Montana Gas Prices Holding Steady Before Memorial Day Weekend
According to AAA the average price per gallon of regular gasoline in Montana is 3.18 a gallon one cent below the national average. The lowest fuel prices in Montana are in Dawson County with an average price of 2.91 per gallon. The most expensive gas in Montana is in Glacier County at 3.38 a gallon.
Gianforte vetoes bills to bring more government communications into public view
Governor Greg Gianforte has vetoed House Bill 271 meant to scale back a protection recognized by the Montana Supreme Court over some of the governor’s communications with agency heads. He also vetoed Senate Bill 40 which would have made Montana the first state to open judicial deliberations at the Montana Supreme Court to public inspection once the case had fully concluded.
Montana Land Deals Bring $12 Million To Montana Schools
The Montana Board of Land Commissioners approved more than $12 million in new revenue at its regular May meeting going to support public education and other state trust land programs. The handful of projects highlights how Montana’s natural resources can be managed in a way that helps communities protects the land and funds things like classrooms infrastructure and broadband. The Land Board oversees more than five million acres of state trust land.
Montana Awards $677K to Boost Local Food Infrastructure
The Montana Department of Agriculture in collaboration with the USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has awarded $677,670 to ten projects through the Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure Program. This initiative aims to enhance the resilience of the middle segment of the food supply chain and strengthen local and regional food systems across Big Sky Country. These grants are part of a broader $420 million national investment funded by former President Joe Biden’s American Rescue Plan.
USAC Advances All-American Antimony Supply Chain To Counter China’s Export Ban.
As China’s halt on antimony exports squeezes markets United States Antimony Corporation is mobilizing an all-American supply chain anchored in Alaska and Montana to mitigate the mounting risk to U.S. industry and defense. With a fully permitted and operating smelter in Thompson Falls and plans to ship antimony-rich material from a previously mined site near Tok Alaska it is positioned to be a near-term domestic supplier of this metalloid critical to batteries bullets fire retardants semiconductors and other essential products.
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Missoula law enforcement fire departments and EMS personnel are taking part in training this week meant to better prepare them to respond to active shooter and attack situations. Residents may see increased law enforcement activity around Missoula College’s East and West campuses through Friday as they participate in realistic training scenarios that may involve simulated gunfire and emergency vehicles.
The Montana Housing Partnership recently held a conference to address the state’s affordable housing crisis bringing together housing professionals developers and advocates to discuss solutions. Between 2018 and 2023 the median home sales price in Montana increased by about 90% while median household income rose only 28%.
The Board of Public Education has approved changing how Montana public schools assess the academic proficiency of students with special needs. The Office of Public Instruction can now consolidate English math and science proficiency assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities into a single delivery platform.
Governor Greg Gianforte has signed House Bill 207 into law. It reduces the petition requirement for non-presidential independent candidates from 5% of the winner’s vote for that office at the last election to 4%. It still leaves Montana with the nation’s highest percentage petition requirement for non-presidential independents for statewide office.
A bill signed by Governor Greg Gianforte will infuse $6 million into a law enforcement agreement over jurisdiction between the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal government and Lake County which overlaps much of the Flathead Indian Reservation. Senate Bill 393 is intended to smooth out the financial wrinkles as the county and tribal governments work out a stable division of the law enforcement duties.
