Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen testified Tuesday before the U.S. House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance on the missing and murdered Indigenous persons crisis, outlining jurisdictional challenges that hamper coordination among tribal, federal and local law enforcement in addressing the issue. During the hearing, titled “Missing and Murdered Indigenous People: Strengthening Public Read More…
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has received $20.78 million to cover reclamation costs at the long-idled Montana Tunnels Mine near Jefferson City, following the latest bankruptcy proceeding involving Montana Tunnels Mining Inc. The payment is tied to a structured sale of the property to Silver Bow Mining Corp. and Silver Bow Tunnels Corp. and Read More…
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced. “Our veterans answered the call to serve our country, and many continue that service long after taking off the uniform,” Gianforte said. “The Montana Governor’s Veteran Commendation gives me the honor and opportunity to recognize these outstanding men and women, Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has joined Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird in asking the U.S. Supreme Court to stop a multistate antitrust lawsuit seeking to block Paramount Skydance’s proposed $110 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. The filing puts Knudsen at the center of another major national antitrust fight, this time on the opposite Read More…
A former Bureau of Indian Affairs police officer has admitted to sexually abusing a teenage girl while on duty on the Northern Cheyenne reservation in Montana, federal prosecutors announced Thursday. Murrell Deela, who was 29 at the time of the assault, pleaded guilty to sexual abuse of a minor, according to the U.S. Department of Read More…
Attorney General Austin Knudsen has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell demanding she reverse a policy that refuses to recognize U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as a criminal justice agency entitled to receive confidential criminal justice information, giving her until Monday, April 6, to comply or face state action. The dispute Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced Thursday that fentanyl seizures in the state dropped sharply in 2025, falling 70 percent from the prior year and nearly 80 percent from the all-time high recorded in 2023 — though the decline in seized supply came alongside a troubling rise in fentanyl-linked deaths. Rocky Mountain High Intensity Drug Read More…
Authorities have identified human remains discovered earlier this month in a South Side Billings yard as those of a man who had been missing since 2021. Yellowstone County Deputy Coroner Valerie Juhl confirmed the remains found March 19 at a residence on 4th Avenue South belong to Ronald Lander, a 56-year-old man who had been Read More…
The Montana Department of Commerce has awarded $100,000 in Tribal Tourism Grant funding to two tribal governments to support tourism infrastructure improvements and economic development efforts. According to Commerce officials, the funding is part of the state’s Tribal Tourism Grant Program, which supports projects aimed at strengthening local tourism assets and expanding economic opportunities in Read More…
The Montana Historical Society is accepting nominations for the 37th Montana Statehood Centennial Bell Award, which recognizes an outstanding schoolteacher for excellence in teaching Montana history. This year’s award will honor a teacher in grades 7 through 12 who has demonstrated exceptional work teaching Montana history during the 2025-26 school year. Nominations must be submitted Read More…
State officials are inviting public input on a proposed overhaul of Montana’s workforce development strategy, aimed at better aligning education, job training, and industry needs across the state. The Montana State Workforce Innovation Board is seeking comment on proposed updates to the state’s Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) plan, part of a broader effort Read More…
Montana State University will host a daylong symposium on artificial intelligence Thursday, March 26, to explore how AI is used in higher education, with the goal of deepening understanding of the technology’s opportunities and challenges for research, the classroom and beyond. Hosted by MSU’s new Interdisciplinary Institute on Artificial Intelligence, the symposium is free and Read More…
She wrote “Perma Red,” one of the most acclaimed novels in the history of Montana. He helped grow Microsoft into a worldwide technology juggernaut. Now Debra Magpie Earling and Joe Whittinghill have both earned honorary doctorates from the University of Montana. They will receive the degrees during UM’s May 9 graduation ceremonies, when they also Read More…
Graphic novels. Artificial intelligence. The Silk Road trade network. At first glance, these topics have little in common. But all three can be better understood in the context of music, according to the recently published book “Integrating Music Across the Secondary Curriculum” by Kristin Harney, a music education professor in the College of Arts and Read More…
Montana Department of Corrections Director Eric Strauss announced Wednesday that Natalia Bowser has been selected as the agency’s new deputy director. Bowser joined the Department of Corrections in August 2025 as chief of innovation, where she oversaw project management, research and analytics, security technology, desistance initiatives, safety culture efforts and infrastructure improvements. Before joining the Read More…
The Montana Department of Commerce announced that 17 economic development organizations across the state will share more than $700,000 through the ORE Economic Development Organization Capacity Building Grant Program. The funding is aimed at helping local and regional economic development groups expand their ability to serve rural businesses and communities. Grant dollars will be used Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a 24-state coalition urging the Trump administration to investigate the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and the National Science Foundation, and to cut off federal grant funding tied to a climate science chapter used in a judicial reference manual. In a letter sent this month to Read More…
Montana’s Land Board approved a series of revenue-generating actions at its March meeting expected to produce more than $1.63 million for the state’s trust beneficiaries, including support for public education. The actions approved by the board included an estimated $1,093,308 from timber sales and $532,944 from an oil and gas lease sale. Combined, the measures Read More…
A coalition of Montana business organizations is asking the Montana Supreme Court to block a proposed ballot initiative that would restrict corporations and other entities from spending money in state elections. The lawsuit challenges Initiative 194, a measure backed by the Transparent Election Initiative as part of its broader “Montana Plan.” Supporters say the proposal Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte visited Dahlman Farms during Montana Agriculture Week to highlight the importance of international trade to the state’s farmers and ranchers and to underscore the role export markets play in supporting Montana’s top industry. The visit put a spotlight on the Dahlman family’s long history in Montana agriculture and on the broader significance Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte and U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz announced two priority forest landscapes in Montana that will serve as the first major project areas under the state’s new Shared Stewardship Agreement, a long-term partnership aimed at reducing wildfire risk, improving forest health, and supporting Montana’s timber industry. The announcement came during a press Read More…
A Big Horn County woman has received a 10-year deferred imposition of sentence and was ordered to pay more than $101,000 in restitution after being convicted of financially exploiting her elderly mother and stepfather, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced. The case marks the first conviction investigated and prosecuted by the Montana Department of Justice’s Read More…
Montana State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance James Brown is marking National Consumer Protection Week by highlighting major enforcement actions that protected Montana families over the past year while warning residents about the growing sophistication of financial scams. Brown said protecting consumers from fraud and abuse remains the top priority for his office, Read More…
Applications are open for Montana State University’s $100,000 Venture Competition, which is hosted annually by the Jake Jabs College of Business and Entrepreneurship and the MSU Launchpad. The competition provides entrepreneurs with the opportunity to present their business ventures, receive feedback and compete for startup funding. Those interested in competing must submit an online application by Sunday, March 29. The competition is open to all undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, Read More…
Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced a landmark settlement agreement with The Vanguard Group, Inc. this week, resolving allegations that the asset manager conspired to artificially constrict the coal market through anticompetitive trade practices. The settlement stems from a 2024 lawsuit filed by Knudsen against Vanguard, BlackRock, and State Street Corporation. The suit alleged the firms Read More…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines visited the Sibanye-Stillwater Columbus metallurgical complex last week, meeting with miners and touring operations as he praised recent federal trade action aimed at protecting Montana’s palladium industry. Daines credited Donald Trump for imposing a preliminary 132% tariff on Russian palladium imports, describing the move as a critical step toward leveling the Read More…
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston on Thursday signed an executive order barring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from operating on city-owned property and directing local police to protect peaceful protesters during federal immigration enforcement actions. The order prohibits ICE agents from staging or conducting operations in city buildings, parks, shelters, parking facilities, libraries, and other municipal Read More…
Gov. Greg Gianforte and the Montana Department of Revenue announced an extension for property owners applying for the Homestead and Long-Term Rental Reduced Property Tax Rates, moving the deadline to March 20, 2026. The extension comes in response to intermittent technical issues with the department’s online application portal, which officials said were caused by a Read More…
Spring 2026 enrollment numbers are in, and for the fifth consecutive year, the University of Montana reported more students than the previous year. “The consecutive years of growth at UM are a testament to the aggressive steps we have taken to ensure our campus experience is robust and vibrant,” said Leslie Webb, UM vice Read More…
(The Center Square) – Following the victory of removing a climate chapter from the Federal Judicial Center’s manual, 21 state attorney generals are urging the National Academy of Sciences to remove a climate science section from the academies’ manual, expressing their concern over tax money promoting various partisan ideology in the organization. Montana Attorney General Read More…
When Cedar Stellon O’Donnell was in high school in Fairbanks, Alaska, she visited Montana State University as part of a tour of colleges she was considering. She wasn’t expecting to decide on attending MSU so quickly, but she said the energy of the campus during that visit made a lasting impression. “Everyone here seemed proud Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte’s Energy Task Force will host a series of public open houses aimed at gathering input from Montanans on key energy issues facing the state. The first of three events is scheduled for Feb. 25 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Copper Lounge on the campus of Montana Technological University in Butte. Additional Read More…
Austin Knudsen is calling on the U.S. Department of Justice to review a proposed merger between Union Pacific Railroad and Norfolk Southern Railway, citing concerns the deal could reduce competition and increase costs for American businesses and consumers. Knudsen led a coalition of state attorneys general in sending a letter to the U.S. Department of Read More…
More than 200 Montana property owners have filed a proposed class-action lawsuit challenging how the Montana Department of Revenue assessed property values in the latest appraisal cycle, alleging the agency relied on sales data outside the statutory valuation window and inflated taxable values. The suit, brought by the Silverman Law Office, centers on residential properties Read More…
The University of Montana recently named Yoichiro Kanno, one of the nation’s leading fisheries scientists, as the newest endowed chair in its top-ranked Wildlife Biology Program. Beginning in January 2026, Kanno joined the University as the inaugural Siebel-Lewis Endowed Chair in Fisheries Science. His arrival strengthens UM as a national leader in aquatic research, education and conservation at a Read More…
Greg Gianforte and Austin Knudsen announced Thursday that the state will investigate whether recent actions by the Helena City Commission violate Montana’s ban on sanctuary city policies. The announcement follows a vote by the Helena City Commission approving a resolution that prevents local law enforcement officers from assisting with certain federal immigration enforcement operations. “In Read More…
The Montana Historical Society received a $15,000 donation from Stockman Bank during the grand opening of the bank’s newest Helena branch on Feb. 12. The gift will support the Montana History and Civics Education Endowment, which provides grants to schools across the state for educational field trips to the Montana Heritage Center and the Montana Read More…
Steve Daines praised the Trump administration’s decision to impose a 132.83% anti-dumping duty on Russian palladium imports, calling the move a critical step to protect Montana mining jobs and counter what he described as market manipulation by Moscow. The Commerce Department’s duty, enforceable upon publication in the Federal Register, is aimed at offsetting what U.S. Read More…
Logan Head is a lifelong entrepreneur and the co-founder and chief technology officer of Whatnot, the largest live shopping platform in North America, the U.K. and Europe. Head will present the next installment of the Gilkey Executive Lecture Series at the University of Montana College of Business. This in-person event at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. Read More…
A new $750,000 EPSCoR grant from NASA will help researchers at Montana State University work to limit the impact of atmospheric turbulence in quantum laser communications links between ground stations and space terminals. The project, titled “Programmable Photonics for Quantum Space Networks,” is funded through September 2028. The project builds on optical communications technologies developed Read More…
The Mark and Robyn Jones College of Nursing at Montana State University is set to nearly double its financial support for students after receiving a large grant from the Bedford Falls Foundation – DAF. The $2.5 million gift will go toward scholarships for students from Montana and student success efforts. The college and MSU Alumni Foundation expect the money to directly fund upward of 380 scholarships over five years starting this fall semester. The Bedford Falls Foundation seeks to remove financial Read More…
In just a few days, the floors, walls and ceiling of Schreiber Gym will seemingly fade away and transform into a vibrant century-old logging town brought to life with music, dancing, a jail, a chapel, a barbershop and more. It’s a tradition unique to the University of Montana, which has hosted the ever-vivacious Foresters’ Ball Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte announced the membership of the Licensing Reform Task Force, fulfilling his commitment to streamline state government and make it easier for Montanans to enter the workforce. Established by executive order in January, the task force is charged with identifying and recommending the elimination of unnecessary or redundant professional and occupational licensing requirements, Read More…
A class-action lawsuit filed by two Montana property owners alleges the Montana Department of Revenue (DOR) used illegal appraisal methods that artificially inflated property valuations statewide, forcing many taxpayers to pay more in property taxes than required by law. Attorneys from Silverman Law Office and Edwards & Culver filed the lawsuit Feb. 2 in Madison Read More…