A growing field of Democrats is lining up to challenge Republican U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke in Montana’s western U.S. House district, as the party looks to mount a competitive bid in a seat national analysts still rate as safely Republican. On Thursday, Ryan Busse, an author, climate activist and gun control advocate from Kansas, announced Read More…
House Speaker Johnson spoke yesterday at the kickoff of the House Republican policy summit, delivering a wide-ranging address that touched on the party’s legislative agenda, U.S. military action in Venezuela, Democratic opposition, and the sudden passing of Congressman Doug LaMalfa. Republicans Leading on Tax Policy, Speaker Says Speaker Johnson emphasized Republican achievements on tax policy, Read More…
Montana State Auditor and Commissioner of Securities and Insurance James Brown issued a statement following the Montana Supreme Court’s dismissal of a complaint filed against Attorney General Austin Knudsen, calling the decision a reaffirmation of constitutional principles and the separation of powers. In his statement, Brown said the court’s ruling confirmed that the complaint was Read More…
(The Center Square) – Democratic lawmakers criticized President Donald Trump’s announcement of land strikes against Venezuela and leader Nicolas Maduro’s capture. In a post to social media, Trump announced the U.S. carried out a “large scale strike” against Venezuela, capturing Maduro and his wife. The two are in U.S. custody and charged with “narco-terrorism conspiracy, Read More…
The federal government shutdown entered its sixth week this weekend, stretching into the longest in U.S. history and revealing the mounting toll of Washington’s political stalemate. With more than 1,000 flight cancellations nationwide for the second straight day and critical federal services strained, the crisis is now hitting ordinary Americans far harder than the politicians Read More…
(The Center Square) – Self-proclaimed democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani will be the next mayor of New York City after taking down the former Democrat New York governor for a second time on Tuesday. Democrats also won their respective races for governor in New Jersey and Virginia Tuesday. NEW YORK CITY MAYOR In one of the most Read More…
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has released the final ballot explanation for a proposed initiated Constitutional Amendment that would repeal property taxes in the state and replace them with a new “retail transaction” tax. If sponsors collect 35,017 valid petition signatures, the measure would appear on the 2026 general election ballot. Attorney General Jackley Read More…
Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) visited Montana State University’s state-of-the-art quantum research facility on Halloween, highlighting the university’s advancements in technology and the critical role quantum research plays in Montana’s economy. “It’s a blast to be back at my alma mater, MSU, on Halloween, and see all the great additions made to the university,” Daines said. Read More…
Senator Sheehy (R-Mont.) joined forces with Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) this week to launch the Senate Stewardship Caucus, a bipartisan effort focused on protecting public lands, promoting responsible land management, and supporting economic growth in rural communities. The announcement was made at an event hosted by Nature is Nonpartisan, a nonprofit dedicated to fostering bipartisan Read More…
Governor Kelly Armstrong announced Thursday that he has directed more than $1.5 million in state funds to support food assistance programs during the ongoing federal government shutdown, urging North Dakota residents to consider donating food or money to local food pantries to help families impacted by the loss of federal benefits. “The state of North Read More…
As Virginians head to the polls in the 2025 Attorney General election, the race between incumbent Republican Jason Miyares and Democratic challenger Jay Jones has tightened, drawing national attention and raising the stakes for conservatives across the state. For conservatives, the office of Attorney General is more than a political prize—it’s a frontline in the Read More…
Senate President Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen announced Monday a new legislative effort aimed at ending the practice of Montana teachers receiving educational credit for attending conferences that they say promote “extreme leftist ideology” and “classroom indoctrination.” The announcement follows reports about the Montana Federation of Public Employees’ (MFPE) Read More…
U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy released a joint statement praising the Senate’s confirmation of William Mercer to serve as U.S. District Judge for the District of Montana. “We congratulate William Mercer on his long-awaited confirmation to serve as U.S. District Judge for Montana,” the senators said. “Bill will have a lasting impact on Read More…
Senator Sheehy hosted a Common Ground Summit in partnership with the Livestock Marketing Association to address current challenges facing American agriculture, recent developments in the beef industry, and strategies to ensure American producers remain central to agricultural policy. Following the event, Sheehy emphasized the importance of supporting domestic ranchers while protecting national food security. “Lowering Read More…
South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has joined a 14-state coalition of Attorneys General supporting a petition aimed at strengthening the integrity of federal elections. The coalition submitted a letter backing the American First Legal Foundation’s petition to the U.S. Election Assistance Commission (EAC). The petition calls on the EAC to require documentary proof of Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte on Friday announced the appointment of Seth Cunningham and Edward Zink to serve as district court judges in the Thirteenth Judicial District, which covers Yellowstone County. “As accomplished attorneys with careers distinguished by their dedication to public service, Seth and Edward will continue the fair, consistent, and objective application of the law,” Read More…
Republicans in Congress have voted to overturn a Biden administration rule that blocked new federal coal leases in the Powder River Basin of eastern Montana, marking a significant shift in national energy policy and a victory for coal-producing states. The U.S. Senate on Wednesday approved a resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) to reverse Read More…
Governor Greg Gianforte joined thousands of students and community members at Montana State University this week for a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event honoring the late Charlie Kirk, urging attendees to continue Kirk’s mission of faith, freedom, and love of country following his assassination last month. More than 2,800 MSU students and several hundred Montanans Read More…
North Dakota State Superintendent of Public Instruction Kirsten Baesler was confirmed Friday by the U.S. Senate to serve as Assistant Secretary of Elementary and Secondary Education in the U.S. Department of Education, a top leadership role overseeing federal policy for the nation’s K-12 schools. “I am honored, humbled, and incredibly excited to have received this Read More…
(The Center Square) – Vice President JD Vance is calling for Democratic attorney general nominee Jay Jones to withdraw from Virginia’s Nov. 4 election after private text messages leaked in which Jones talked about shooting former House Speaker Todd Gilbert. The messages, first reported by National Review, include Jones writing in 2022 that Gilbert would Read More…
(The Center Square) – The U.S. Department of Energy will be returning to American taxpayers $13 billion in “unobligated wasteful spending” that was originally intended for former President Joe Biden’s climate agenda. In response, Larry Behrens from Power the Future told The Center Square that “by returning $13 billion, the Department of Energy under President Read More…
The U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) has voted to continue its investigation into imports of unwrought palladium from Russia, ruling there is reasonable indication that the U.S. mining industry is being harmed by unfairly priced and subsidized Russian imports. The decision follows a letter last month from Montana’s congressional delegation urging the Trump administration to Read More…
Senator Steve Daines has introduced the Equal Campus Access Act of 2025, legislation aimed at ensuring public colleges and universities do not discriminate against religious student organizations. Daines said the measure is designed to safeguard religious liberty for students of faith, requiring schools that receive federal funding to treat religious groups the same as any Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a 27-state coalition urging the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down California’s ban on firearm magazines holding more than 10 rounds of ammunition. The group of attorneys general filed an amicus brief in Virginia Duncan, et al. v. Rob Bonta, Attorney General of California, arguing that the Ninth Read More…
Western Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke voted Thursday in favor of a short-term measure to keep the federal government funded and avoid a shutdown, as Congress works to finalize annual spending bills. The measure, known as a Continuing Resolution (CR), extends government funding through November 21, giving lawmakers roughly seven more weeks to complete the 12 Read More…
(The Center Square) – Washington Secretary of State Steve Hobbs has no intention of complying with a U.S. Department of Justice request for information from the state’s voter registration list. On Sept. 8, the DOJ sent a letter to Hobbs requesting a copy of the state’s voter registration database within 14 days. The request included sensitive personal Read More…
The U.S. Senate passed the bipartisan Fire Ready Nation Act by unanimous consent, advancing legislation aimed at strengthening the nation’s ability to prevent, forecast, and combat wildfires. The bill, introduced in January by Senator Tim Sheehy (R–Mont.) and Senator Maria Cantwell (D–Wash.), formally establishes the Fire Weather Services program at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a 27-state coalition urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn Washington state’s ban on firearm magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. The coalition filed an amicus brief Monday in Gator’s Custom Guns, Inc. v. State of Washington, arguing the law violates the Second Amendment. In May, the Read More…
U.S. Senator Steve Daines praised the U.S. Department of the Interior’s (DOI) recent proposals to rescind the Bureau of Land Management’s (BLM) Public Lands Rule and restore multiple-use land management, along with actions to increase timber sales in Montana. “President Trump and Secretary Burgum are bringing back commonsense land management policies that will benefit Montana Read More…
Governor Brad Little announced Thursday the appointment of Amanda Ulrich as a District Judge in Idaho’s Seventh Judicial District. Ulrich, a trial attorney with more than 15 years of experience, is a partner at Casperson Ulrich Dustin, where she has practiced since 2018. Her work has focused primarily on civil litigation and employment law. She Read More…
(The Center Square) – Charlie Kirk, Turning Point USA founder and executive director and close ally of President Donald Trump, was assassinated Wednesday at a Utah Valley University event. A manhunt for the shooter is ongoing. During an American Comeback Tour, sponsored by the Turning Point USA chapter at Utah Valley, Kirk, 31, was seen Read More…
(The Center Square) – The Biden administration spent more than $10 million over three years on a security detail and related expenses for former First Son Hunter Biden after denying similar protections to other high-profile political figures, documents obtained by the Center to Advance Security in America and shared exclusively with The Center Square show. The Read More…
U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R-Mont.) is leading a bipartisan effort to increase transparency and accountability in the federal Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFI) Fund, introducing the CDFI Fund Transparency Act alongside Senators Mark Warner (D-Va.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), and Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.). The legislation would require the Secretary of the Treasury to testify annually before Read More…
(The Center Square) – The Trump administration directed 46 states and territories to remove gender ideology from their sex ed materials or else face possible termination of federal Personal Responsibility Education Program (PREP) funding, with a family advocate praising the move. Policy director for family advocacy group American Principles Project Paul Dupont told The Center Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is spearheading a 23-state coalition of attorneys general urging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to halt grants to the Environmental Law Institute (ELI), a group that has been providing climate-focused trainings for judges nationwide. In a letter sent Tuesday to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin, Knudsen raised concerns that taxpayer Read More…
Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, along with 21 other state attorneys general, has filed a brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to review a case challenging a Massachusetts school district’s policy on student “social transitioning” without parental consent. The case, Foote v. Ludlow School Committee, involves Ludlow Public Schools and parents Stephen Foote and Marissa Read More…
U.S. Senator Tim Sheehy led a letter from Montana’s congressional delegation urging President Donald Trump to take immediate action against Russia’s palladium exports, calling for a 50 percent tariff on unwrought palladium imports from Russia to protect American jobs and domestic mineral production. The letter, also signed by Senator Steve Daines, Rep. Troy Downing, and Read More…
U.S. Senator Steve Daines joined a bipartisan group of senators in urging the U.S. Department of Labor to quickly implement President Trump’s recent Executive Order expanding access to alternative investments for Americans with 401(k) and other defined-contribution retirement plans. The letter, sent to Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, was also signed by Senators Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.), Read More…
A federal judge has issued a preliminary injunction preventing the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from using Medicaid data obtained from Washington and 19 other states for immigration enforcement purposes. The order also bars the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) from sharing such data with DHS. The injunction comes after Washington and Read More…
U.S. Senator Steve Daines visited the Bull Mountains Mine in Musselshell County on Friday, celebrating what he called a major victory for Montana jobs and American energy. The mine, one of the state’s three large-scale active coal operations, had faced the prospect of closure in recent years but will remain open due to a provision Read More…
Tyler Newcombe has stepped down as executive director of the Montana Republican Party (MTGOP) after serving in the role since January, the party announced this month. “It has been an incredible honor to work with such a dedicated team on advancing conservative values across Montana,” Newcombe said in a statement. “I’m proud of what we Read More…
Governor Brad Little signed Executive Order 2025-05, known as “The Idaho Act,” aimed at creating efficiencies in state government, reducing spending, and supporting public schools while implementing federal tax cuts for Idahoans. The order directs state executive branch agencies — excluding K-12 public schools — to identify opportunities for consolidation, revert unfilled positions, reduce contract Read More…
Republican candidates are increasingly turning to WinRed as their go-to fundraising platform, with new figures showing record-breaking growth across the 2024 election cycle. According to data released by the GOP-backed digital fundraising service, Republicans raised a total of $5.6 billion through WinRed over the past three election cycles, with contributions from 8.8 million individual donors. Read More…
(The Center Square) — President Donald Trump’s job approval rating in California is slightly higher than what it was at this time in his first term and from when he left office in January 2021, according to a poll from Civiqs. Trump’s job performance had a 68% disapproval rating and a 29% approval rating among California Read More…