During a state Districting and Apportionment Commission meeting Thursday witnesses spoke for nearly five hours and were sharply divided on how to draw political districts. Ideas were debated like whether it made sense to assure state legislative districts were competitive or that wherever possible communities not have to share a politician wit...
Montana Fire Danger Officially Very High
With a large number of small fire starts across western Montana in recent days officials are raising the fire danger to “Very High.” A lot of it is precipitated by the extreme heatwave with very hot temperatures drying out vegetation very quickly. Changes in levels in fire danger are based on analysis of various indices that measur...
Montana Stockgrowers Association Expresses Concern Over BLM Decision
The Bureau of Land Management’s recent approval of the American Prairie Reserve’s request to expand bison grazing has many producers across Montana concerned. Montana Stockgrowers Association Executive President Jay Bodner believes since this decision was based only on an environmental impact study not every factor is being considered. https:/...
Rep. Rosendale Pushing For Emergency Funds To Eastern Counties
Montana currently has 31 counties eligible to receive emergency drought help. On Voices of Montana Wednesday Congressman and ranch owner Matt Rosendale expressed his desire for U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to approve these resources to the state’s eastern counties. https://northernbroadcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/7-08_832....
Montana May Need To Utilize All Available Funds To Fight Fires This Season
At the start of the month Montana entered the new fiscal year with about $104 million in its fire fund and, as Holly Michels of Lee Newspaper’s state news bureau reports, it is filled with money reverted from the state’s general fund and any cash unspent from the governor’s emergency funding pot from the last fiscal year. Gov...
Montana Districting Committee To Meet Today
The ground rules for drawing Montana’s new second congressional district will be settled Friday but not before the public has a final chance to weigh in with several hours of live comments expected this afternoon. Tom Lutey of the Billings Gazette reports there are 161 emails already with advice to Montana’s Districting and Apportionment Commi...
Governor Gianforte Appoints First District Judge
Governor Greg Gianforte announced the first judicial appointment of his administration Wednesday naming David Grubich to the open district court bench in Cascade County. The bench was vacated in April when the Montana Senate rejected Michele Reinhart Levine. Grubich will have to run for election in 2022 to retain his seat. Levine had said ear...
New Democratic Candidate Announces Campaign For Congressional Seat
Data released by the U.S. Census Bureau shows Montana gained enough population to add a second seat in the U.S. House. This week Democrat Monica Tranel said she’s planning to run for the state’s newly created seat. Last week Laurie Bishop said she was running. Two Republicans have also said they’re in the race. They are Ryan Zinke and Al Olsze...
Montana Students Raising Concerns Over New Voting Requirements
Montana now requires more than one form of identification for students who register to vote with a student ID raising concerns student voter turnout will dip. Madison Morgan, a University of Montana student who works for the Montana Public Interest Research Group, lays out a common situation for students and one that would have kept her from r...
Senator Kary Highlights Worden-Ballantine For ARPA Funds
Montana Senator Doug Kary is a member of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 Infrastructure Advisory Committee. He highlights one project in particular that could benefit from the ARPA funds. https://northernbroadcasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/7-07_832.mp3