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...
Starting May 7, the Transportation Security Administration will no longer consider state-issued driver's licenses and identification cards without a Real ID certification sufficient for boarding commercial flights. This long-delayed policy shift could cause headaches for Montana travelers. According to the TSA website, several other forms of identification will be accepted in lieu of Real IDs, including passports, U.S. passport cards, U.S. Department of Defense IDs, permanent resident cards, and some IDs issued by federally recognized tribal...
In two years, the next Montana Legislature will reconvene in Helena. But before then, the 2025 legislature asked for studies on everything from farmers’ markets to changing the date of primary elections. In total, lawmakers have proposed 80 different study bills in 2025. That’s 42% more than the 10-session average of about 56. In the waning days of the session, both the House and Senate agendas have been jam-packed with study bills. Sen. Dennis Lenz, R-Billings, said that could be because these bills serve as tools to help pass future ver...
Two major property tax relief bills passed April 30, ultimately putting an end to the 69th Montana Legislature — but not without fiery pushback from hard-line Republicans and charged debates in the Senate. Property tax reform was one of the biggest issues facing lawmakers this session. In the last three days of the session, just two bills addressing property tax remained: Senate Bill 542 and House Bill 231. As they rounded the final corner, Rep. Bill Mercer, R-Billings, called for one final adjournment in the House. But the Senate held on, v...
It’s now up to Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte to pick between two conservation-focused models for distributing state marijuana revenue — an account that drew in nearly $60 million in 2024. Billings Republican Sen. Daniel Zolnikov’s Senate Bill 537 allocates 31% of that fund to law enforcement grants and 14% to a state behavioral health and disabilities program. Twin Bridges Republican Rep. Ken Walsh’s House Bill 932 sends the money to the state’s general fund. The original ballot measure that Montana voters approved in 2020 included setting a...
SUNDAY, APRIL 27 00:06:40 Traffic Stop: Hwy 55 00:31:06 Traffic Stop: Hwy 55 10:24:59 Reckless Driver: I-90 11:01:52 Medical: Skyline Dr 11:13:34 Medical: Sun Valley Dr 15:40:18 Stranded Motorist: I-90 18:08:55 Traffic Stop: W Legion/Noble 19:00:57 Traffic Stop: W Legion St 19:47:43 Traffic Stop: Brooks/Legion 20:37:30 Traffic Hazard: I-90 22:19:21 Traffic Stop: W Legion St MONDAY, APRIL 28 02:59:17 Traffic Stop: I-90 03:07:56 Traffic Stop: I-90 07:40:56 Traffic Stop: N Whitehall St 07:56:52 Traffic Stop: W Legion St 12:27:06 Citizen Assist:...
Fifteen concerned citizens met last week for the Whitehall Indivisible meeting and discussed Montana legislation, the federal government, and the ongoing issue of Head Start in Whitehall. HB740, brought by Rep Bertoglio, is a bill that would set a floor for prescription payments, critical to the survival of small pharmacies like Whitehall Drug. This bill has passed to the governor’s desk. HB932 is brought by our own Rep Ken Walsh and clarifies and secures some existing public lands funding. This much-amended, complicated bill passed with b...
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...
As we approach the final weeks of the legislative session and reflect on the Easter season, I find myself grateful for the opportunity to serve you, the progress we have made, and the values that guide our work here in Helena. We have sent hundreds of bills to the Senate, each a reflection of the concerns I hear from constituents back home. Whether it’s keeping rural pharmacies open, supporting our teachers, or delivering real property tax relief, the focus remains clear: support working f...
The Montana Senate has amended and advanced a draft of the state’s two-year budget, with some disappointed Republicans saying “the cake was already baked” and that they saw the vote from a mile away. The vote board was a near-constant 27-23 during the entire debate on House Bill 2 and the Senate’s amendments to it. A group of nine Republicans that have aligned with Democrats since day one again joined forces to pass the bill, while the other 23 Republicans voted against. Republican Senate President Matt Regier said before the session started, t...
As the 2025 legislative session comes to a close, lawmakers are moving to set themselves up for next session with a series of bills that would start studies analyzing the efficacy of public school programs like special education, media literacy, school safety and counselors. Jessica Reynolds is a speech pathologist for Helena Public Schools and supported the special education study, representing Montana Speech Language Hearing Association. “I’m ending my 11th year with Helena School District, and I can tell you that the needs faced by special e...
SUNDAY, APRIL 13 07:32:49 Traffic Stop: W Legion St 07:46:27 Traffic Stop: W Legion St 07:58:58 Traffic Stop: Hwy 2 W 12:11:36 Citizen Assist: W Legion St 13:21:05 Stolen Vehicle: Whitetail Dr 16:08:57 Traffic Offense: I-90 17:15:55 Disorderly Conduct: Stanley St 18:14:39 Fire/Smoke Report: Hwy 55 19:55:06 Suspicious Vehicle: Tebay Ln 20:41:03 Animal: W Legion St MONDAY, APRIL 14 00:33:23 Welfare Check: Forcella Rd 08:04:09 Traffic Stop 08:39:46 911: Whitetail Rd 10:03:38 Fraud: Jack Rabbit Ln...
Montana lawmakers are considering a proposal to unwind parts of a 2023 bill that guaranteed large nonresident landowners access to a big-game hunting license. House Bill 907 strikes portions of House Bill 635, which narrowly passed the Legislature two years ago. HB 635 established a new nonresident preference pool program that effectively guaranteed nonresident landowners with 2,500 acres of land access to a big-game combination license good for one elk and one deer. Proponents of HB 907 say that it preserves the desirable portions of HB 635 ...
A draft of Montana’s state budget for the next two years continues to push through the Legislature, now heading to its last major round of debate on the Senate floor this week. The current version sits at around $16.6 billion in spending, with a large portion going toward healthcare and education. Now, with about 15 days left in the session, lawmakers, organizations and Montana citizens are scrambling to make sure all of their bases are covered for the next two years, all with the backdrop of a chaotic federal funding picture and questions abou...
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...
SUNDAY, APRIL 6 00:44:43 Traffic Stop: N Whitehall St 01:36:33 Motorist Assist: Hwy 2 E 06:51:20 Extra Patrol: W Legion St 07:43:09 Medical: Hwy 55 12:11:04 Vicious Dog: N Jefferson St 12:32:59 Reckless Driver: I-90 13:27:42 Welfare Check: N Jefferson St 15:08:14 Domestic Violence: Sowden Ln 15:23:51 Vehicle Accident (Injury) 17:52:41 Vehicle Fire: I-90 18:31:57 Citizen Assist 20:33:59 911: Upper Rader Creek Rd 21:11:13 Vehicle Accident (Non-Injury): I-90 MONDAY, APRIL 7 01:50:18 Suspicious...
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...
The April 2nd meeting of Whitehall Indivisible had 17 people present with one new face (welcome!) First up was the big item of the week that stood out in people’s minds: Senator Cory Booker’s 25-hour filibuster, Washington State Rep Pramila Jayapal’s work with resistance and protest, the Signal app chat, law firms caving to Trump’s targeting, proxy voting victory in in the US House of Reps with bipartisan support, more executive orders, massive cuts to Health & Human Services, elimination of due process for legal and possibly illegal (who kn...
