Featured Articles in Montana Politics

Attorney General Knudsen Leads 21-State Coalition Urging Congress to Ban China-Based AI Platform on Government Devices

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a coalition of 21 state attorneys general in urging Congress to pass the “No DeepSeek on Government Devices Act,” which would ban the use of DeepSeek, a Chinese-based artificial intelligence platform, on all government devices. In a letter sent to congressional leadership on Thursday, Attorney General Knudsen emphasized Read More…

Governor Gianforte Champions Property Tax Relief for Small Businesses

At a press conference held at Central Plumbing, Heating, Excavation in Great Falls, Governor Greg Gianforte discussed his proposed tax cuts aimed at delivering significant property tax relief for Montana homeowners and small businesses, specifically through the Homestead Rate Cut. “Through the Homestead Rate Cut, we can provide permanent property tax relief, giving Montanans more Read More…

Senate Ethics Committee Investigates Sen. Ellsworth’s Contract

The Senate Ethics Committee convened its first witness testimonies on Friday as part of its investigation into Sen. Jason Ellsworth’s alleged conflict of interest. The inquiry centers on a six-figure state-funded contract Ellsworth arranged without disclosing his long-standing personal relationship with the vendor. A legislative audit in February found that he had structured the contract Read More…

Democrat Legislator Pleads Guilty to DUI After Political Fundraiser

Montana state Senator Ellie Boldman, a Democrat from Missoula, pleaded guilty Monday morning to a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence after being found asleep in her running vehicle in downtown Helena early Sunday. Boldman, who had attended the Montana Democratic Party’s annual Mansfield Metcalf fundraising dinner earlier that evening, admitted in Helena Municipal Read More…

All in: Montana Politics

Governor Bullock settles complaint tied to misuse of state plane

HELENA, Mont. – Governor Steve Bullock is putting the investigation that he misused the state plane while campaigning for re-election behind him. The Governor has agreed to settle the case after an investigation by the Commissioner of Political Practices found the Governor was in violation of Montana’s Campaign Practices Act. The June 28th report found Read More…

No national monuments will be eliminated, Ryan Zinke says

BILLINGS – Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke said he is recommending that none of the 27 national monuments under review by the Trump administration be eliminated but that changes would be made to a “handful.” Zinke told The Associated Press that unspecified boundary adjustments for some monuments are among the recommendations he planned to give the president Thursday. None Read More…

Top political cop still using lawyer turned candidate who violated campaign finance laws

Helena – More than two months in to his term as Commissioner of Political Practices, Jeff Mangan, is still using the services of a Billings lawyer his office previously found to have violated Montana’s campaign finance laws. In October 2016, then-Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl found that Billings attorney John Heenan and his political Read More…

Tim Fox: Montana has a significant stake in the outcome of the coal-leasing case

Attorney General Tim Fox on Thursday filed to intervene in a federal district court lawsuit on behalf of the state of Montana, defending the U.S. Department of Interior’s reversal of the Obama Administration’s moratorium on federal coal leases.   The lawsuit filed by Citizens for Clean Energy and the states of California, New Mexico, New Read More…

Bullock refuses to answer infrastructure questions at fundraiser

Billings – Governor Steve Bullock refused to answer questions about infrastructure funding from a constituent at a fundraiser. Mr. Bullock appeared at a democrat political fundraiser at a private golf club in Billings on Thursday. Bullock’s representatives told those present that the Governor would not be answering any questions on infrastructure funding. The 2017 legislative Read More…

Rob Quist’s drug use becomes issue in final days of campaign

Revelations of Democrat congressional candidate Rob Quist’s drug use have taken center stage in the final days of the campaign to replace Congressman Ryan Zinke. Earlier this week, a national media outlet uncovered court documents in which Quist confessed to regularly using marijuana. When the news reports became public, his campaign cancelled a previously-scheduled interview Read More…

Rob Quist

Court records reveal Rob Quist has genital herpes, uses recreational drugs and suffers from depression

Democrat congressional candidate Rob Quist’s venereal disease, drug use, and marriage problems were revealed to the public this week when a national media outlet uncovered documents from a medical malpractice lawsuit filed by Quist. The documents show, among other things, that Quist suffers from depression, has genital herpes, tested positive for tuberculosis, uses recreational drugs, Read More…

Bernie Sanders to make campaign stops for Rob Quist

Failed Democrat Presidential Candidate and United States Senator Bernie Sanders will make 4 stops in  Montana to campaign for Democrat congressional candidate Rob Quist. Mr. Sanders will make stops in Missoula, Butte, and Billings on Saturday, May 20th and will be in Bozeman on Sunday. Mr. Sanders, a self-described socialist, was elected to the United Read More…

Polls show Gianforte ahead of Quist

Two recent publicly-available opinion polls show Republican Greg Gianforte besting Democrat Rob Quist in the special election to replace Congressman Ryan Zinke. The latest poll was released this week by the Emerson College Polling Society. That poll shows Mr. Gianforte leading with 52%, Mr. Quist with 37% and longshot, Libertarian candidate Mark Wicks with 5%. Read More…

Democrats vow to block infrastructure funding

Helena – A pair of leading state Democrats vowed to block Republican efforts to pass an infrastructure bill this legislative session because the bill doesn’t spend enough money on the projects they want. Senate Minority Leader Jon Sesso, R-Butte, and House Minority Jenny Eck, D-Helena, said the Democrats will not support House Bill 645, known Read More…

Montana House to consider resolution that states ABA rule unconstitutional

The Montana House Judiciary committee will look at resolution this week that states a proposed American Bar Association rule limits free speech and is unconstitutional. Proposed Rule 8.4 (g) states: “It is professional misconduct for a lawyer to engage in conduct that the lawyer knows or reasonably should know is harassment or discrimination on the basis of Read More…

Daines, Tester Introduce Timber Innovation Act

High-rise wood-framed buildings are a rarity in the United States, but that may change with the help of a bipartisan bill that calls for accelerating research and development of tall wood buildings. U.S. Sens. Steve Daines, a Republican, and Jon Tester, a Democrat, have introduced legislation they say would support Montana’s timber industry, create jobs Read More…

Residents voice opinions on charter schools, fuel tax increase during town hall meeting

Establishing public charter schools and an increase in the fuel tax took up much of the discussion during a town hall meeting featuring State Sen. Steve Hinebauch, R-Wibaux, and Rep. Scott Staffanson, R-Sidney, in Sidney on Saturday night. The meeting took place during the midway point of the Montana legislative session. Sidney Superintendent of Schools Read More…

BOTTLING PLANT DEBATED IN HELENA

About a dozen Flathead residents opposed to a controversial water-bottling plant proposed in Creston testified in the Montana State Capitol Wednesday afternoon, lending their support to legislation that would subject the facility to an additional environmental review before it can be approved. Sen. Bob Keenan, R-Bigfork, is sponsoring Senate Bill 215, which would add water-packaging Read More…

Rob Quist

Quist says he will only take union, liberal special interest money

Helena – Democratic Congressional candidate Rob Quist’s campaign says it will only take political action committee (PAC) money from unions and liberal special interest groups. In a statement released to the media on Wednesday, the banjo player and singer turned politician said he will not accept any PAC money from committees associated with corporations. Campaign Read More…