With ‘REAL ID’ a month away airport officials urge travelers to act
Airline travelers will be required to use a “REAL ID” starting May 7th two decades after Congress first passed legislation requiring a higher level of identification for airline passengers. People can also use passports passport cards active duty military credentials a trusted traveler global entry card or a tribal ID.
Trump nominee for public lands post withdraws after her criticism of Jan. 6 attack surfaces
Kathleen Sgamma (ss-gama), President Trump’s nominee to oversee the Bureau of Land Management that manages a quarter-billion acres of public land which includes Montana, withdrew her nomination ahead of a planned confirmation hearing today. Her decision follows revelations of her criticism of Trump in 2021, accusing him of inciting the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Montana’s Senate Bill 136 Fails to Ban Lethal Drug Prescriptions for Terminally Ill Patients in Key Legislative Vote.
Senate Bill 136, which sought to ban lethal drug prescriptions for dying patients in Montana, failed Wednesday in a bipartisan 42-57 vote. This marks the furthest any medical aid-in-dying efforts have advanced in over a decade. A 2009 Supreme Court ruling left the practice legally ambiguous, unlike in nearly ten other states where it’s affirmed as a right.
Montana Ranked Best State for Startups
Topping a list compiled by Entrepreneur Media and Booking dot com Montana has officially been named the best state in the nation for launching a new business. Montana is home to over 4,800 startups earning a startup opportunity score of 9.55 the highest in the country. Montana scored highest among all 50 states in key metrics including the number of startups startup density per capita and long-term business survival rate.
Montana Senate adopts rules on 69th day of Legislature
The Montana Senate has adopted permanent rules for the chamber more than three months after gaveling in to do business. They include removing an Executive Review Committee changing several procedural deadlines for the chamber and giving the minority leader approval over minority appointments to committees. They require the Senate president to receive approval from the minority leader on the composition of conference committees.
Montana schools on tribal lands retain federal funding
According to the Montana Office of Public Instruction federal funding for Montana schools on tribal lands are not at risk despite President Donald Trump’s Executive Order aimed at dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. Impact Aid Funding is federal money determined by Congress to support schools near federal lands including indigenous reservations and national parks. Around 12 percent of the state’s education funding comes from federal sources.
Interior Department staff including those at national parks, offered buyouts and early retirement
Employees across the Department of the Interior had until the end of Wednesday to respond to the latest offer to take buyouts or early retirement as the Trump administration continues its efforts to reduce the federal workforce. Agencies in Montana include the Bureau of Land Management the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Geological Survey.
Federal state legislation causes uncertainty on campus
Federal officials have continued to remove diversity equity and inclusion initiatives and programs from universities including the University of Montana. State House Bill 121 which prior to being temporarily blocked by a judge banned all-gender bathrooms in Montana buildings that receive state funding. The bill also introduced the ability to sue if someone believes a person is using the incorrect bathroom.
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The U.S. Small Business Administration is urging eligible small businesses and private nonprofit organizations in Montana to apply for federal disaster loans by May 9th. They are designed to address economic losses caused by the drought that began last July 16th. The funds can be used for various financial obligations that went unmet due to the drought.
Attorney General Austin Knudsen has been joined by 16 other attorneys general 38 organizations and companies along with Governor Greg Gianforte asking the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a Montana Supreme Court decision that allows minors to have abortions without needing their parents approval. Five amicus briefs have been filed in support of Knudsen’s petition.
Montana’s longest-serving district judge has ceded oversight of the state’s first-ever treatment court. Missoula District Judge John Larson established the court in 1996 a model that has since been duplicated in dozens of courthouses across the state. Treatment courts can offer defendants an alternative to jail or prison time.
Some of the state’s top Army National Guard soldiers gathered this week at Fort Harrison in Helena to test their mettle and hopefully be named Montana’s Best Warrior. The annual competition will crown a “soldier of the year” for junior enlisted competitors and “NCO of the Year” for senior enlisted competitors. There are 12 soldiers in competition this year. Winners will go on to compete in the regional event and possibly the national event.
