Outcry as US agriculture department to cut salaries and relocate staff
In a memorandum issued Thursday agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins said the US Department of Agriculture will undergo major restructuring. According to the memo regional offices will be eliminated or scaled down. How this will affect Montana producers is not clear yet but experts warn it will further weaken support for American farmers. The move will leave only 2,000 of the current 4,600 USDA staff in the Washington DC area.
Governor Gianforte Replaces ACLU Representative on Justice Commission with Alliance Defending Freedom Advocate
Governor Greg Gianforte replaced Henry Seaton, a representative aligned with the ACLU of Montana, on a state criminal justice commission with Jessica Flint of the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), a religious and conservative-leaning organization. Seaton, who was appointed last year, learned he would not be reappointed just days before the next meeting. The change reflects a shift in representation from civil rights advocates to organizations focused on religious freedom and family rights. Both individuals are registered lobbyists for their nonprofits, highlighting ongoing debates over the balance between different advocacy perspectives in state governance.
Senator Steve Daines Introduces Bipartisan Bill to End Pay Discrimination for Workers with Disabilities
U.S. Senator Steve Daines introduced the bipartisan “Transformation to Competitive Integrated Employment Act,” aiming to end pay discrimination for workers with disabilities and transition them into competitive employment. Currently, under the Fair Labor Standards Act, such workers can earn below minimum wage. The bill allocates $300 million for state and local transition efforts over five years, promoting fair wages and workforce inclusion.
$6M In Afterschool Funds Released To Montana By Trump Administration
Montana’s Office of Public Instruction confirmed Thursday the state has received more than $6 million in previously frozen federal funds allocated for after-school programing. The freeze impacted 33 subgrantees with 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant programs which serve over 9,100 students in 76 programming sites across Montana.
State officials push work requirements premiums for Medicaid expansion
Under President Donald Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill” Montana will be required to implement work requirements for those on Medicaid by 2027. State officials plan to apply this fall and are now taking public comment on a draft waiver asking for that approval. The waiver also seeks to re-implement monthly premiums on top of co-payments required under the new federal law. Enrollees would pay 2 percent of their income for the first three years and would go up half a percent each year after that.
Even in a widening deepening drought far fewer acres have burned in Montana so far this fire season
Last year nearly 92,000 acres had burned across the state by July 21st but this year that figure was just under 17,000 acres as of Monday an 80% reduction. Montana’s fire season historically picks up in late July and August though and the anticipated hot weather yet to come could still make this a challenging fire season. Montana’s persistent drought also favors increased fire activity.
Highest-earning county in Montana
The 2023 real median household income in the U.S. was $80,610 an increase of 4.0% from 2022 the first statistically significant annual increase in real median household income since 2019. A list compiled by Stacker using data from the U.S. Census Bureau ranked Gallatin County as the highest-earning county in Montana during that time with a median household income of $87,454 of $6,844 higher than the real median household income in the U.S. in 2023.
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Flathead Electric Cooperative’s Roundup for Safety program recently awarded $10,012 in grant funding to support community safety projects. The money comes from participating Flathead Electric Cooperative members who allow their monthly electric bills to be rounded up to the nearest dollar. The program costs each member about $6 a year and has provided over $5 million in since 1997.
Missoula County officials proposed a roughly 7% tax increase for its fiscal year 2026 budget Thursday a jump from last year’s 4.2% increase in fiscal year 2025. The county’s portion of property taxes would add $36.50 to a home valued at $300,000 and $83.89 to a home valued at $600,000. Much of the 7% tax increase is due to increased compensation for law enforcement and other Missoula County employees.
Beginning one week from today people may apply to the 2025-26 winter lottery for permits to snowmobile in Yellowstone National Park without a commercial guide on recreation dot gov. The Non-Commercially Guided Snowmobile Access Program allows permit holders to enter the park for up to three days with a group of up to five snowmobilers.
This week Representative Ryan Zinke and Senator Tim Sheehy introduced legislation that seeks to charge foreigners more than Americans to visit U.S. national parks that already levy fees such as Yellowstone and Glacier. Under the proposal though Canadians would not be charged extra at Glacier National Park and sites in Washington D.C. would also be exempt.
A new organization called Access Billings is on a mission to enhance accessibility throughout the city’s venues and amenities. This initiative gains momentum as the U.S. commemorates Pride Disability Month marking the historic signing of the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26th 1990. The goal is for Access Billings to inspire similar initiatives in other Montana cities.
