South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden has signed five bills into law aimed at supporting agriculture and rural communities, including a measure to expand broadband infrastructure in underserved areas. Among the bills signed was House Bill 1048, which provides an appropriation for the expansion of broadband access, a priority Rhoden said is critical to strengthening opportunities 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…
The president on Thursday signed into law three measures authorizing the awarding of the Medal of Honor to U.S. service members for acts of valor in combat. Among the bills signed was H.R. 3377, which authorizes the president to award the Medal of Honor to James Capers Jr. for his actions while serving in the Read More…
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines is urging swift confirmation of Katie Lane to the U.S. District Court for the District of Montana, calling her a principled, Montana-rooted attorney who would bring integrity and constitutional focus to the federal bench. Lane, a Bozeman native and nominee of Donald Trump, appeared this week before the Senate Judiciary Committee Read More…
Helena – For the third consecutive legislative session, Democrat Governor Steve Bullock has failed to get an infrastructure bill passed by the Legislature. In the waning days of the 2017 legislative session, there seemed to still be a chance for the infrastructure package to pass, but in the end, it came down to a simple Read More…
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…
Helena – Newly-released records show Democrat congressional candidate Rob Quist has not had a hunting or fishing license in Montana in at least 15 years. According to public records released to MTN news by the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the banjo player turned politician has not purchased a hunting or fishing license since Read More…
Helena – In the waning days of the 2017 legislative session, there is still a chance for infrastructure package to pass, but it might not be an easy road. The eventual solution may be complicated but the breakdown is rather simple: Democrat Governor Steve Bullock wants to spend more; Republicans in control of the House Read More…
A new public opinion poll of Montanans shows Republican Greg Gianforte with a 12% advantage over Democrat Rob Quist in the race to replace Ryan Zinke for Montana’s lone Congressional seat. According to the survey, Gianforte leads the pack with 50% of respondents saying they intended to vote for him. Democrat Rob Quist was in Read More…
Helena – Representative Frank Garner, R-Kalispell, joined with a mostly Democrat coalition to pass a 38% increase to Montana’s fuel tax in the House. Rep. Garner is the sponsor of House Bill 473 which increases the state tax on gasoline and diesel fuel by about 38%. The bill has been one of the most contentious Read More…
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…
Helena – Helena Democrat Representative Moffie Funk has introduced a bill in the legislature to give state employees raises costing $16.5 Million over the next two years. House Bill 13, the state pay plan bill would provide a 1% raise for each of the next two years. State workers previously received raises in January 2016 Read More…
Helena – The state of Montana filed three tax liens to collect approximately $15,000 in back taxes against Democrat congressional candidate Rob Quist. Quist is also finalizing a settlement with a bank over $10,000 loan he defaulted on. The tax liens filed against Quist in 2015 for about $15,000 cover tax years 2007, 2011 and Read More…
There’s a congressional election coming up on May 25th and three candidates are currently out barnstorming the state to gather votes and remind people that the special election actually exists. Republican Greg Gianforte and Democrat Rob Quist have big-name parties to help promote their message and a head start. Libertarian Mark Wicks was picked at Read More…
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…
Rep. Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) asked FBI Director James Comey on Monday whether reporters could be prosecuted for leaks — despite a longstanding tradition and court history of not prosecuting the press. “Is there an exception in the law for current or former U.S. officials requesting anonymity?” Gowdy asked Comey during testimony about Russia’s interference in Read More…
A large part of the House GOP plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare is predicated on the idea of giving states more flexibility to run their Medicaid programs. But with an $880 billion price tag estimated over 10 years, governors and state officials from both parties are pressing Congress to slow down. States play a Read More…
Former top officials for Hillary Clinton’s campaign vented their frustration with both FBI Director James Comey and congressional Republicans on Monday as he testified on Capitol Hill. Five months after Comey stepped into the 2016 election fray in the campaign’s closing days to talk about investigations into Clinton’s email use — which Clinton herself has Read More…
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…
The Montana Legislature is responsible for accomplishing a great deal during the 90 days it meets every two years. But lawmakers are actually only constitutionally required to do one thing — create and pass a state budget. Last week, the House of Representatives got one step closer to that goal. Fifty-six days into the session, Read More…
While campaign for the Democrat nomination to replace Congressman Ryan Zinke, Rob Quist supported a national gun registry; now that he has the nomination he is trying to walk back his earlier comments. In late January, Quist, a 69 year old banjo player and singer from Creston, told the Bozeman Chronicle, “You register your car Read More…
Helena – Representative Carl Glimm (R-Kila) announced the Montana locker room privacy act on Thursday. The bill would create a ballot referendum that would protect privacy for people in locker rooms and showers in public schools and other government facilities by barring men from women’s facilities. “The government has a duty to protect the privacy, Read More…
Helena – Two Democrat lawmakers are proposing legislation to enact a limited sales tax in Montana. Both bills would allow local residents to vote whether or not to pass the tax in their communities. Representative David Fern (D-Whitefish) introduced House Bill 577 which was heard in the House Taxation committee this week and awaits further Read More…
A Flathead Valley musician took to the stage on Monday evening in downtown Whitefish for a new reason — campaigning for Montana’s seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. About 120 people gathered at Casey’s Pub and Grill for a campaign kick-off event for Rob Quist, a Creston-area musician and the Democratic nominee for the Read More…
Supporters of a bill aimed at reducing property taxes in Montana say the agricultural industry needs help because of dropping commodity prices. House Bill 558 would reduce the amount of property taxes agricultural landowners and commercial properties pay in the state. Agricultural landowners would see a tax reduction of .15 percent, and commercial landowners, .11 Read More…
A bill introduced at the Legislature calls for legalizing the game of blackjack, or twenty-one, in Montana, and dividing the tax proceeds among pension, educational, social services and tribal scholarship programs. Rep. Wylie Galt, R-Martinsdale, is sponsoring House Bill 578, which would allow up to three live blackjack games in a bar or casino and Read More…
A bill limiting the length of contracts for small, renewable power projects would undercut a $100 million-plus proposed solar-power project near Billings, an attorney for the developer says. “We are at the point right now where my clients are coming into this state and saying, `We want to do business here’ – and Senate Bill Read More…
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…
WikiLeaks will give technology companies access to information it has about the CIA’s hacking tools, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Thursday. Assange said the organization will give details to let technology companies “develop fixes” before the information is published more widely. “We have decided to work with them,” Assange said during an online press conference Read More…
Instead of CPAC, it’ll be the Ideas Conference. Instead of taking place at National Harbor, it’ll be in the main room at the St. Regis Hotel, a few blocks from the White House. Instead of featuring President Donald Trump, it’ll be the first real cattle call of the Democrats nosing around 2020 presidential runs. And Read More…
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Thursday that his message to Republicans skeptical of the legislation introduced by House leadership to repeal and replace Obamacare is that “we need to deliver” because “we’re in the outcome business now.” Unlike his party’s efforts under the administration of former President Barack Obama, McConnell (R-Ky.) said GOP lawmakers Read More…
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…
Montana’s campaign regulator has reached a settlement with two elite universities whose professors caught grief for experimenting with Montana voters in 2014. In it Stanford and Dartmouth universities agreed to pay the state a combined $13,599. The cash and a previous apology from the universities’ presidents — mailed to all Montana voters at a cost Read More…
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…
Helena – Governor Steve Bullock vetoed House Bill 202 which would have provided new protections for state employee whistleblowers. The bill sponsored by Representative Kirk Wagoner passed both the House and Senate with bipartisan support. It would add new protections for public employees who report “matters of public concern” to the legislature. In a press Read More…
Helena – On Monday night, Bozeman businessman Greg Gianforte easily secured the Republican nomination for the special election to replace Congressman Ryan Zinke. Gianforte was selected in the first round of voting securing 150.5 votes, 123 votes were needed to win the nomination. Greg Gianforte beat out six other Republican candidates, Rep. Carl Glimm, Sen. Read More…
Helena – At their special convention on Sunday, March 5, Democrats nominated banjo player and singer Rob Quist to run under their party’s banner to fill Montana’s congressional seat that was vacated by Ryan Zinke, who was sworn in as Interior Secretary last week. Rob Quist currently resides in the Flathead Valley and was nominated Read More…
Gov. Steve Bullock says he believes the Montana Board of Regents would have to at least consider closing a state campus to make up for the $23.3 million budget cut proposed in the current Legislature. Bullock made the comment Wednesday while meeting with the Chronicle’s editorial board. The Democratic governor came to advocate Read More…
Here’s a look at the people hoping to replace Ryan Zinke as Montana’s congressional representative. There are eight Democrats hoping for their party’s nomination. Amanda Curtis is a member of Montana House of Representative… She sponsored the “hire Montana first act”. When not in session Curtis works as a high school math teacher… She serves Read More…
On Wednesday morning, the United States Senate voted to confirm Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke as Secretary of the Depart of Interior on a vote of 63 to 31. Both of Montana’s Senators Steve Daines and Jon Tester voted to confirm Zinke. The Whitefish native will become the first Montanan to serve in a Cabinet position. Read More…
State Sen. Eric Moore, R-Miles City, was expected to introduce legislation this afternoon to modernize the way workers’ compensation insurance is purchased in Montana. The measure, if approved, would eliminate the state-operated Montana State Fund, which is currently the largest provider of workers’ compensation insurance in the state. The bill would allow for greater competition Read More…
Helena – A Democrat legislator from Bozeman has introduced a bill to raise the state income tax. House bill 452, by Representative Tom Woods would cost taxpayers more than $78 Million over the next 4 years. If it becomes law, Rep. Tom Woods’ bill would increase income taxes by $6.6 million in fiscal 2018, $24.5 Read More…
Two Republican state lawmakers from Hamilton are asking for $5.5 million to expand a healthcare program. “This bill is not only a good bill, it may be the most important we have to do all session.” That’s Representative Nancy Ballance. She and Representative Ron Ehli are teaming up to spend more public money on healthcare Read More…
The Wyoming Legislature has passed a bill that will require large retailers that don’t have a presence in the state – including online retailers – to collect sales tax on purchases that are delivered into Wyoming. As long as House Bill 19/House Enrolled Act 41 makes it past Gov. Matt Mead’s desk, the law Read More…