Senator Steve Daines posts Q1 fundraising numbers to run for reelection
Senator Steve Daines has raised $1.2 million in the first quarter of this year and now has $2.4 million in cash on hand. He is expected to formally announce his run for re-election in the next few months. The seat is projected as a solid Republican seat. In the last election President Donald Trump won Montana by 20 points. Currently there is no front runner for the Democrats in the State of Montana.
President Trump’ Supports Colstrip
The Environmental Protection Agency has announced Colstrip and other coal fired power plants are no longer required to comply with the stringent Biden-era Mercury and Air Toxics Standards rule. Colstrip is one of nearly 50 plants identified by the EPA that qualify for the two-year exemption under a proclamation signed by President Trump April 8th. During that time the identified plants are subject to a less stringent version of MATS.
NorthWestern Energy Proposes Rate Increases for Electric and Natural Gas Customers in Montana Following Settlement Agreements
Today NorthWestern Energy announced settlement agreements for its electric and natural gas rate reviews in Montana. If PSC approved, typical residential natural gas customers would see a $4.74 monthly increase, while electric customers might face a $4.63 rise. The agreements could raise annual natural gas revenues by $18 million and electric revenues by $66.4 million. A public hearing by the Montana Public Service Commission is set to begin on April 22, to review these proposals.
Two more influenza deaths reported in Montana bringing seasonal total to 62
Two more deaths from influenza have been reported in Montana bringing the seasonal count to 62. According to the latest data posted by the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services they recorded during the week ending April 5th. This is the highest death count from influenza reported in the past seven seasons.
Amid spending concerns budget advances
Montana’s budget bill House Bill 2 is headed to the full Senate and will likely be on the floor Thursday. A debate over spending is taking place alongside a discussion about how the state can keep paying for its needs and whether legislators can keep adequate oversight and control over state dollars. Today marks day 75 of the 69th Legislative session with 90 days allotted to complete its work.
School lunch aid bill advances in Montana legislature
Montana lawmakers are showing bipartisan support for a $600,000 plan to eliminate copayments for parents whose students qualify for reduced-price lunches. The proposal has cleared the House of Representatives with nearly two thirds of members voting in favor. Schools would have to opt-in to be reimbursed by the state education department for the cost of meals provided to students on the expanded free-lunch plan.
A food bank serving eastern Montana’s Tribal communities braces for cuts
After the U.S. Department of Agriculture cut $500 million dollars from a nationwide emergency food assistance program one of the organizations hit is The Center Pole Food Bank that serves the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Tribes. With only a few small grocery stores and gas stations located across the large portion of southeast Montana the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations were already considered food deserts.
ACLU of Montana files suit for after MSU grad students’ visas revoked
The ACLU of Montana filed a federal lawsuit Monday on behalf of two Montana State University graduate students whose F-1 student visas were revoked by the Trump Administration without notice. It includes a request for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction asks the court to reinstate the students’ legal status allowing them to continue their studies and avoid detention or deportation.
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A hotel proposed for the “North Central” development in downtown Bozeman is out for public notice. The Hotel Bozeman project site is a one-acre site that was formerly the home of the original Bozeman Deaconess hospital building and the Mountain View Care Center. Pending approval by the city construction would start in May and it would open in spring 2027.
A Whitehall childcare center could close at the end of the school year due to financial concerns. Its Head Start program is run by the Helena nonprofit Rocky Mountain Development Council which also operates early child care centers in Helena East Helena and Townsend.
Legislation aimed at making schools and other buildings safer during emergency events like active shooters passed through the Senate Monday. House Bill 651 creates an exemption in state fire code for temporary door locks in public buildings. It needs one more procedural vote by the Senate to reach the Governor’s desk.
The Montana 250th Commission is inviting all Montanans to celebrate upcoming anniversaries to two events in American history. On April 18th 1775 Paul Revere began his ride warning colonists British Regular troops were approaching. April 19th will mark the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord where the shot heard round the world sparked what would become the American Revolution.
