Lawmakers consider new financial options for childcare programs State lawmakers are considering new financial options for childcare programs including House Bill 945 which would establish a new grant program for daycare businesses. According to the sponsor Senator Katie Sullivan the goal of the program is to expand capacity reduce wait lists a...
Job market in Mountain West and Pacific regions sees decline According to the latest data from payroll company ADP the American job market showed mixed results in March. The Mountain West region which includes Montana and Idaho witnessed a loss of 12,000 jobs and in the Pacific region which encompasses Washington 29,000 jobs were lost. Overall...
Montana Judge Temporarily Blocks House Bill 121, Restricting Transgender Access to Public Facilities Today Montana District Judge Shane Vannatta has temporarily blocked House Bill 121, which restricts transgender individuals’ access to public bathrooms, locker rooms, and sleeping areas that don’t match their sex at birth. Governor Greg G...
Yellowstone’s Distinct Bison Herds Have Merged Into A Single Entity After Decades Of Wandering the Park For the first time in over a hundred years Yellowstone’s bison herds have merged into a single genetically unified population. Tissue samples analyzed from 282 animals found significant genetic overlap confirming that the two herds have inte...
USDA cancels fresh food program at Montana food banks and nationwide The U.S. Department of Agriculture has permanently cut Commodity Credit Corporation funding which paid for fresh food for the Montana Food Bank Network and food banks across the country. Around 330,000 pounds of chicken eggs fruit milk and other foods were canceled which woul...
Mountain West region top lists for residential construction employment According to an analysis from the National Association of Home Builders construction industry employment reached a record high 11.4 million people in 2023 and an estimated 4.7 million of those workers were in residential construction. Three states in the Mountain Division w...
Governor Gianforte Safeguards Protections for Montana Women and Girls Governor Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 121 into law, preserving the legal definition of women as distinct from men and safeguarding single-sex spaces like domestic violence shelters, locker rooms, correctional facilities, and sleeping quarters. He also signed House Bill 3...
Attorney General Knudsen: Fentanyl seizures decrease felony arrests drug seizures increase in 2024 Law enforcement in Montana continues to dismantle and disrupt drug trafficking organizations. Attorney General Austin Knudsen has announced authorities seized less fentanyl and made more drug-related felony arrests including Mexican drug cartel m...
Montana influenza death count at highest in past 7 flu seasons According to the latest data from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services influenza deaths in Montana have climbed to the highest number in the past seven seasons. New data shows 48 people have died of influenza during this flu season in Montana surpassing last y...
Funds for Airports The Montana Aeronautics Board has allocated more than $3.2 million in funding for fiscal year 2026 designated for a range of airport infrastructure enhancement initiatives. A portion of the annual grants and loans is intended to match Federal Aviation Administration funding for substantial airport construction projects. Requ...
