As Montana’s 2026 primary election season heats up, internal divisions within the Republican Party are drawing increased attention—prompting Greg Gianforte to call for unity and active voter participation. Click on the graphic above to hear the podcast During a recent appearance on Voices of Montana, Gianforte addressed concerns about a tense ...
AI’s Rapid Rise Brings Opportunity—and Uncertainty As artificial intelligence continues to advance at a rapid pace, questions about its long-term impact on jobs, energy, and public policy are taking center stage. That was the focus of a recent Voices of Montana conversation, where host Tom Schultz spoke with Kevin Frazier, director of the AI I...
As the 150th anniversary of the Battle of the Little Bighorn approaches, tribes from across the Northern Plains, and the National Park Service, are preparing for a large gathering of nations and visitors. The NPS launches it’s 3-day commemoration beginning June 25, but tribal participants are planning for much more. For members of the No...
Focus on meat processing and rural business growth A regional official with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) says new federal loan programs and regulatory reforms could help expand small meat-processing operations across Montana. Justin Everett, who oversees SBA operations in the Rocky Mountain region, recently visited several Mont...
Firefighters are responding to two separate wildfires burning on the Custer Gallatin National Forest in south‑central Montana, one prompting evacuations near Red Lodge and another smoldering in remote terrain south of Big Timber. The East Side Fire, (top photo, morning of April 21), burning along East Side Road south of Red Lodge on the Bearto...
By Tom Schultz, Voices of Montana MONTANA – April is Child Abuse Prevention Month, and advocates across Montana are emphasizing both prevention and recovery efforts for children and families impacted by abuse. On Voices of Montana, host Tom Schultz opened a three-part discussion by noting the lasting impact of child abuse and the import...
By Tom Schultz, Voices of Montana HELENA, Mont. – The Montana Supreme Court has sided with a lower court in continuing to block enforcement of a 2023 Montana law defining sex as strictly male or female for purposes of state records. In a 5–2 decision released April 14, the court upheld a preliminary injunction against Senate Bill 458, al...
Stockman Bank was recently named to the Forbes list of the world’s best banks for 2026, marking the fifth consecutive year the 73-year-old Montana institution has appeared in the rankings. Among U.S. institutions, just 72 banks were included in the rankings this year. Stockman Bank is the only bank headquartered in Montana to make the list. CE...
By Tom Schultz A growing policy debate in Montana centers on a fundamental question of governance: should the state’s Public Service Commission remain elected by voters, or transition to an appointed regulatory body? The discussion is expected to surface during the 2027 legislative session, where lawmakers are considering a proposal that would...
Supreme Court Decisions Spotlight Free Speech and Birthright Citizenship Two high‑profile U.S. Supreme Court cases were on the Voices of Montana docket as host Tom Schultz was joined by Derek Oestreicher, Chief Legal Counsel and Director of Government Affairs for the Montana Family Foundation. Together, they unpacked the implications of a majo...
