Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
Serving Southern Jefferson County in the Great State of Montana
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It’s going to take all of us to create a Montana where there is justice, safety, and dignity for all. This means that we need YOU to take contact your legislator this legislative session. • Call the capitol switchboard at 406-444-4800: The switchboard is open 7 AM to 5:30 PM M-F. State your name, where you’re located, and ask to leave a message Supporting/Opposing the bill you want to leave comment on. • Submit public comment: There’s a new system for leaving message to legislators this year that does require you to create an account. You’ll ne...
Gov. Greg Gianforte continues to push lawmakers to pass a “homestead exemption” bill to help Montanans with rising property taxes by lowering rates for primary residences and long-term rentals. Gianforte has said the plan is projected to provide direct permanent relief to 215,000 Montana homeowners, with average cuts of 15%. During his State of the State speech in January, the governor highlighted the proposal as one of his top priorities. “In my State of the State, I asked the legislature to pass the homestead rate cut by the middle of Febru...
The third attempt at giving Montana farmers and ranchers the right to repair their agricultural equipment outside of dealerships hit the House Business and Labor Committee last week. Proponents of House Bill 390 said when manufacturers require that certain repairs only be made by dealers, they leave farmers and ranchers with too few options. But the bill also drew criticism for overstepping in what opponents said could be an easy private-sector solution. Retired Army Colonel Richard Liebert is a cattle rancher and president of the Montana...
A key Medicaid expansion bill passed the Montana House of Representatives last week, one step closer to removing the sunset date on a program that has provided insurance coverage to thousands of Montanans. A 2024 report from the Montana Healthcare Foundation shows that in 2023, about 110,000 adults were covered under the state’s Medicaid expansion program. The expansion offers healthcare for Montanans who earn up to 138% of the federal poverty line for income. The bill passed with bipartisan support on a 63-37 vote Feb. 10 following rigorous d...
A bill its sponsor called “easy-peasy” would allow retired teachers to keep their benefits while returning to tutor their replacements. The House State Administration Committee heard first testimony on House Bill 359 on February 11 and then passed the bill onto the full Senate the next day on a 19-0 vote. “This just opens the door for retired teachers to perhaps get paid to help newly hired teachers that are taking over in their past teaching role without jeopardizing their retirement distribution,” said Rep. Jamie Isaly, D-Bozeman, the bill’s...
A bill in the Montana House of Representatives aims to protect the autonomy and free speech of pregnancy centers amid controversy across the country about how these centers handle abortion conversations with patients. Crisis pregnancy centers or clinics, also known as anti-abortion centers, offer prenatal support, pregnancy testing and counseling, often as an effort to encourage mothers to carry pregnancies to term. Derek Oestreicher, chief legal counsel for the Montana Family Foundation, supported House Bill 388 at a committee hearing Feb. 1...
Under a bill in front of lawmakers in Helena, Montana plates and palates would never see a piece of lab-grown meat – a product Republican Rep. Randyn Gregg of White Sulphur Springs called “ Mary Sheldon’s Frankenstein meets Keanu Reeves in the Matrix.” Rep. Braxton Mitchell, R-Columbia Falls, is carrying House Bill 401, which does not include bans on plant-based meat alternatives, but rather meat that is grown from animal cells. The bill’s long list of co-sponsors includes lawmakers from both parties. “ This bill will help promote Montana’s agr...
Montana lawmakers are attempting to add to the crime of child endangerment, including exposure to marijuana. Senate Bill 261 would make exposing a child to marijuana and other dangerous drugs, which would include fentanyl, or forcing them to consume the drugs a punishable offense. It would also criminalize assisting minors in entering marijuana dispensaries. Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson, is carrying the bill. In a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Feb. 12, Hertz said SB 261 gives law enforcement agents more tools to protect the safety of children...
The Whitehall Study Commission will be mailing out questionnaires to all postal patrons in the Whitehall Post Office area. Originally these questionnaires were planned to be released in early February; however, they will now be mailed in March. Each questionnaire will be addressed to the postal customer registered to that post office box. The Local Government Review process is complicated; its scope and intent are easily misunderstood. But it's important to know that the review is not a...
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 9 07:45:36 911 Hang Up: I-90 10:30:55 Traffic Stop 10:47:36 Traffic Stop 11:16:36 Traffic Stop 14:54:50 Traffic Stop 16:34:54 Medical: Sun Valley Dr 22:00:06 Motorist Assist: N Whitehall St 22:49:27 Suspicious: E First St 23:09:03 Traffic Hazard: I-90 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10 15:40:06 Trespass: E Legion St 16:09:31 Medical: Lower Rader Creek Rd 16:43:50 Civil: Hwy 2 W 17:55:38 Transport: Billings Hospital TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 11 07:06:24 Medical: Lower Rader Creek Rd 14:55:15 Stranded...
Four weeks into the legislative session, the Senate Republicans are fully engaged to deliver on the promises by which we were elected. One of the top priorities approaching this session was property tax relief, with both the House and the Senate considering how to properly provide relief without neglecting local budgets, businesses, and schools. A group of bills have been introduced to address these concerns, and others will make their way to the chamber as the session continues. In addition to...
Sen. Mike Yakawich, R-Billings, compares the state’s purchase of overdose reversal drugs like naloxone from companies that have contributed to the opioid crisis to “paying the arsonist to put out his own fire.” Yakawich is carrying Senate Bill 112, which would ban government purchase of opioid overdose reversal drugs from companies like Purdue Pharma and Hikma Pharmaceuticals. The bill passed the Senate Feb. 4 on a 49-1 vote and is now scheduled for a hearing in the House Human Services Committee on Feb. 17. Attorneys General across the count...
Property tax relief is a top priority for Senate Republicans this legislative session. I’m sponsoring one such bill, SB 2, which reforms how tax increment financing (TIF) districts sunset – if they ever do – in order to lower property taxes for all local taxpayers. Essentially, the bill rewards taxpayers who contribute to economic development over the span of a TIF project. TIFs are subsidized by taxpayers outside the TIF district over the decades-long life of a project, which increases residents’ taxes and takes money away from schools...
Montana Legislators are pushing for changes to DUI laws – laws that Rep. Braxton Mitchell, R-Columbia Falls, calls a national embarrassment. Mitchell is carrying House Bill 267, known as “Bobby’s Law” in honor of 21-year-old Bobby Dewbre, who was killed by a drunk driver in Columbia Falls in 2023. The driver served the maximum 18-month sentence. Under HB 267, if a driver kills someone while registering a blood alcohol content of 0.16 or higher, twice the legal limit, they would be charged with aggravated vehicular homicide and serve no less th...
Women in Montana would be able to request child support payments starting at conception if a bill in the Montana House of Representatives becomes law. The House Judiciary Committee heard testimony for House Bill 288 Thursday. Proponents said fathers should bear part of the financial burden of prenatal care, particularly in unplanned pregnancies. Opponents, however, said Montana law already allows women to collect child support for prenatal care after a child’s birth and the bill would complicate medical decisions and put victims of sexual a...
The Montana House of Representatives will now have the chance to debate a bill that would make providing gender-affirming care to children under the age of 16 a felony for endangering the welfare of a child. The Senate passed the bill last week on a 30-20 vote. Senate Bill 164 would classify surgical procedures, puberty blockers or hormones like testosterone and estrogen provided to children for gender-affirming treatment as criminal offenses. Proponents of the bill said it would protect children from life-altering procedures while opponents...
Under current Montana law, the winner of a duel may be responsible for supporting the family of their slain opponent. Even though killing someone, in a duel or not, is illegal, that code from 1895 is still on the books. House Bill 247 would repeal it. Rep. Braxton Mitchell, R-Colombia Falls, is carrying the bill, which passed the House Wednesday and now moves to the Senate. “This wasn’t a bill I thought I’d be bringing this session but after working with the Lieutenant Governor on more serious red-tape relief bills, she mentioned this outda...
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 2 00:39:43 Traffic Stop: W Legion St 02:08:01 Traffic Stop: Hwy 55 10:19:52 Vehicle Accident (Non-Injury): N Whitehall St 15:18:29 Vehicle Accident (Injury): I-90 16:12:21 Vehicle Accident (Non-Injury) Hwy 2 E 16:54:26 Traffic Hazard: I-90 17:19:08 Stranded Motorist: I-90 17:54:28 Citizen Assist 018:22:52 Vehicle Accident (Non-Injury): I-90 19:30:15 Traffic Hazard: I-90 22:37:40 ATL: Madison County MONDAY, FEBRUARY 3 10:25:22 Gas Leak/Odor: Kelly Rd 13:29:35 911 Hang Up...
The Whitehall Study Commission will be mailing out questionnaires to all postal patrons in the Whitehall Post Office area. Originally these questionnaires were planned to be released this week; however, they will now be mailed in March. Each questionnaire will be addressed to the postal customer registered to that post office box. The Local Government Review process is complicated; its scope and intent are easily misunderstood. But it’s important to know that the review is not a platform for airing discontent or mobilizing change in the ways t...
The Montana House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee tabled one bill and advanced two other bills that would change rules for hunting gray wolves in the state. The wolf-focused bills hit the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee Tuesday, Jan. 21, including House Bill 101, which would classify gray wolves as furbearers. The committee tabled that bill on Friday, Jan. 24. Rep. Jamie Isaly, D-Bozeman, said HB 101, recommended by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, would have put more specific protections on gray wolves while maintaining the...
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...
SUNDAY, JANUARY 26 02:15:41 Medical: Paul Gulch Rd 09:49:10 Traffic Stop: Hwy 359 10:09:02 Traffic Stop: County Line 15:04:37 Reckless Driver: I-90 18:56:45 Traffic Hazard: I-90 MONDAY, JANUARY 27 02:54:19 Burglar Alarm: Hwy 55 10:33:51 Traffic Stop: W Legion St 14:52:21 Transport: Billings Clinic 16:05:12 Hit & Run: W Second Ave 18:25:57 Suspicious: Parrot Castle Rd 20:03:08 Civil: Fish Creek Rd 21:30:34 911 Misdial: E Legion St TUESDAY, JANUARY 28 07:55:37 Medical: Skyline Dr 08:41:11 VIN Inspection: Hwy 55 10:18:41 Welfare Check: Hwy 69...
Montanans could have beer and wine delivered to their doors by services like DoorDash if a bill in front of the House of Representatives passes. House Bill 211, sponsored by Rep. Katie Zolnikov, R-Billings, would require delivery drivers to be 21 years old, get a license to deliver alcohol and not have been convicted of driving under the influence in the past seven years. Tom Kerr is the general counsel for the Adult Beverage Alliance, a trade association that includes Amazon, DoorDash, Grubhub, Shift, and Uber. He supported the bill at a c...
The Whitehall Town Council held a quick catch-up meeting on Monday, January 27th, after they did not have a quorum during their regularly scheduled monthly meeting for January (which was also moved to a day later due to Martin Luther King Jr. Day.) A business license was approved for Highway 55 Auto & Truck Repair, though StarrBuds' request for a cannabis dispensary business license was tabled, as a variance from the required 500 feet from a public building will need to be submitted. The proposed location (13 E. Legion) is roughly 80 feet...
The Montana Healthcare Foundation released three new reports analyzing Montana Medicaid. The reports found that the HELP Act – or “Medicaid expansion” – continues to expand healthcare access, improve health outcomes, and control healthcare costs. New findings from “2025 Medicaid in Montana” show that in addition to the program’s benefits for the health of enrollees and the state’s economy, Medicaid expansion has had a substantial impact on the healthcare system, particularly in rural areas. Specifically, reimbursement from Medicaid expans...
