Author: Brian Bennett

Attorney General Knudsen Continues To Fight TikTok

tiktok-5064078_640

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen is leading a coalition of 22 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief asking the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold the national TikTok divest-or-ban legislation passed by Congress earlier this year. The high court is set to hold oral arguments on it January 10th. Federal judge Donald Molloy has temporarily...

Winter Storm Dropping Snow Increases Avalanche Risk Over Weekend

wintry-2068298_640

A significant winter storm through the weekend could drop a foot or two of snow in the mountains of western Montana delivering deep fresh powder at the height of the holidays but also increasing the risk of large deadly avalanches. Mountain snowfall is predicted to be nearly constant through at least Sunday evening and likely continuing into n...

Wildfire Relief Fund Would Ensure Access to Insurance For Homes

wildfire-1826204_640

A proposed Federal Wildfire Relief Fund would ensure all communities have access to insurance and reliable affordable electricity regardless of the wildfire risks in their region. It would also ensure the federal government aligns with state plans acknowledging that local governments are best equipped to manage wildfire mitigation strategies. ...

Montana Receives School Infrastructure Grade Of “D”

pencil-4862977_640

Montana recently received an infrastructure report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers and the state’s school infrastructure earned a “D” grade. The average age of school facilities in Montana is 53 years old with more than 2/3 of the schools built before 1970. Few facilities have plans on updating and maintaining this infr...

Montana Cannabis Industry Set To Top $1 Billion in Total Sales

marijuana-leaf-5315562_640

Montana’s cannabis industry sales are expected to exceed $1 billion just three years after legalization. Monthly sales average around $25 million indicating the billion-dollar mark will likely be hit early next year. From January to November this year customers spent nearly $300 million on marijuana products bringing the total since legalizati...

Montana Ranks 27th Nationwide In Prisoner Housing Costs

ai-generated-8375874_640

The cost of housing a prisoner varies from state to state due to factors like utility costs and officer salaries. In Montana it costs 64,000 a year. The Treasure State ranks 27th in the nation with an incarceration rate of 758 per 100,000 residents. The statistics for the cost comes from Visual Capitalist while the incarceration rate comes fro...

Gold With Grades Reaching 80.6 Grams Per Ton Found in Montana

bullion-1744773_640

American Pacific Mining Corporation has announced significant assay results from its 2024 field program at the Madison Copper-Gold Project. American Pacific reports gold grades reached as high as 80.6   grams per ton alongside notable copper and silver findings reinforcing the project’s potential. The company is currently in the permitting pro...

Some Counties Set To Provide $50 Million For Affordable Housing

building-157541_640

In 2023 the Montana Legislature approved House Bill 819 investing into a series of measures to address the need for affordable housing.  $50 million will be distributed by counties through “community reinvestment organizations” to buy down up to 30% of the purchase price on a home for eligible families. If a county wants to participate in the ...

Governor Urges Congress To Pass Farm Bill Before Leaving D.C.

farming-8210675_1280

Congress has two weeks to avoid a government shutdown and there is little confidence about the passage of a new farm bill. This week several Republican governors including Montana’s Greg Gianforte wrote a letter to congressional leaders pressing for a new one. The 2018 Farm Bill officially expired in September and progress on the legislation h...

Judge Orders January 20th 2025 Deadline on Grizzly Bear Decision

grizzly-bear-6510170_1280

U.S. District Court Judge Alan Johnson has ordered federal wildlife officials to decide by January 20th whether Yellowstone-area grizzly bears should be delisted from the Endangered Species Act. That could speed up a potential handover of authority to Montana Wyoming and Idaho opening the door for grizzly bear hunting. Eight Montana media orga...