Daines gets Trump’s endorsement as he readies 2026 Senate reelection bid
As U.S. Senator Steve Daines readies himself for a reelection bid in 2026 he picked up a quick endorsement this week from President Donald Trump. While the Bozeman Republican has not formally announced his reelection campaign filings with the Federal Election Commission show his campaign committee is preparing for 2026. Democrats Reilly Neill and Michael Hummert have filed to run for Daines’ seat next year.
House advances legislative funding for Lake County law enforcement dispute
The Montana Legislature is moving closer to a funding package for the cost of the criminal justice system shared by Lake County and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. A $6 million allocation from the state to help ease the burden of a shared law enforcement arrangement could mark the first time in several years lawmakers have been able to muster some meaningful funding for the cause.
Homestead Exemption Passes Senate Preliminary Vote
House Bill 231 which would raise property taxes for second homes and short-term rentals while lowering taxes and providing abatements for long-term rentals and primary residences will have a final vote in the Senate today. If it passes it will return to the House for deliberation. It is one of a series of property tax bills that are up for debate this week as lawmakers have nine days left in the session.
Bill boosting Montana film tax credit program faces uncertain fate
Senate Bill 326 that would boost Montana’s tax incentive program for film producers passed the House on second reading Tuesday and went to House Appropriations where action was delayed until Wednesday morning in order to draft an amendment that could be agreed on. If both chambers can’t agree on the same version it will go to a conference committee. The bill comes two years after a similar effort to increase film tax credits in 2023 failed.
Survey Looking To Identify Needs In Southwest Montana Communities
The Human Resources Development Council is asking for community input on needs in the southwest Montana region. This is the first time that HRDC will compile a community needs assessment survey to unite action agencies across the state and address issues and opportunities for improvement in Montana. It is open until Monday and allows participants to note their zip code to identify local needs in their communities.
DPHHS Launches $6.5 Million Grant Program to Expand Community-Based Forensic Stabilization Services
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services has Launched a $6.5 Million Grant Program to Expand Community-Based Forensic Stabilization Services in local detention centers. The online portal to submit funding proposals went live Wednesday. All proposals for the one-time only grant program can be submitted via Submittable through May 23rd.
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Lieutenant Governor Kristen Juras will honor 60 Montanans who saved 164 lives through organ donation in 2024 by presenting them with the Governor’s Gift of Life Award Friday morning at 11 in the Great Northern Hotel in Helena is hosted by LifeCenter Northwest and the Governor’s Office of Community Service. The ceremony is held for the donors’ surviving families.
A proposal to continue funding for the Johnson Street Shelter was defeated by the Missoula City Council Wednesday but a final vote will be taken May 5th. The Shelter cost $1.8 million to operate last fall which came from both federal COVID dollars and a one-time emergency levy because of a homelessness crisis announced by past mayor Jordan Hess.
Health officials in Montana have confirmed the state’s first-ever case of the multidrug resistant fungal infection Candida auris this week which is most often found in hospitals and nursing homes. The name and where the individual is has not been revealed and contact tracing is ongoing. There are reportedly only about 4,500 cases per year so officials say this is not an infection that spreads extremely easily.
The Senate approved House Bill 876 Wednesday on a vote of 29 to 21. The Sawmill Revitalization Act sets $6 million aside for loans with interest rates of a maximum 4% to parties with the capacity to revitalize a closed sawmill and return it to commercial operation.
