Legislation that would have required the state health department to check a significantly broader network of data when qualifying people for public assistance programs was voted down Monday evening. Senate Bill 100 would have also ended continuous eligibility for Medicaid expansion in the state. A fiscal note for the most recent version of the...
Local Montana Wineries See Potential For Growth Across The State
A new study by security.org shows Montana has the 15th highest rate of homelessness in America. Using data released in March from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the study on the State of Homelessness saw a substantial 13% annual increase in the homeless population in Montana — the fourth largest increase in the nation....
Colstrip Plant Contract Bill Passes House
Legislators voted Monday to empower the attorney general to force Colstrip Power Plant’s six owners to make power plant repairs that the state deems essential after the state House voted for Senate Bill 266 to nullify portions of the private business agreement governing the generator. Not making the repairs dictated by state government ...
CDC Urges States To Stop Administering Johnson & Johnson Vaccine
Federal health agencies called for an immediate pause of the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine this morning after six people in the United States developed a rare disorder involving blood clots within about two weeks of getting the vaccine. The Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will stop us...
Harlowton Railyard To Begin Massive Cleanup
Work is set to begin next week on the cleanup of the Harlowton railyard in central Montana that’s contaminated with asbestos and petroleum. It is in attempt to revitalize a 180-acre site in the town that lost its largest employer after the last train passed through more than 40 years ago. The work is being paid for through grant money an...
Yellowstone National Park Ready To Re-Open Roads
The Senate Finance and Claims Committee advanced the state Legislature’s plan to spend up to $2.1 billion in federal money coming to the state for pandemic relief Monday. The funding is part of the state’s portion of the American Rescue Plan Act passed by Congress in March. House Bill 632 also contains more than $81 million that wi...
Lewistown
Whitney Brady & Kim Miller – Support Our Hometown Heroes – Lewistown, MT Helping to show the community’s appreciation for hospital and school employees through different acts of service, such as support signs, delivering food and coffee to school and hospital employees, and community members in need. Bridget Demal...
Montana Small Businesses Earn Mixed Rankings For COVID Responses
With states gradually reopening but around 100,000 businesses having closed permanently during 2020, Wallet Hub today released its report on the states with the most pandemic-proof small businesses. Montana ranks 49th across 11 key metrics. Montana ranks 25th in small business friendliness, however, and 22nd in states whose weekly unemployment...
House Bill 602 Raises Concerns Over Solving Cold Cases
A bill that would require investigators to obtain a warrant to search consumers’ DNA databases like 23 and Me or Ancestry.com is drawing criticism from law enforcement representatives who say it would make it hard to solve cold cases. Austin Amestoy from the University of Montana Legislative News Service reports that Republican Represent...
MSU Billings To Host COVID-19 Vaccination Clinics
A legislative inquiry into the state court administrator’s emails which recent revelations have shown to contain judges’ polls on pending legislation and were deleted from the administrator’s account has been dealt a blow by the Montana Supreme Court. The high court said a subpoena was too broad. Montana State University Billings is hosting CO...