Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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Lawmakers gathered at the Capitol in January with a clear message from their constituents: The people of Montana are struggling to afford to live in Big Sky Country. The “working Montanan” was at the forefront of lawmakers' policy decisions this session, as Montanans struggle under the burden of high property taxes amid rising costs of living nationwide. There was no shortage of controversy as the legislators struggled with party-line divisions and their ideals. Alliances were made, majorities were upended, and measures passed for property tax...
A bill that would allow for the creation of experimental treatment centers in Montana has perked the ears of venture capitalists and biotech companies nationwide, but legislators on both sides of the aisle remain skeptical. Senate Bill 535 is an extension of the federal Right to Try Act, which allows terminally ill patients to try experimental treatments that have passed phase one of clinical trials but are not yet accepted medical practice. Patients are also only eligible if they have exhausted all FDA-approved treatment options. The bill...
After heated debate, a bill that will lower property taxes for primary residences while raising taxes for second homes and short-term rentals awaits final approval from the House before hitting Gov. Greg Gianforte’s desk. House Bill 231 is one of a series of property tax bills up for debate this week as lawmakers count down the days to the end of the legislative session. Sen. Shane Morigeau, D-Missoula, said Montana’s housing crisis needs attention, and House Bill 231 could help mitigate the impacts of out-of-state owners who profit off of pro...
As federal headwinds continue to swirl, state legislators are considering a study on how shifting funding will affect Montana’s largest state agency, the Department of Public Health and Human Services. House Resolution 66, proposed by Rep. SJ Howell, D-Missoula, would set aside time before the next Legislature convenes in 2027 to examine the impacts of federal funding changes to the healthcare system. Howell said the study is a proactive step to address the turbulent federal climate. Federal funding makes up 68.3% of the Montana DPHHS budget a...
The House of Representatives is advancing legislation that will create a study of early literacy rates in Montana’s children, a move proponents say will help address low rates of reading proficiency in young kids. Rep. Linda Reksten, R-Polson, said House Resolution 63 will provide data to inform the next Legislature about whether early literacy intervention programs created in 2023 and 2025 are working. “The reason to follow this data is because we can make the strongest improvement in our student achievement in accessing skills of reading and...
The House of Representatives passed a bill on April 8 that would provide continuous eligibility for two years for kids younger than six enrolled in the Healthy Montana Kids program. The sponsor says it will address gaps in health insurance coverage for children. The current system for the free or low-cost health insurance program for low-income families requires families to reapply for eligibility every year. Rep. Ed Stafman, D-Bozeman, said this can be difficult for busy families, leaving children in a back-and-forth of losing and regaining...
A bill that would ask voters to vote on a constitutional amendment to define personhood as starting at conception sparked contentious debate in the Senate Judiciary Committee before ultimately advancing to the full Senate. Sponsored by Rep. Lee Deming, R-Laurel, House Bill 318 is one of the few surviving bills seeking to restrict abortion access in the state. The bill would start the process of amending Montana’s Constitution to define a fetus as a living being by putting the issue to voters via ballot in the November 2026 election. Erin L...
A bill to add vaping as prohibited under the Clean Indoor Air Act is on to the Senate after passing the House last week, with proponents saying it will help to address an issue in Montana’s youth, and opponents saying the bill will not be effective in preventing vaping in kids. Carrier of Senate Bill 390, Rep. George Nikolakakos, R-Great Falls, said the number of children and health organizations who came to testify in support at the bill’s committee hearing showed the need for the addition. He said the issue of vaping in Montana is two...
Legislators in the House and Senate passed bills this week that define sex as a binary and reduce any punishment of individuals at schools for not acknowledging pronouns and chosen names other than those assigned at birth. Senate Bill 437, which earlier passed in the Senate with a 31-18 vote, is one of a series of bills passed this session that proponents say are clarifying definitions under law, and opponents say are reducing the rights of the transgender community. SB 437 passed the House with a 55-44 vote last week and now heads to the gover...
The Senate debated and passed a bill last week that would tighten residency requirements for voters, which proponents say will make sure that each county’s voters are a permanent part of the community. But, opponents say the measure will unfairly restrict student voters. House Bill 413, sponsored by Rep. Jane Gillette, R-Three Forks and carried by Sen. Shelley Vance, R-Belgrade, would mean that a person could not be considered a resident in an election if they live in a community for “temporary work, training, or an educational program,” unles...
Since she lost her home, the four walls of Chloe Carlson’s tent have served as her sole source of shelter. Carlson’s two cats serve as her heaters during winter storms. She pitches her tent on a slight incline to prevent flooding in rainy weather. She knows a thing or two about surviving in harsh conditions. “I like when it is actually snowy, because it tends to be warmer out,” Carlson said. “Because those clouds trap a lot of the daytime heat.” In 2022, Carlson joined the swelling ranks of people without homes in Montana after losing her job i...
Legislators are considering a proposal to invest in suicide prevention for Montana veterans, an effort proponents say will help to mitigate high rates of suicide in the veteran population. Sen. Mike Yakawich, R-Billings, is the sponsor of Senate Bill 95. He said the bill has had a long journey to pass the Senate and arrive at the House for deliberation. The final proposal includes a request for $300,000 to implement a three-pronged approach: screening services, educating providers, and peer support. Jestin Dupree, a tribal council member for...
A proposed resolution to release federal wilderness study lands sparked nearly two hours of passionate testimony in the Senate Energy Committee on March 25. Sen. Tony Tezak, R-Ennis, the sponsor of Senate Resolution 14, argued Montana’s federal wilderness study lands are unmanaged areas rich with resources made inaccessible because of federal regulations. “The wilderness study areas in these resolutions contain vast amounts of natural resources, which are critical to our national security and energy needs,” Tezak said. “Development of these r...
In a House committee in late February, a legislator passed a tiny cylindrical object around the room, saying it is the key to Montana’s future energy security. The cylinder was a model for one nuclear pellet, which Rep. Gary Parry, R-Colstrip, says is equivalent to 157 gallons of regular gasoline. According to Parry, nuclear energy is the way forward for Montana as the coal energy industry wanes. “What we need to do is make sure that for Montanans we have a reliable, dependable base load,” Parry said in an interview, “that when it’s 50 below...
A Senate Fish and Game Committee meeting last week was dedicated entirely to three hours of fiery debate on two controversial gray wolf management bills from Rep. Paul Fielder, R-Thompson Falls. House Bill 258 would extend the seven-month wolf hunting season by another three months and House Bill 259 would legalize infrared and thermal imagery for wolf management. Fish, Wildlife and Parks Chief of Conservation Policy Quentin Kujala, speaking for the department director, opposed the season’s extension into Spring. “A spring hunting season dur...
Proponents of a bill that would prevent local governments from enacting red-flag gun laws say these regulations are unconstitutional. But opponents say they can be important in preventing gun violence. A red-flag law, or an extreme risk protection order, is a temporary order that a judge can place on a person requiring them to temporarily surrender their firearms if the judge decides there is a high risk to others or to the individual. Twenty-one states and the District of Columbia have implemented red-flag laws, according to the University of...
Legislators are considering a proposal that supporters say will help victims of sexual assault get local, timely care in rural areas by changing the source of funding for sexual assault examinations. The sponsor of the bill, Sen. Bob Phalen, R-Lindsay, said in an initial committee hearing last week that Senate Bill 491 would create a centralized state fund that uses revenue from the marijuana tax to pay for sexual assault medical examinations instead of local law enforcement paying for the care. “By passing this bill, we are reinforcing M...
The House passed a bill on Feb. 27 that would allow parents access to their child’s medical records, with proponents arguing it will help parents help their children and opponents arguing it will endanger kids with unsafe home situations. Rep. SJ Howell, D-Missoula, spoke in opposition to House Bill 377 due to concerns that it could further endanger a child in a precarious situation. They said as representatives of the state, it’s the Legislature’s job to make sure those kids are protected. Howell thanked the sponsor for amendments added to ad...
A bill that would ban state agencies from implementing mandatory diversity, equity and inclusion programs passed out of committee last week, with proponents arguing these programs are expensive and discriminatory and opponents arguing they are an attempt to prevent discrimination and reconcile the past. Rep. George Nikolakakos, R-Great Falls, said his House Bill 635 would also prevent state agencies spending public funds on diversity, equity and inclusion programs, and from using diversity statements on employment applications. Nikolakakos...
The House of Representatives has passed House Bill 169, a bill that would allow judges to attend partisan events, seek or accept partisan endorsements, make speeches, publicly endorse, and publicly self-identify with partisan organizations. The bill hinges on the approval of House Bill 39, which would attach party labels to candidates for judicial positions. HB 39 has passed the House and is awaiting judgment in the Senate. Proponents of HB 169, which the House passed on Thursday, Jan. 23, argue it is a realistic move that will allow judges to...
There is an empty space in Diana Burd’s life where her son used to be. She sees him in the plants he gave her, the movies they watched, the trips they had yet to take. She couldn’t understand how he was feeling until he was gone. Looking back, Burd said the signs were there. Her son told his brother to leave his stuff alone. But, he also told his brother that when he was gone, everything he owned would be his. “I remember, I was like, ‘Oh, Wyatt,’” Diana said. “And he said, ‘No, Mom, everything that I own is Thunder’s.” Wyatt Madplume took his...
A committee hearing for House Bill 121, a bill that would require all restrooms, sleeping quarters, and changing areas to be designated by biological sex, brought emotional testimony both in support and opposition at the Montana Legislature. Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe, R-Billings, the sponsor of the bill, said it is necessary to protect women and children in areas where privacy is particularly important. “For decades, society has recognized the need for separate facilities like restrooms, changing rooms and sleeping quarters, to protect p...
With the 2025 Montana Legislative session underway, lawmakers this session are not only creating new law, but also examining how the law is interpreted and enforced by the judicial branch. Twenty-seven bills aimed at judicial reform are on the table in both the House and Senate Judiciary Committees as well as the House State Administration Committee – bills that lawmakers say could alter the balance of power between the legislative and judicial branches. These bills, five of which are scheduled for a first hearing this week, come at a time w...
