Matt Bell, a Democrat challenging three-term Montana House incumbent Kimberly Dudik is apologizing for making false statements in a mailer voters received last week. “I’m really sorry, I’m really embarrassed that I let this happen,” Matt Bell says. Matt Bell’s mailer claimed endorsements from Montana Conservation Voters, Planned Parenthood and the state’s largest labor union. Read More…

The big primary election day for Montana this year is June 5th, but with a week to go, turnout in Missoula looks sparse. According to Missoula County Elections administrator Dayna Causby, Missoula County usually has around a 60 percent turnout, but that is not the way this election is trending. “So far, out of the Read More…

BUTTE – A bipartisan group of state lawmakers are in Butte this week to tour the Mining City and address a policy issue in the Legislature: the development of a clear sexual harassment policy. “It’s kind of a tough issue because it’s all about sex. So nobody wants to talk about it or deal with Read More…

Montana’s GOP Senate primary is ramping up in the final stretch, as candidates jockey to face Sen. Jon Tester (D) in November. State Auditor Matt Rosendale, who was recruited by the GOP after several top-tier contenders passed on the race, is still seen as the front-runner, with national outside groups putting up more than $1.8 Read More…

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals released an opinion this week in a longstanding debate over Montana Political Practices law. Montana Attorney General’s office spokesman Eric Sell explains. “The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals issued an opinion yesterday [May 22] upholding Montana’s campaign disclosure laws, these were laws passed by the 2015 legislative session called Read More…

When U.S. House candidate Jared Pettinato spoke to area residents during his time in Richland County last week, the Democrat’s message was different than what is usually heard in eastern Montana. While other candidates talk about the importance of oil in eastern Montana, Pettinato pointed to wind and trees as being vital to Montana’s economic Read More…

BILLINGS – With two weeks to go to Montana’s June 5 primary, 18,184 voters in Yellowstone County have already made their choice. County Elections Administrator Bret Rutherford said Tuesday the returns have been strong and he’s expecting around 36,000 to be returned before election day. Absentee ballots were mailed to 66,000 addresses on May 11, Read More…

HELENA – Montana Attorney General Tim Fox, along with the attorneys general of Ohio and Washington, led a bipartisan coalition of 39 state and territory attorneys general calling on congressional leaders to promptly pass measures to help hold opioid manufacturers accountable for their role in the opioid epidemic and stem diversion. The coalition sent a Read More…

HELENA – Another outside group is making significant ad buys in Montana’s U.S. Senate Republican primary – this time to support state Auditor Matt Rosendale and go after one of his opponents, former state District Judge Russell Fagg of Billings. Club for Growth Action, whose affiliated political action committee has endorsed Rosendale in the four-way Read More…

Budgets within Montana’s state health department and office of public defender are busted. Lawmakers in the Legislative Finance Committee Wednesday debated a proposal from Governor Steve Bullock to borrow more than $23 million from next year’s budget to pay for the state’s current financial troubles. Most of the money in the proposal would go to Read More…

HELENA – Republican U.S. Senate candidate Russ Fagg says he has an advantage over two of his competitors in the upcoming GOP primary, that he had nothing to do with: He was born in Montana. Fagg, a former state district judge, says his status as a Montana native takes away a point of attack he Read More…

(CNN)President Donald Trump’s recent attacks on Sen. Jon Tester will be brought directly to Montana voters through a new online ad from the Senate Republicans’ campaign arm. The National Republican Senatorial Committee released a new ad Wednesday attacking Tester for airing charges that sunk Trump’s nomination of Ronny Jackson for Veterans Affairs Secretary. The ad Read More…

Montana’s House Democratic primary came to the Flathead Valley Saturday. Five candidates aiming to unseat U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, R–Mont., spent two hours onstage at Columbia Falls High School in a forum sponsored by the Flathead Democratic Central Committee. Several dozen guests turned out for the event, where moderator Mark Holston read audience-submitted questions to Read More…

A Democratic super PAC is defending Montana Sen. Jon Tester from a recent attack by Americans for Prosperity with a TV ad of its own. Senate Majority PAC, which supports Senate Democrats, is debuting its first statewide TV ad in Montana on Tuesday, backed by a $400,000 buy. The ad responds to a $560,000 statewide Read More…

U.S. Senate candidate Troy Downing’s accountant says she did not specifically research administrative rules when the Republican candidate asked her to amend past tax returns to change his status as a Montana resident. Downing recently asked Gallatin County Justice Court Judge Bryan Adams to throw out several charges alleging he was not a Montana resident Read More…

U.S. Representative Greg Gianforte (R-MT) is touring Montana talking to businesses about a tax act he voted for in December. The new tax law cuts rates for taxpayers at every income level, expands the standard deduction, doubles the child tax credit and helps Montana’s small businesses. His ‘Tax Cuts and Jobs Tour’ stopped in Great Read More…

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Jon Tester (D-MT) are echoing the same talking points when it comes to veterans health care. As President Trump announced his pick to serve as the next Secretary of Veterans Affairs, Nancy Pelosi immediately went on the attack, criticizing the pick for a supposed “lack of VA leadership Read More…

Montana Senator Al Olszewski serves on the Children, Families, Health, and Human Services Interim Committee and says the Governor and leadership of the State Department of Public Health and Human Services have had severe communication problems with the legislative branch. “The agency was just going to do a straight across the board cut of 5.4 Read More…

(HELENA) The State-Tribal Relations Committee brainstormed ideas on Friday for improving the response to cases of missing children and human trafficking in the state. Bryan Lockerby, Division Administrator with the Division of Criminal Investigation, said law enforcement is the main agency that handles missing persons reports. From there, the Criminal Justice Information Network – known Read More…

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A former Montana Democratic Party chairman appears to be laying the groundwork for a possible challenge to the secretary of state’s certification of the Green Party for the ballot in this year’s state elections. Jim Larson filed a public records request with Secretary of State Corey Stapleton’s office and election officials Read More…

U.S. House candidate Jared Pettinato is asking incumbent Congressman Greg Gianforte and other candidates to sign a petition ensuring everyone runs “the cleanest campaign.” Pettinato is vying for the Democratic nomination to challenge Gianforte for the U.S. House seat. The Bozeman attorney and former U.S. Department of Justice attorney said ethics is the first step Read More…