House Republicans advance big increase in private-school tax credit
Republicans in the Montana House Friday advanced a bill that dramatically increases a state tax credit that finances scholarships for private schools – a credit that led to a landmark U.S. Supreme...
View ArticleGOP lawmakers want to boost coal, Colstrip – not renewable power
While coal-fired power production is on the decline nationally, Republican lawmakers in Montana are looking to buck that trend, advancing an agenda this session to prolong the two remaining Colstrip...
View ArticleHalf-dozen Colstrip, energy bills alive at 2021 Legislature
More than a half-dozen GOP-sponsored bills to bolster the Colstrip power plants and undercut renewable power are advancing at the 2021 Legislature. Here’s a list of some of these bills, and their...
View ArticleGOP lawmaker introduces new state income-tax overhaul
A Republican state senator has introduced a major rewrite of the state income tax, saying it greatly simplifies the tax, lowers the top rate and eliminates taxes for as many as 50,000 low-income...
View ArticleGianforte admin’s marijuana implementation bill introduced
One of the most anticipated bills of the 2021 Legislature – the measure containing the Gianforte administration’s proposal to implement recreational marijuana in Montana – was introduced Monday...
View ArticleLegislature asking Corrections for details on reform results
More than three years into an overhaul of Montana’s criminal sentencing laws, the Legislature is preparing to ask the Corrections Department for extensive reporting on whether rehabilitation programs...
View ArticleGOP Senate advances amended version of transgender athlete ban
Republicans in the state Senate Tuesday advanced a bill restricting transgender student athletes in Montana – but not before attaching an amendment that could void the law in the future.On a 29-21...
View ArticleGovernor gets first COVID vaccine dose as all Montanans age 16+ become eligible
As Montana expanded COVID-19 vaccine eligibility to everyone age 16 and up on Thursday, Governor Greg Gianforte got his own first dose of the vaccine.He received his shot of the Pfizer vaccine at the...
View ArticleAnother judge steps away from case deciding Gianforte’s judicial appointment...
A state judge chosen to fill in for Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike McGrath said Thursday he’ll withdraw from deciding the constitutionality of a new law giving Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte...
View ArticleFormer MT Gov. Stan Stephens dies
Former Montana Governor Stan Stephens, a Republican whose 1988 electoral victory ended 20 years of Democratic governors in the state, has died. He was 91.Stephens, who died Saturday in Kalispell,...
View ArticleMT Legislature tackles affordable housing – or not
Editor’s note: This is the first of a two-part series on the 2021 Legislature’s actions to address the affordable-housing crisis in MontanaKayla Tengdin says without a special zoning program requiring...
View ArticleSenate advances bill ensuring NW Energy cost-recovery for Colstrip acquisition
Republicans in the Montana Senate Tuesday advanced the bill that guarantees NorthWestern Energy certain cost recovery, from its customers, if it acquires more power from the Colstrip coal-fired...
View ArticleMontana House endorses three marijuana reform bills
The Montana House has advanced three bills that provide different visions for how to implement recreational marijuana in the state, after legislative leadership asked them to keep all three...
View ArticleMT House narrowly rejects bill to regulate media in Montana
The Montana House Wednesday narrowly rejected a bill that would have mandated that the media do follow-up reporting on cases where someone had been accused of wrongdoing and later exonerated.The House...
View ArticleTo ease housing crisis, GOP lawmakers look to ease development regs
Editor’s note: This is the second of a two-part series on the 2021 Legislature’s actions to address the affordable-housing crisis in MontanaAs housing prices and rent escalate in many areas of the...
View ArticleDaines: GOP shut out on infrastructure discussion
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines said this week his fellow Republicans want to support an infrastructure bill, but that President Biden’s proposal goes far beyond just infrastructure – and that Democratic...
View ArticleMT House endorses bill that would allow elections to overturn health board...
The Montana House has endorsed a bill that would let the public ask for an election to change local health boards’ actions. It’s the latest of a series of bills debated this session that would put...
View ArticleMT Supreme Court quashes subpoena seeking internal judiciary e-mails
In an escalating political battle between Republican leadership at the Montana Legislature and the state’s judiciary, the Montana Supreme Court Sunday quashed a subpoena lawmakers had used to obtain a...
View ArticleNCAA releases statement in support of transgender athletes
The NCAA Board of Governors released a strong statement on Monday that could spell the end of playoff football at Bobcat Stadium or Washington-Grizzly Stadium.Montana lawmakers are currently...
View ArticleLegislature refuses to comply with SupCo order on judicial emails
The attorney general’s office late Monday told the Montana Supreme Court that Republican legislators will not comply with the court’s order to halt their attempts to acquire and publicize internal...
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