In a 5–2 decision, the Montana Supreme Court has approved the ballot statement for Constitutional Initiative 132 (CI-132), paving the way for signature gathering to begin on a proposed constitutional amendment that would enshrine nonpartisan judicial elections. The ruling allows supporters to begin petition drives immediately, with the goal of putting the measure before voters Read More…
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte has been elected Chair of the Republican Governors Association (RGA), placing him at the forefront of the GOP’s national effort to expand its roster of governors ahead of the 2026 election cycle. The announcement came during the RGA’s 2025 Annual Conference, where Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves was selected as Vice Chair Read More…
Some Montana homeowners are expecting to see a reduction in property taxes after the state enacted sweeping tax reforms this year, but the changes have created unintended consequences for renters. The recent legislative session aimed to ease the burden on homeowners, who in recent years have seen property taxes surge. In 2023 alone, the median Read More…
Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke announced his co-sponsorship of the “H.R. 5818 Country of Origin Labeling Enforcement Act of 2025” (COOL Enforcement Act), legislation introduced by Congresswoman Liz Cheney’s colleague, Congresswoman Hageman of Wyoming. The bill seeks to strengthen labeling requirements for U.S. beef by clarifying that products marketed as “Product of the USA” must Read More…
Multiple political sources in Montana have confirmed that Zeno Baucus, son of former Montana Senator Max Baucus may be seeking the Democrat nomination for Montana’s lone Congressional seat. The seat will be vacant if current Congressman Ryan Zinke (R) is confirmed as Secretary of the Interior in the Trump Administration early next year. Zeno Baucus Read More…
Great Falls – State Senator Ed Buttrey has told Republicans that he would run for Montana’s lone congressional seat in a Special Election to replace Ryan Zinke. Mr. Buttrey, 51, was the primary driver of a bill in 2015 to expand Medicaid in Montana. The bill was panned by most Republicans and narrowly passed with Read More…
President-Elect Donald Trump has offered the Interior secretary job to Montana’s lone Congressman Ryan Zinke, according to Washington D.C. news outlet Politico. Politico sources said Zinke has yet to accept the position and as not indicated which way he is leaning. Mr. Zinke met with Trump in New York City earlier this week. He was Read More…
Once Donald Trump secured the Presidency, Montana Senator Steve Daines began compiling a ‘wish-list’ of issues he wants the new President to tackle once he settles in to the Oval Office. From KGVO
The nation’s biggest business lobbying organization is “cautiously optimistic” about the prospects of the Trump administration and a Republican-controlled Congress, though the next president himself will be “the wild card,” according to an official with the organization. From Flathead Beacon
Jon Tester, Democratic U.S. Senator from Montana, rode to national elected office on a pledge to restrict lobbying, end campaign finance violations, and the like. Despite his promises to the contrary, Senator Tester is now in the midst of a scandal, involving allegations of campaign finance violations, illicit lobbying practices, and a firm of trial Read More…
Helena – Fresh off a narrow re-election victory Governor Steve Bullock is laying out his priorities for the 2017 legislative session. Despite the gains made by Republicans on Election Day Mr. Bullock remains confident that he can secure legislative victories. Mr. Bullock told Lee Enterprises, “I don’t anticipate much different dynamics than we’ve seen in Read More…
Great Falls – HD 19 Representative Randy Pinocci has filed a lawsuit against Advanced Litho Printing and the Montana Contractors’ Association alleging that his legislative voting record led to his firing in 2015. The conservative Republican filed his suit on November 14th in Missoula District Court. Pinocci worked for Advanced Litho from 1999 to 2015 Read More…
Helena – Montana commissioner of political practices dismissed a state ethics complaint against Governor Steve Bullock and Commerce Director Meg O’Leary on Monday with no investigation. The complaint was filed by state Representative Brad Tschida of Missoula. Commissioner Jonathan Motl, who was appointed by Governor Bullock, said that trips taken by Meg O’Leary to a Read More…
A committee of state lawmakers voted on party lines Tuesday to keep the super-majority rule for removing a tabled bill from committee in the Montana House of Representatives. Six Republicans on the Legislative Council, including Speaker of the House Austin Knudsen, beat the five Democrats and squashed the recommendation that “blasting” a bill from Read More…
Native Americans in Montana expressed anger, hurt and betrayal toward Governor Steve Bullock shortly after his reelection became official, for sending Montana law enforcement to protests in North Dakota. The Governor’s decision is based on a national interstate agreement called Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), which allows states to help other state governors for assistance. Read More…
Montana’s political enforcer said he plans to reach out to Gov. Steve Bullock late next week to discuss his replacement. Commissioner of Political Practices Jon Motl said he hasn’t spoken to the governor since his appointment in 2013. His term as commissioner expires Dec. 31, according to his letter of appointment. Motl told the Chronicle Read More…
Montana Republicans, who had a very good day at the polls Tuesday, have expanded their majority in the state Senate and held a 59-41 spread in the Montana House. “It was an electoral rout,” Montana GOP Chairman Jeff Essmann said of Tuesday’s results, noting that Republicans won all statewide offices except governor and didn’t lose Read More…
Senate Republicans on Monday elected a self-described “staunch fiscal conservative” in Sen. Scott Sales of Bozeman to be Senate president for the 2017 Legislature. Sales, 56, won what was described as a close race for the top job over Sen. Eric Moore of Miles City. The vote was by secret ballot, with the Read More…
For the fourth year in a row, Montana Attorney General Tim Fox and Montana’s U.S. Senator Steve Daines continue their ‘Brawl of the Wild’ wager for the University of Montana – Montana State University football game. The Cats and Grizzlies clash this Saturday in Missoula. The terms of this year’s bet: the winner will buy Read More…
The upcoming session of the Montana Legislature will focus on tightening the state budget, and there will not be much money available for new initiatives, the incoming leaders of Republican legislative majority said Monday. Republicans elected Sen. Scott Sales of Bozeman to be Senate president for the session that begins in January. Sales, a former Read More…
With just a few days left before Election Day, the battle for a pivotal seat on the Montana Supreme Court is heating up. But much of the spending in the last week isn’t coming from the candidates themselves – it’s coming from outside groups. One of those groups is Montanans for Liberty and Justice. It’s backing Read More…
A Montana lawmaker sued Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl on Friday for saying the legislator faces penalties for revealing a confidential ethics complaint he filed against Gov. Steve Bullock, a lawsuit Motl said was timed to sway voters in a close governor’s race. The attorney for Rep. Brad Tschida, R-Missoula, says in the federal Read More…
It’s been more than 30 years since a Republican won election as Montana’s Superintendent of Public Instruction. The party’s current nominee, Elsie Arntzen of Billings, is hoping her 23 years’ experience as a teacher and 12 years as a state legislator — and support for local control of schools — will change that. Read More…
In the battle for control of Montana’s next Legislature, the most important race may be the one for governor. Republicans have controlled the Legislature since 2007. In 2015, they had 59 representatives and 29 senators — making up slightly over half of each chamber. The outcome of the governor’s race will surely influence the Read More…
It appeared there would be no Democratic challenger to run against Montana Attorney General Tim Fox until the last day of candidate registration, when an eleventh-hour call from former Gov. Brian Schweitzer convinced a former state senator and Bozeman attorney to throw his hat in the ring. But now that he’s in, Larry Jent Read More…
Democratic incumbent Steve Bullock and Republican challenger Greg Gianforte aimed familiar barbs at each other during a televised debate October 8, 2015 from Great Falls. The just over 1 hour debate, sponsored by the MTN Television Network, featured criticisms Montanans have heard in television ads over the last several months. The verbal wrangling Read More…
When Steve Daines visited the Northern Cheyenne Reservation in Lame Deer in 2014 to meet with tribal leaders as a freshman member of Congress, he was greeted with a traditional honor dance and an energetic performance highlighting their other customs. But it was what came next that caught his attention. “‘You’re the first Republican Read More…
Groups trying to influence the outcome of a Montana Supreme Court race are on track to set a record for the most fundraising collected for a justice seat. Lee Newspapers of Montana reports that this year’s race between Dirk Sandefur and Kristen Juras, fundraising by political action committees has reached a reported total of Read More…
Montana’s freshman congressman hasn’t shied away from the national spotlight during his brief tenure in Washington, D.C. In the past year, Republican Ryan Zinke has weighed the possibilities of being both Speaker of the House and a running mate for GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. Zinke said both positions are about leadership and Read More…
Attacks from the liberal, anonymous blog Montana Cowgirl are exempt from campaign laws requiring “attribution,” and therefore the blog doesn’t have to identify its author, the state’s top campaign-law enforcer said Friday. Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl said postings on the anonymous blog’s website are not “electioneering communication” and don’t have to be attributed. Read More…
At a small community hall in Seeley Lake Monday night, Libertarian candidate for the U.S. House Mike Fellows shared his views at a sparsely-attended candidates forum. Fellows wore a dark suit jacket over a light blue collared shirt, an American flag tie wrapped loosely around his neck. He moved about slowly and with help from a metal Read More…
Just hours after The Missoula City Council passed a new ordinance requiring background checks on gun sales, a Republican state lawmaker challenged it. House Speaker Austin Knudsen is asking State Attorney General Tim Fox to review the law. “This is a fairly blatant and flagrant violation of Montana law. Second amendment issues are Read More…
With the election just six weeks away, a Republican state senator is calling for an investigation into how Gov. Steve Bullock, who is running for re-election, disposed of emails when he left the attorney general’s office. The move echoes efforts by Republican candidate Greg Gianforte’s campaign to align Bullock in the eyes of Read More…
FAIRFAX, Va.—Today the National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF) announced its endorsement of Greg Gianforte for governor and Tim Fox for attorney general in Montana. “We are pleased to endorse two strong pro-Second Amendment candidates in Montana. Greg Gianforte and Tim Fox will fight to protect our Right to Keep and Bear Arms,” said Read More…
Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte is calling for Gov. Steve Bullock to fire his commerce director, over a tourism-promotion contract awarded to an out-of-state company. At a gubernatorial debate in Billings this week, Gianforte said the contract was awarded in a “rigged process” that caused job losses in the state, and was “given Read More…
Montana Congressional candidate, Michael C. Fellows, died in a head on collision Monday night in Potomac. Fellows was running as a Libertarian. A Montana Highway Patrol dispatcher told MTN News that Fellows, 59, was driving a Lexus passenger car west on Montana Highway 200 near Potomac when he crossed the center line just after 9 Read More…
Both major party candidates for governor of Montana making the rounds today to tout their jobs platforms. Governor Steve Bullock and republican candidate Greg Gianforte stopped by ABC Fox Montana’s Studio “K” to chat with us. Greg Gianforte: “This is the dream that many Montanans have. They want their kids back around the table on Read More…
Republican-leaning websites Friday posted stories questioning trips that Gov. Steve Bullock and administration officials have taken to Missoula and the Kentucky Derby. The governor’s office says the trips were, respectively, to conduct state business, and to fulfill Bullock’s role as head of the Democratic Governors’ Association. Newstalk KGVO’s assertion that Bullock also traveled to Puerto Read More…
By Mike Dennison – MTN News HELENA – The head of the state Republican Party Wednesday asked the Montana Supreme Court to remove the Libertarian secretary of state candidate from Montana’s November ballot, for not filing proper campaign forms. Jeff Essmann’s filing for “extraordinary relief” said Libertarian Roger Roots failed to file forms required of Read More…
Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte has poured another $640,000 of his own money into his campaign, upping his total personal contributions to $1.7 million – about half his overall campaign funds. But Gianforte wasn’t the only one who opened his checkbook in Montana’s gubernatorial race last month. Good Jobs Montana, an independent political action committee Read More…
HELENA — Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte has given another $660,000 to his campaign as he and incumbent Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock began flooding the airwaves with ads. The Bozeman technology entrepreneur has given his campaign more than $1.6 million total, and he pledged to match every contribution he receives. Including Gianforte’s contributions of $650,000 Read More…
Contemporary media parlor games revolve around fantasy sports and politics. Yet for politics, press interest in money raised and spent often seems more important than who will win and how policies might change. One corollary to the political-money obsession is the complaint that Federal Election Commission enforcement for alleged wrongdoers is too feeble. Critics say Read More…
HELENA — The ending fund balance for fiscal year 2016 was $255 million, or $99 million less than anticipated, according to an Aug. 25 memo prepared by the Legislative Fiscal Division, adding that figure was expected to dip down to $153 million by fiscal year 2017. “Actual revenues in FY 2016 were $142 million less Read More…
(MTN NEWS) Attorney General Tim Fox says a proposed change in Montana’s legal definition of rape will be a big step forward in helping the prosecution of sex crimes. “It’s something that we really needed,” he told MTN News on Tuesday – one day after a legislative panel endorsed a half-dozen proposals to update sex-assault Read More…