Outdoor advocates have declared state marijuana tax revenues to be a priority for this Legislative session. The funding mechanism lawmakers established in 2021 prioritized outdoor recreation and public lands gut the Gianforte administration will be proposing a reduction in some of the accounts in order to fund water projects at the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
Neptune Aviation currently has three of its nine aircraft based in Missoula operating in Los Angeles County California fighting fires under contract to the federal government in case of emergencies. The planes have been active in the region since the start of the 2024 fire season. According to AccuWeather the estimated damage and economic loss from the wildfires have exceeded $50 billion.
The Yellowstone Generating Station south of Laurel is under renewed scrutiny following a recent Montana Supreme Court ruling saying the Department of Environmental Quality’s initial analysis of the methane power plant’s potential climate impacts were inadequate. The DEQ is now required to take a closer look at the greenhouse gas emissions and lighting affects from the facility.
Montana Republican Senate President Matt Regier tried to gain control of the GOP majority Thursday after negotiations with a small group of his own party over committee assignments fell through but couldn’t. A little after 6 in the evening nine Republican lawmakers who voted with Democrats Monday to approve committee assignments the minority party had set up in a surprise procedural move did so again throwing control of the chamber and leadership of his caucus into question just days after gaveling it in for a 90-day session.
According to the Montana Department of Transportation 191 people died on Montana’s highways last year with reports showing that impaired driving behaviors contributed to 108 of those deaths. A new bill known as Bobby’s Law going before lawmakers this year hopes to lower those numbers. It proposes that anyone who kills someone while driving drunk with a blood alcohol level of .16 would be charged with aggravated vehicular homicide while under the influence.
Cannons fired throughout the day Thursday at Fort Harrison as the Montana Army National Guard honored the life and legacy of former President Jimmy Carter. The flag at Fort Harrison flew at half-mast during the National Day of Mourning following his death at the age of 100 last December 29th.
The Montana Department of Justice is accepting applications to fill three positions on the Tow Truck Complaint Resolution Committee. The available roles include a representative from the tow truck industry in Western Montana one from the general public and an insurance industry representative. The six-member committee reviews and resolves complaints related to tow truck operations.
A plan for a 262-mile trail between Butte and the Idaho line recently gained federal funding that could move the proposed project to completion. Powell County will receive $6.3 million in a federal RAISE grant for the proposed Parks to Passes trail. It would travel through Butte-Silver Bow County Anaconda-Deer Lodge County and the counties of Powell Granite Missoula and Mineral.
Wells Fargo has awarded a $300,000 grant to increase homeownership opportunities for Native Americans in Montana. Its focus is on mortgage lending infrastructure and housing development education and counseling and advocacy and policy. The funding aims to reduce barriers for Native American families in the homebuying process.
Montana State University’s Renne Library is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year. The building that houses the MSU Library sees more than 20,000 visits in a typical week making it one of the university’s most used buildings. A number of events will observe the milestone marking three-quarters of a century of helping Montana State students succeed.
