Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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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...
