involving chief executive Sam Altman. In Read More…
As the fourth largest state in the U.S. with the sixth smallest population, each agency relies on another for niche expertise, whereas bigger agencies can potentially accomplish everything on their own, said Adam Pankratz, deputy chief of Montana State University’s police department. These relationships start to form during basic training, which 14 future officers from Read More…
Montana has vaulted from 22nd to 8th in national fiscal health rankings over the past four years, according to a new report from Truth in Accounting, a nonpartisan think tank that annually evaluates the financial condition of all 50 states. The 2025 Financial State of the States report credited Montana’s rise in part to revenues Read More…
Six Montana airports will share more than $25 million in federal grants to fund a range of safety and infrastructure improvements, the office of Rep. Ryan Zinke announced, with the largest single award going to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport for a taxiway extension project. The grants come from the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte announced today the appointment of John A. Mercer to the Twentieth Judicial District Court, which covers Lake and Sanders Counties. “John served the people of the Twentieth Judicial District well when I appointed him to serve his community last year, and I’m glad he was willing to do so once again,” said Read More…
MISSOULA, Mont. – Governor Greg Gianforte today visited Missoula County Public Schools (MCPS) to spotlight innovative programs that prepare students for success in the workforce. “Career and Technical Education plays an important role in preparing the next generation of Montana’s workforce,” Gov. Gianforte said. “By equipping students with hands-on skills and real-world experience, CTE and Read More…
Barrett Hospital & HealthCare in Dillon, Montana, is proud to announce its recognition as one of the 2025 Top 100 Critical Access Hospitals by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. This prestigious honor, awarded annually, highlights outstanding performance among rural hospitals across the country based on the Chartis Rural Hospital Performance INDEX®. “The Top 100 Read More…
Funding from the National Institutes of Health will allow a Montana State University research team to deepen explorations into a disease that is posing an increasing threat in the U.S. Lyme disease is a bacterial infection transmitted by ticks, and nearly 90,000 cases in the U.S. were reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Read More…
Montana State University has once again been recognized by the Carnegie Classification of Institutes of Higher Education and the American Council on Education as one of the most productive research institutions in the United States. MSU received R1 designation, which denotes very high research output and doctoral education – making it one of 187 institutions Read More…
Montana State University’s leading wool and sheep expert was featured recently in Time magazine, highlighting ongoing work to explore novel uses for wool. Brent Roeder, MSU Extension sheep specialist and a faculty member in the College of Agriculture’s Department of Animal and Range Sciences, appeared in the article, “Farmers are Using Wool to Save Water Read More…
In a controversial decision that flies in the face of biological science, a Montana District Court judge ruled that Senate Bill 458— which legally defined sex as strictly male or female— is unconstitutional. The ruling, handed down by Judge Leslie Halligan, claims the law violates the Montana Constitution’s guarantees of privacy and equal protection. However, Read More…
For the third consecutive year, UM has been named the top university in the nation for community and national service, an honor that highlights institutions excelling in student and alumni contributions to public service. “This ranking confirms what we know to be true: UM students and alumni continuously outperform their peers in the fields of Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has signed an immigration enforcement agreement with the Trump Administration’s Department of Homeland Security (DHS), allowing state law enforcement to take a more active role in deportation efforts. Under the agreement, Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) troopers and Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) agents will have the authority to arrest illegal Read More…
The University of Montana (UM) is continuing its upward enrollment trend, reporting a 4.3% increase in student numbers for the spring 2025 semester compared to the previous year. “The trend is clear—more students are choosing the University of Montana than at any point in the past decade,” said UM President Seth Bodnar. “With student enrollment, Read More…
A Montana State University ice researcher recently won a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center to help a multi-institution team develop technologies to enable more readily sustained military operations in cold regions, such as within the Arctic Circle. The project is funded by a program of the Defense Advanced Read More…
The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is accepting a second round of comments on a proposed Montana Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (MPDES) permit for snowmelt associated with snowmaking using treated wastewater on Spirit Mountain, Andesite Mountain, and the Spanish Peaks base area near Big Sky. Spanish Peaks Mountain Club (Spanish Peaks) applied to DEQ for Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a coalition of 20 attorneys general in defending a religious organization’s right to make employment decisions based on religious beliefs in the case of Union Gospel Mission of Yakima Washington v. Robert Ferguson. Knudsen argues that Union Gospel Mission, a nonprofit religious group, must have the authority to Read More…
Accounting students from Montana State University’s Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship are offering free help preparing tax returns for MSU students and individuals who made less than $60,000 last year. The 2025 help sessions will be held on the MSU campus in Jabs Hall, Room 215, from 3:15 to 5:15 p.m. on the Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has joined a coalition of 24 state attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, urging the court to reverse a lower court’s decision allowing a convicted murderer in Indiana to receive taxpayer-funded sex-change surgery. The brief challenges a district court ruling that granted Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced today that the state is set to receive $16.57 million from a $7.4 billion national settlement with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family, the owners of Purdue, over their role in fueling the opioid crisis. The settlement resolves allegations that Purdue aggressively marketed opioid products for decades, contributing to Read More…
Montana State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance James Brown announced today that the Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (CSI) has joined a multi-state task force and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in a $106 million settlement with Vanguard Marketing Corporation (VMC) and The Vanguard Group, Inc. The settlement stems from Read More…
After an extensive nationwide search, the University of Montana has selected Anne Hosler to lead the Broadcast Media Center. Hosler, who has been with the center since 2012, has served in various roles, including membership manager and director of development. She has been acting as interim director and will now officially step into the leadership Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte today honored the winners of his third annual Youth Hunting Story Contest in a ceremony at the State Capitol. The contest, designed to celebrate Montana’s rich hunting heritage, attracted nearly 200 entries this year. “We started the Youth Hunting Story Contest to celebrate Montana’s proud hunting heritage, and the contest continues to Read More…
Attorney General Austin Knudsen is reminding Montanans to stay vigilant and on the lookout for bad actors trying take advantage of them as the Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) fielded 900 scam complaints, over 1,000 complaints about businesses, and saved Montanans from losing over $1 million in 2024. In 2024, OCP prevented Read More…
The University of Montana received a $500,000 grant from the Mellon Foundation to support a new Democracy Studies Program. Led by history professors Claire Arcenas, Kyle Volk, and Jeff Wiltse, the grant seeks to foster democratic values and revitalize the humanities while also supporting faculty research over the next three years. UM is one of Read More…
Amid ongoing discussions about the future of President Trump’s tax cuts, U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.), alongside Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and 33 other Republican senators, introduced the “Main Street Tax Certainty Act,” a bill aimed at making the 20 percent pass-through business tax deduction permanent. Without congressional action, the deduction is set Read More…
The Montana Department of Commerce announced today that more than $3.2 million in federal funding has been allocated to develop and preserve affordable housing in four Montana communities. The funds, distributed through the department’s Housing Trust Fund (HTF) and HOME Investment Partnerships Program, will support projects in Billings, Bozeman, Dillon, and Laurel, helping to provide Read More…
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is now accepting applications for $1 million in grant funding to support projects aimed at reducing nonpoint source pollution in the state’s lakes and streams. The deadline for eligible applicants to submit draft applications is March 7, 2025. The grants are available to nonprofit organizations and government entities Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte today announced the appointment of four individuals to the Montana Board of Regents of Higher Education and the Board of Public Education. The appointees bring extensive experience in education and leadership to their respective roles. Board of Regents of Higher Education Appointments: Raina Mortenson, Malta – A current student at the University Read More…
The United States Supreme Court today upheld a federal law banning TikTok nationwide unless its Chinese-owned parent company, ByteDance, divests its stake in the app by Sunday. In response to the ruling, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen praised the court’s decision, emphasizing the national security risks posed by the popular social media platform. “I’m glad Read More…
The Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU) announced today that Waded Cruzado, president of Montana State University (MSU), will become the association’s next president, effective July 1. Cruzado, a passionate advocate for public and land-grant universities, is set to lead the organization after over a decade of transformative leadership at MSU. Cruzado has served Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte on Monday is scheduled to deliver his third State of the State address to a joint session of the Montana Legislature and directly to the people of Montana. “I invite Montanans from across the state to tune in on Monday evening as we highlight our priorities to create greater opportunity for all Read More…
On the steps of the Montana State Capitol, Governor Greg Gianforte was officially sworn in Monday for his second term as the 25th Governor of Montana. Accompanied by his wife, First Lady Susan Gianforte, the ceremony marked a historic milestone, as Gianforte became the first Republican governor to secure a second term since 1996. Chief Read More…
In a historic milestone, the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) has announced the investment of more than $92 million in public schools, marking a record-breaking revenue contribution from the state’s trust lands. “Thanks to DNRC’s responsible management of state trust lands, this historic $92 million investment will provide our students with the Read More…
Montana Housing Market Faces “Frozen” Conditions Amid Affordability Crisis Montana’s housing market is experiencing what experts describe as a deep freeze, and a single statistic highlights why: roughly 80% of mortgage holders in the state have interest rates 2% to 3% lower than current market rates. For most homeowners, selling their property and buying another Read More…
BOZEMAN – As Montana State University’s College of Agriculture develops new programming to continue training the agricultural scientists and producers of the future, a new endowed chair will oversee research and teaching focused on incorporating novel technologies into farming and ranching practices. Paul Nugent was named the Whitney and Elizabeth MacMillan Endowed Chair in Precision Read More…
Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen continued her efforts to safeguard Montana’s natural resources and public access while generating significant revenue for the state’s schools during the December meeting of the Montana Land Board. Secretary Jacobsen’s votes during the meeting are expected to yield more than $7 million in revenue, with nearly $6 million directed to Read More…
Kenneth Britton “Britt” Cotter, 48, who was recently elected District Court Judge for Lake and Sanders counties, has been charged with one count of solicitation to commit criminal distribution of dangerous drugs and two counts of attempted criminal possession of dangerous drugs. The Montana Attorney General’s Office announced the charges following a months-long investigation led Read More…
NorthWestern Energy has announced agreements to supply significant amounts of electricity to two proposed data centers in Montana, with combined power demands set to exceed the capacity of the state’s newest gas-fired power plant. The development raises questions about Montana’s energy infrastructure and its ability to meet growing demand while maintaining reliable service. The larger Read More…
Montana’s unemployment rate remained at 3.2% in November, continuing an unprecedented stretch of low unemployment that has persisted for 41 consecutive months, with rates at or below 3.4%. The state’s historic run surpasses the previous record set in 2006-2007 when unemployment rates stayed at or below 3.4% for 15 months. In November alone, Montana added Read More…
Middle school students across Montana will test their advanced math skills in the American Mathematics Competition 8 (AMC 8), hosted by the Science Math Resource Center at Montana State University’s College of Education, Health, and Human Development. The AMC 8, part of the prestigious American Mathematics Competition series developed by the Mathematical Association of America, Read More…
Montana Highway Patrol troopers conducted a drug interdiction operation in Superior from December 2 to 6, targeting illicit drugs, firearms tied to trafficking, and fugitives. The operation is part of an ongoing statewide effort to combat the rising tide of drugs and crime in Montana, including a worsening fentanyl crisis that is devastating communities. During Read More…
In a move aimed at improving services for veterans, the Montana Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) is now accepting additional documentation for veterans to obtain a veteran designation on their state-issued driver licenses. Veterans can now use a current Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) or American Legion membership card, in good standing, to receive the designation. Read More…
Montana State University announced this week that Craig Ogilvie, dean of the Graduate School and associate vice president of research, will step down from his administrative role at the end of December. Ogilvie, who has led the Graduate School since 2019, will remain at MSU as a faculty member in the Department of Physics within Read More…