The whole of Susie Hedalen’s life has been about education. This past week’s announcement that she is running as a Republican candidate for the Office of Public Instruction is in keeping with that mission. She is hoping to fill the … read more
by Michael J. Marino Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed 86 of the 89 bills state lawmakers sent for his approval this week, while he vetoed three – House Bills (HB) 33, 693 and 748. read more
by Evelyn Pyburn Democratic Representative Zooey Zephyr, HD100, Missoula, has been barred from the House Floor, Gallery and anteroom, for the duration of the State Legislature for conduct that supported a mob attack on the House Floor last Monday. Action … read more
by Michael J. Marino As Judge Michael Moses announced his retirement from the bench, effective July 1, Governor Greg Gianforte is now seeking public comment regarding four applicants who might be appointed to take his place on the 13th Judicial District … read more
by Rep. Kerri Seekins-Crowe Conservatives vehemently defend the right to life, and we are continuing to fight for that foundational right this 68th session. We have heard several important bills designed to protect unborn children. One bill prevents tax dollars from funding … read more
by Michael J. Marino Montana Governor Greg Gianforte signed four bills into law on Monday, March 13 that will reduce state income tax rates and provide various other rebates for Montana taxpayers. read more
by Michael J. Marino The 68th Montana Legislature is now officially past the halfway mark in the race that is called lawmaking. With a staggering 1,413 bills introduced this year, readers may be wondering what has become of all the … read more
by Michael J. Marino Strong support was heard from both Republicans and Democrats for Senate Bill 397, which would restrict government use of facial recognition technology. read more
by Michael J. Marino Rep. Gary Parry (R-Colstrip) introduced House Bill 454, which would impose a tax on the production of renewable resource electricity in Montana, to the House Taxation Committee on Feb. 17. read more
by Rep Katie Zolnikov and Sen Jason Small It’s no secret that Montana has been facing a housing crisis for some time now. That’s one of our top priorities at the legislature this session. We’ve already heard several bills that … read more
by Evelyn Pyburn The deadline for candidates to file for elections to special district boards in Yellowstone County was February 6. The mail-ballot election date is May 2, which is when school boards also elect new members and mill levies … read more
by Evelyn Pyburn Small business owner, Naarah Hastings, was selected by Yellowstone County Commissioners on Tuesday to represent House District 50 in the Montana Legislature, replacing Mallerie Stromwold (R) who resigned the position a couple of weeks ago. The commissioners … read more
With week two in the books the legislative session is well under way and heating up. We heard several bills under various topics from housing to human trafficking. Another bill would establish a state cemetery for veterans in Columbia Falls. … read more
by Evelyn Pyburn Yellowstone County Commissioners will conduct interviews of candidates, on Monday morning at 10 am, to replace Rep. Mallerie Stromswold (R), Billings. Stromswold resigned her seat in the Montana State Legislature House District 50, just weeks after assuming … read more
Easing Access to Public Defenders by Michael J. Marino Testimony was given Monday, Jan. 9 to the House Judiciary Committee regarding House Bill (HB) 111, which would make it easier for people to get a public defender when involved in … read more
by Evelyn Pyburn On Tuesday, District Court Judge Ashley Harada swore in newly elected and re-elected county officials during a ceremony in the County Commissioners’ office. Republican Mark Morse was sworn in as County Commissioner, the only newly elected county … read more
by Evelyn Pyburn Citizens who spoke to County Commissioners, many of whom were election judges or poll watchers, itemized a number of things they were concerned about when it comes to accurate and secure elections. From the integrity of machines, … read more
by Michael J. Marino After being selected President of the Montana State Senate, Sen. Jason Ellsworth (R-Hamilton) gave a speech in which he said, “We›re going to have an opportunity next session, because we›re going to have a supermajority, to … read more
by Evelyn Pyburn Be careful what you wish for. Many election officials across the state may well identify with that age-old adage following years of frustrations in not having enough volunteers to help with elections, only to find themselves, this … read more
HELENA, Mont. — This week, the State Board of Canvassers convened at the State Capitol to complete the random-sample audit selection for the 2022 General Election. read more
