‘Montana’s photo voter ID bill heads to Governor’s desk’
Photo voter identification is headed to the Governor’s desk. Senate Bill 276 enacts photo ID voting in Montana and elevates several forms of identification providing Montana voters with a wide variety of photo ID options when voting. The bill also elevates tribal photo identification cards for Montana’s Native American voters.
Montana state budget heads to governor’s desk for approval
The Montana Legislature has passed the state budget moving it forward to the governor for approval. House Bill 2’s spending amounts to more than $8.1 billion for 2026 and $8.4 billion for 2027 with about $2.5 billion for both years coming from the general fund. It passed the House 67 to 33 after being returned from the Senate where more than 20 amendments were proposed with four passing.
Early Literacy Study
The Montana House has advanced legislation to the Senate for debate. If passed HJ63 will create a study of early literacy rates in Montana’s children a move proponents say will help address low rates of reading proficiency in young kids. That will inform the next Legislature about whether early literacy intervention programs created in 2023 and 2025 are working.
Arts grants head to governor with cuts
Lawmakers have sent a bill funding arts grants to Governor Greg Gianforte without restoring awards that were cut. House Bill 9 is a routine funding measure that routes investment earnings from the state’s coal trust to grants that support cultural and aesthetic projects. The bill would have allocated money to 75 organizations however 17 grants were struck from the final proposal.
Montana PBS faces possibility of federal funding cuts
Montana PBS has been providing news public affairs education and production across the Treasure State for years but the television network is on the verge of having their federal funding cut by the Trump administration. If Montana PBS lost its federal funds about $1.7 million would be erased nearly 20% of the television network’s overall budget. That could impact some of Montana PBS’s local programs and their ability to fund national PBS programs.
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Montana has made history as the first state in the U.S. to legally protect its citizens’ right to access and use computational tools and artificial intelligence technologies. Governor Greg Gianforte has signed Senate Bill 212 officially known as the Montana Right to Compute Act into law. It has already inspired similar efforts in New Hampshire where lawmakers are pushing a constitutional amendment guaranteeing access to computation.
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks staff in cooperation with Montana State University have begun the second year of tagging trout in the Big Hole Beaverhead Ruby and Madison rivers. The tagging is part of ongoing research aimed at understanding trout declines and fish health concerns in rivers in the upper Missouri River Basin. Each tag has a unique number and will be attached to the fish near the dorsal fin.
Around two-thirds of U.S. senators now support the SAFER Banking Act. The measure would allow marijuana businesses nationwide to access traditional banking services. 66 senators are in favor of the legislation. That includes Senator Steve Daines who co-sponsored the legislation.
Governor Greg Gianforte signed the third income tax reduction bill of his administration into law Monday. House Bill 337 lowers Montana’s top tax rate by .5% over two years expands the eligibility threshold for filers to pay the state’s lower tax rate and doubles the Earned Income Tax Credit.
All adults 65 years and older are eligible for a second dose of COVID-19 vaccine six months after their previous dose. In May RiverStone Health in Billings will be offering a series of walk-in clinics at senior meal sites where people can receive a COVID-19 booster in the same visit as lunchtime meal.
