Daines Calls for Boosting Tribal Energy Development
Senator Steve Daines is calling for boosting Tribal energy development and is supporting the Crow Revenue Act which would authorize a land swap to give the tribe greater control over subsurface holdings within its reservation. He’s also for the Crow Tribe Water Settlement Amendments Act which would extend authorization for hydropower development at the Yellowtail Afterbay Dam.
Shannon O’Brien elected as chair of Montana Democratic Party
Shannon O’Brien will be the next executive board chairperson of the Montana Democratic party. The former senator from Missoula and 2024 superintendent of public instruction candidate won election Sunday at the state party’s convention in Livingston.
Missoula judge to hear arguments in climate challenge to Trump energy policies
U.S. District Court Judge Dana Christensen will hear local and national climate change experts Tuesday and Wednesday in Missoula in a federal lawsuit. The case aims to invalidate portions of three executive orders signed by President Donald Trump earlier this year including declaring a national energy emergency to expedite fossil fuel production in his administration’s efforts to unleash fossil fuel energy in the U.S.
No news is bad news as Carbon County flood investigations
Progress into investigations and a lawsuit regarding Stillwater Conservation District’s handling of post-2022 flood repairs has stalled. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General is reportedly investigating the conservation district’s handling of emergency funding awarded for bank stabilization projects but no report has yet been filed. Due to a lack of tourists the region experienced a loss of $95 million in spending resulting in a $128 million impact to the region’s economy according to a study by the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research released in August.
Montana Is 2025’s 50th Worst State for Teachers – WalletHub Study
With World Teachers’ Day around the corner and teachers making an average of $3,728 less per year than they did 16 years ago when adjusted for inflation today WalletHub today released its report on 2025’s Best and Worst States for Teachers. The personal finance website ranked Montana 50th in the nation across 24 key metrics ranging from teachers’ income growth potential to the pupil-teacher ratio to public-school spending per student.
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Federal disaster assistance is available to the Crow Tribe of Montana to supplement recovery efforts in the areas affected by severe storms straight-line winds and flooding this past May. Additional designations may be made by FEMA at a later date if requested by the Tribal Nation and warranted by the results of further assessments.
The Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport set a new record this August when 345,533 passengers passed through a 9.9”% increase over last August. Airport officials are estimating passenger counts this month will be 106% to 109% of September 2024’s record numbers. It is one of the fastest growing airports in the country.
Glendive City Court officially closed last week after Judge Kerry Burman and her clerk Mary Alice York issued a public resignation during the meeting of the Glendive City Council before walking out. It happened four months before both were going to be done due to an effort by Mayor Deb Dion over the past year and a half to consolidate the court with the Dawson County Justice of the Peace.
A new mural in downtown Bozeman has transformed the office building at 24 South Wilson Avenue showcasing the local landscape including references to the landscape of the Gallatin Valley region. The theme of the mural is wellness. The Downtown Bozeman Partnership provided a grant to fund the project. Bozeman Health joined as a collaborator reinforcing the wellness message and acknowledging its history of operating their old hospital nearby.
The most competitive candidates running for Billings mayor and city council are raking in cash to fuel the final push before ballots go out next month. Campaign finance reports show some have big bucks backing their bid before the election November 4th while others have yet to spend a dime.
