Montana has crossed 50 percent of eligible residents vaccinated with over 456,726 Montanans now considered fully vaccinated. According to the Department of Public Health and Human Service website there have been 122,964 cumulative cases of COVID in Montana. The cumulative number of recoveries as of Monday was 117,420. You can visit the website...
Mask Debate In Public Schools Heats Up As School Year Begins
Following a last-minute reversal by School District 2 Superintendent Greg Upham to require students, teachers and staff to wear masks in school, a crowd of about 200 people gathered in Pioneer Park in Billings yesterday to express their disapproval of this decision and to pressure the district into revisiting the issue. Options mentioned at th...
Governor Gianforte To Visit Montana Fair To Promote Trade Education
Investing in trades education and empowering workers with in-demand skills is a signature element of Governor Greg Gianforte’s Montana Comeback plan. The Montana Trades Education Credit provides $1 mill per year in 50-percent credits to businesses for their employees to learn a trade. At 3 p.m. this afternoon, Gianforte will kick of the ...
Governor Gianforte To Cut Ribbon At Calumet Montana Refining
This morning at 10:15 Governor Greg Gianforte will join Calumet Montana Refining at a formal ribbon cutting ceremony in Great Falls to celebrate the first railcar of seed oil feedstock. Monday, during a Voices of Montana program from Big Sky where Montana played host to the annual Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER) Summit, Dave Galt, wh...
Planned Parenthood of Montana Suing Over New Abortion Laws
Four laws passed earlier this year that restrict access to abortions in the state are set to take effect October 1st but Planned Parenthood of Montana is suing to halt their implementation. The lawsuit claims the four bills violate Montana’s constitutional privacy equal protection and free speech provisions. The laws passed this year by ...
Governor Gianforte Sticking With COVID-19 Management Despite Case Surge
With COVID-19 cases rising in Montana and the start of the school year approaching, Governor Greg Gianforte recently reiterated his message to Montanans about the importance of getting vaccinated. He said recently that the uptick in cases is concerning and while he still recommends that everyone check with their doctors and consider getting th...
Governor Gianforte & Superintendent Arntzen Advise Schools To Ease Mask Requirements In Letter
In a recent letter to district school superintendents and trustees, Governor Greg Gianforte and Superintendent of Public Instruction Elsie Arntzen wrote, as the school year approaches, it is critical our kids get back into the classroom in as normal a setting as possible. While the Montana Constitution allows elected boards of trustees in each...
Remaining ARPA Funds For Montana May Go Towards Developing Affordable Housing
The Economic Transformation Stabilization and Workforce Development Advisory Commission has recommended putting $15 million from the American Rescue Plan Act toward existing affordable housing projects around Montana that are struggling to deal with cost increases tied to worker shortages supply chain disruptions and price increases in materia...
Emergency Grazing Extension Open To Public Comment
A proposal to temporarily expand haying and grazing in 14 wildlife management areas is up for public review as Montana seeks to ease the toll of drought on farmers and ranchers and if it’s approved Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks will open portions of them across the state to emergency grazing and haying. Farmers and ranchers with new leases w...
Governor Workforce Bonus Getting Distributed At Low Numbers
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...