In the three months since Governor Greg Gianforte announced he would end expanded unemployment benefits and offer an incentive to encourage Montanans to return, the roll out has been slow thus far. According the state website monitoring the programs progress, only 166 of nearly 4,000 submitted applications had been approved for the $1200 dolla...
Montana Municipalities Beginning To Decide On Marijuana Laws
With Montana’s marijuana market due to open up in five months, Montana towns must now figure out what legal cannabis will look like in their communities. Voters legalized general use cannabis during last year’s elections while this year’s legislature sorted out details during its most recent session, but now determining zoning districts, subje...
Upcoming Hunting Season May Suffer Due To Hot, Dry Summer
Hunting this fall could be largely shaped by the widespread drought hitting the state this summer, from potential access closures to impacts on wildlife fitness and location. While some early hunts start in August, Montana’s hunting season begins in earnest Sept. 4 with the start of the six-week archery season. Most big game herds fared well f...
Canadian Border Now Open Under Restrictions
At the stroke of midnight, the Canadian border was officially re-opened to American citizens and permanent residents for the first time in a year and a half with precautions in place. Along with a valid passport, those attempting to cross the border must be fully vaccinated at least 14 days prior, show a negative, non-antigen COVID-19 test and...
Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program Projects Access Guide Available Soon
The upland game bird season is less than one month away, and hunters will soon be able to refer to the Projects Access Guide, published annually by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program (UGBEP). Beginning Aug. 11, hunters can view and download the new guide and maps online at fwp.mt.gov. Click UGBEP Projects ...
Montana Public School Spending Plan Approved
The U.S. Department of Education has approved Montana’s plan to use federal coronavirus relief funds distributing $127 million to the state’s K-12 schools. The most recent round of funding announced Thursday is the third and last delivering the $382 million allocated to Montana schools through the federal American Rescue Plan. Montana’s Office...
Montana Receives Extended Eviction Moratorium
After the National Eviction Moratorium expired July 31, the Biden administration implemented another one August 3rd for counties with high rates of COVID transmission which covers 90% of Montana counties. Montana has been allocated a total of $352.4 million in federal funds to help with emergency rental assistance and utility payments. People ...
Montana Won’t Have Any Mask Mandates Due To Recent Legislative Session
Montana lawmakers passed laws this year that require health boards to get approval from governing bodies to issue mask mandates and prohibits governments from enacting regulations that force businesses to deny customers service. Now that they don’t have the same power seen earlier in the pandemic to mandate masks Montana counties are try...
Governor Gianforte Believes Work Initiative Yielding Positive Results
In June, Montana became the first state to stop federal unemployment insurance supplemental benefit funding put in place during the pandemic to help people who lost their jobs and replace them with a $1,200 bonus for going back to work. Governor Greg Gianforte says he believes it’s working and has an example. https://northernbroadcasting.com/w...
2020 Census Data T Be Released Next Week
2020 census used for drawing congressional and legislative districts will be released next Thursday. The data will cover geographies as small as neighborhoods and as large as states. The information was supposed to be released at the end of March but was pushed back to August to give bureau statisticians more time to crunch the numbers which c...