Montana-Statewide

Feb202025

NWE Plans New Transmission Line to Meet Growth Needs

Evelyn PyburnMontana-Statewide • Top Stories • Yellowstone County

NorthWestern Energy has announced plans to build an additional 230 kV transmission line that will serve customers in Yellowstone County and the region that will provide “critical” additional electric transmission capacity.

The 21-mile long line – expected to cost between $25 million and $30 million – will run from NorthWestern Energy’s existing Shorey Road substation and head northwest, ending at NorthWestern Energy’s existing Broadview substation. The project includes upgrades to the Broadview Substation and Shorey Road Substation, both north of the Billings Area with construction anticipated in read more

Court Strikes Down Beneficial Ownership Reporting Requirements

After months of being pelted with reminders that they must comply with reporting requirements of the Corporate Transparency Act and provide beneficial ownership information, businesses received an early holiday gift, as a Texas court has acted to block the Congressional … read more

December 13, 2024 Evelyn PyburnMontana-Statewide • Top StoriesBusiness Beneficial ownership Reporting • Corporate Transparency Act • Department of Treasury • Erica Hanichak

MT Republicans Elect Next Leadership, Yellowstone County Dominates Senate Leadership

Montana House and Senate Republicans have elected their leadership for the 69th Legislative Session with Senator Matt Regier of Kalispell to serve as the next President of the Senate and Representative Brandon Ler of Savage to serve as the Speaker … read more

November 22, 2024 Andrew BolerjackMontana-Statewide • Politics • Top Stories • Yellowstone CountyBarry Usher • Braxton Mitchell • Daniel Zolnikov • Montana State Senate • Rep. Jedediah Hinkle • Rep. Katie Zolnikov • Rep. Marta Bertoglio • Rep. Steve Fitzpatrick • Rep. Steve Gist • Senator Ken Bogner • Senator Matt Regier • Senator Tom McGillvray • Senators Dennis Lenz • Sue Vinton • Yellowstone County • Yellowstone County Republicans

Sheehy Dethrones Tester, Republicans Sweep Statewide

Among record Montana voter turnout, Montanans made themselves heard Tuesday night. Republican candidates swept the statewide races for Governor, U.S. Senate, and both U.S. House districts. The Gubernatorial race was the first to be called, with the Associated Press announcing … read more

November 8, 2024 Evan HoodMontana-Statewide • Politics • Top Stories • Yellowstone CountyGreg Gianforte • Jon Tester • Montana Elections • Montana Republicans • Tim Sheehy • Troy Downing

Democrat Staffer Seen Tampering with Montana Ballot Box

This past Sunday, October 20, a man was caught on video tampering with an Official Mail Ballot Drop Box in Glacier County, MT. The surveillance camera footage can be found online at https://www.foxnews.com/politics/video-dem-aligned-individual-montana-ballot-box-sparks-tampering-concern-from-election-administrator The video appears to show the individual … read more

November 1, 2024 Evan HoodMontana-Statewide • PoliticsCrystal Cole • Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee • Fox News • Jon Tester • Laszlo Gendler

Sheehy Still on Top, National Results a Toss-Up

This past Saturday, October 26, Emerson College released one last poll on the Montana U.S. Senate race before election day. Coming in amidst a national upward trend in early voting, the poll showed Sheehy with a 50-46 advantage over Tester. … read more

November 1, 2024 Evan HoodMontana-Statewide • PoliticsJon Tester • Montana Elections • Montana Polls • Montana US Senate Race • Tim Sheehy

Shorter School Weeks May Not be Beneficial

A new report from researchers at the University of Montana shows shorter school weeks may hurt student performance and school budgets, according to a report from Montana Public Radio. While a growing number of schools in Montana have switched to … read more

November 1, 2024 StaffLocal • Montana-Statewide • Top Stories • Yellowstone CountyMontana Public Radio • University of Montana

Fifty-Three Candidates for MT Legislature Sign Term Limit Pledge

Recently, 53 candidates for Montana’s state legislature signed pledges to support term limits if elected. Of those candidates, 11 are running for seats in Yellowstone County, all of whom are Republicans. On the State House side, Gary Parry (HD35), Larry … read more

October 17, 2024 Evan HoodMontana-Statewide • Politics • Yellowstone CountyCurtis Schomer • Gary Parry • Gayle Lammers • Jodee Etchart • Kassidy Olson • Larry Brewster • Mike Yakawich • Montana State Legislature • Nelly Nicol • Sherry Essman • Stephanie Moncada • Term Limits • Vince Ricci

New Polling, Same Bad News for Tester

Last week, the New York Times and Siena College released a poll conducted among 656 likely Montana voters. The results are in line with other recent polling, showing Republican Tim Sheehy with a 7-point lead over Democrat Jon Tester. The … read more

October 17, 2024 Evan HoodMontana-Statewide • PoliticsDonald Trump • Greg Gianforte • Jon Tester • Kamala Harris • Polling • Ryan Busse • Tim Sheehy

Tester Spent $60K at High-End French Restaurant in D.C.

This past week, Jon Tester’s campaign released their third-quarter finance data to the FEC. According to this data, Jon Tester’s campaign spent $60,549.34 at the Bistro Cacao in Washington D.C., dining their 69 times since January of last year. This … read more

October 16, 2024 Evan HoodMontana-Statewide • PoliticsCampaign Finance • FEC • Jon Tester • Tim Sheehy

Get to Know Your Candidates: The Green Party’s Robert Barb

The upcoming U.S. Senate election here in Montana is not just a duel between Democrat Jon Tester and Republican Tim Sheehy, but also features multiple third-party candidates, including the Green Party’s Robert Barb. Part of being an educated voter is … read more

October 11, 2024 Evan HoodMontana-Statewide • PoliticsGreen Party • Jon Tester • Robert Barb • U.S. Senate Election

Please do your research before voting

Dear Editor, Please do your research before voting on the three, pathetic constitutional initiatives on Montana’s 2024 ballot (CI-126, CI-127, CI-128). Earlier this year, the petitioners who gathered signatures to get the initiatives on November’s ballot used fraudulent and deceptive … read more

October 4, 2024 Guest submissionMontana-Statewide • Letters to the EditorCam Browne • CI-126 • CI-127 • CI-128 • Montana Elections

Self-Proclaimed ‘Pro-Gun’ Jon Tester Gets an F from the NRA

As the U.S. Senate race in Montana heats up, both candidates are placing as many last-minute ads as they can. A prominent issue in several of these ads is federal firearms regulation. Jon Tester’s campaign recently placed billboard advertisements that, … read more

October 4, 2024 Evan HoodMontana-Statewide • PoliticsAaron Flint • Jon Tester • NRA • Second Amendment • Tim Sheehy

U.S. Senate Debate: Sheehy Dominates a Docile Dog Fight

On Monday, September 30, Senator Jon Tester and Republican candidate Tim Sheehy debated in an event hosted by Montana PBS and the University of Montana. Before the debate, Tim Sheehy and conservative activist Charlie Kirk held a “Save the Big … read more

October 3, 2024 Evan HoodMontana-Statewide • PoliticsCharlie Kirk • Debate • Jon Tester • Montana PBS • Tim Sheehy • University of Montana

John Thune Coming to MT

Later this month, Senator John Thune will make his way to the Last Best State. Specific dates and locations have not yet been announced, but he will be appearing at events in support of Tim Sheehy in his race against … read more

October 2, 2024 Evan HoodMontana-Statewide • PoliticsJohn Thune • Jon Tester • Tim Sheehy

State of the Race: Montana U.S. Senate Election Outlook

With less than five weeks until election day, here is a quick overview of the state of the Montana U.S. Senate election mainly between Democrat Jon Tester and Republican Tim Sheehy. read more

October 1, 2024 Evan HoodMontana-Statewide • PoliticsJon Tester • Montana Democratic Party • Robert Barb • Sid Daoud • Tim Sheehy • US Senate Race

Meanderings: The Importance of this Senate race, Our decision to Endorse Sheehy

Well, Folks, as many of you saw on the front page of our newspaper this week, we have made the choice to endorse Montana U.S. Senate Candidate Tim Sheehy over MT Senator Jon Tester. This decision was not taken lightly … read more

September 27, 2024 Jonathan McNivenMontana-Statewide • Politics • Yellowstone County • MeanderingsJon Tester • McNiven Meanderings • Tim Sheehy • Yellowstone County News

Yellowstone County News Endorses Tim Sheehy for U.S. Senate

Given the gravity of the Montana’s U.S. Senate race this election cycle, the YCN editorial board has decided to endorse a candidate for the first time in its history. The YCN editorial board endorses Tim Sheehy for U.S. Senate over … read more

September 27, 2024 StaffMontana-Statewide • Politics • Top Stories • Yellowstone CountyJon Tester • Tim Sheehy • Yellowstone County News

Support MT Coal Rally in Roundup

In May and July of this year, Senator Steve Daines proposed three pieces of legislation aimed to keep Montana mining operations alive, as well as to provide needed revenue for the Crow Tribe. Several local legislators and mayors are planning … read more

September 21, 2024 Evan HoodMontana-Statewide • PoliticsCrow Tribe • Duane Ankney • Frank White Clay • Gary Perry • Greg Oblander • Roundup • Sandra Jones • Signal Peak Energy • Steve Daines

Tester Breaks with Moderates on Senate Filibuster

This past Monday, Vice President Kamala Harris told Wisconsin Public Radio that she supports eliminating the Senate filibuster to pass a codification of Roe v. Wade. If the filibuster were to be eliminated, the Senate would just need a simple … read more

September 20, 2024 Evan HoodMontana-Statewide • PoliticsJoe Manchin • Jon Tester • Kamala Harris • Kyrsten Sinema