A representative from Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen’s office appeared before a legislative committee Thursday to answer questions from lawmakers about the office’s public mailings and their handling of state voter data. Jacobsen’s elections director and chief legal counsel spoke to the Legislative Audit Committee on questions about mailers, billboards and voter data. In Read More…
North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong on Friday directed state agencies to prepare leaner budgets for the next two-year spending cycle, warning that a widening gap between ongoing revenues and expenditures represents an unsustainable fiscal trajectory that must be corrected by 2032. Speaking to agency leaders and fiscal officers at the state Capitol, Mr. Armstrong framed Read More…
A Montana Republican state representative, Llew Jones, received more than $4 million in low-interest federal loans through a program he helped create and sat on the commission formed to oversee — raising questions about conflicts of interest and possible violations of the program’s own lending caps, according to a report by Yellowstone County News. Rep. Read More…
Attorney General Austin Knudsen praised the Helena City Commission after it voted Thursday night to rescind its immigration resolution, calling the move the right step to keep the community safe. “The commissioners made the right decision voting to keep the Helena community safe,” Knudsen said in a statement. “This resolution should never have been passed 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…
ARLEE — It’s not news that Indian Country isn’t naturally a “friend” of the Republican Party. However, Republican candidates are making attempts to “build relations” with tribal nations. According to Carroll College Political Science professor Jeremy Johnson, Native Americans make up 8 percent of Montana’s population. Johnson said, “If that was fully mobilized, it would Read More…
HELENA — Republican candidate for Montana governor Greg Gianforte is telling supporters that he will match all campaign contributions dollar for dollar, after already spending about $1 million in his effort to unseat Democratic incumbent Steve Bullock. Gianforte made his comments during a question-and-answer session in Huntley on July 21 that was recorded by a Read More…
Ads by the Steve Bullock for Governor Campaign continue tout Bullock’s ability to balance the state budget and claim the Governor has managed to leave the state with a $300 million rainy day fund, but the numbers can vary wildly depending on who is doing the counting. Republican State Senator Fred Thomas of Stevensville serves Read More…
A liberal environmental group based in Billings announced Monday that it was launching a $500,000 canvassing effort in Bozeman and two other cities to help re-elect Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock. Reporter Mike Dennison quickly pointed out that the Montana Conservation Voters Action Fund would be using anonymous “dark money” to fund the door-to-door canvassing — Read More…
The legal tug-of-war over the fate of an anti-marijuana voter initiative has taken an interesting twist. At issue is whether Initiative 176 received the necessary signatures to qualify for a spot on Montana’s November ballot. During a meeting in Helena Wednesday, SafeMontana founder Steve Zabawa presented Secretary of State Linda McCulloch with more than 32-hundred signatures that he claims are valid but Read More…
Tighter rules will take effect at the end of the month for Montana’s medical marijuana industry. Judge James Reynolds of Helena on Wednesday denied a request to delay those rules until after the November election. The new restrictions limit each medical marijuana provider to three patients. State lawmakers approved the rules in 2011, but the Montana cannabis industry Read More…
BILLINGS – Backers of Initiative 176 – the anti-drug measure – said an audit has found enough valid signatures to put the issue to voters in November. Steve Zabawa, a Billings business owner who launched I-176, said in a press release issued Friday afternoon that an audit of 8.009 signatures rejected by county elections offices and the Read More…
Who’s watching the watcher? That’s the question a Helena attorney hopes to pose with a legal brief filed Wednesday against Montana’s chief political regulator, one that accuses Commissioner of Political Practices Jonathan Motl of unlawfully dismissing, and failing to publicly disclose, a formal ethics complaint filed against him in December. Motl — who serves as Read More…
The House Benghazi Committee chairman is in Montana this week stumping for Rep. Ryan Zinke’s re-election. Rep. Trey Gowdy, R-South Carolina, is scheduled to appear with Montana’s Republican congressman at four fundraising events across the state beginning with an afternoon event in Kalispell on Tuesday. A spokeswoman for Zinke said he will talk about “national Read More…
BILLINGS — Gov. Steve Bullock’s campaign has reimbursed the state another $1,155 for extra costs incurred when pilots who flew him for state business had to wait to return while he conducted campaign activities. The Billings Gazette reports the reimbursements for costs added to nine flights in April, May and June were included in campaign Read More…
A Montana-based environmental group said Monday it will spend $500,000 to help re-elect Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock and defeat his Republican rival, Greg Gianforte. The Montana Conservation Voters Action Fund, a political action committee, will use the money to fund a door-to-door canvassing effort to encourage people to sign up for absentee ballots, and to Read More…