Montana News & Current Events | Public News Service

New federal rules will govern 245 million acres of public lands in the United States, including in Montana. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, May 6, 2024

New oil and gas mining rules benefit wilderness, rankle companies

The Bureau of Land Management has released a pair of rules that will change how the agency manages 245 million acres of public land. The rules …

Montana classrooms have seen a more than 12% increase in the number of special education students, according to the latest data. (Adobe Stock)

MT disability advocates sue to stop school vouchers

Advocates for the rights of people with disabilities have joined the Montana Quality Education Association in a suit to stop a school voucher bill in …

An estimated 2,700 people identify as transgender in Montana, or about one-third of 1% of the state's population, according to the UCLA Law School. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates ask MT Supreme Court to allow minors gender-affirming care

Advocates for end-of-life care options in Montana have asked the state Supreme Court to uphold an injunction of a bill banning gender-affirming care f…

It's estimated about 3,400 transgender people, age 18 and older, live in Montana, according to the UCLA School of Law. (Adobe Stock)

Civil rights advocates file suit over MT birth certificate mandate

The Montana chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has filed class-action lawsuit challenging a measure barring people from listing a gender on…

Shoppers are feeling the pinch of higher grocery prices in Montana, where food costs rose ninth-most in the nation in 2023. (Adobe Stock)

FTC: Grocers gouging consumers with food prices

Food prices remain high, in Montana and across the country. A new report by the Federal Trade Commission says the country's largest grocery …

Montana has more than 3 million acres of inaccessible public lands, tops in the West, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership. (Adobe Stock)

SB 442 veto override ballots due back this week

Ballots are due back in the Montana Secretary of State's office later this week, as lawmakers decide whether to override Gov. Greg Gianforte's veto …

Expanding the Child Tax Credit could lift as many as 16 million kids in the U.S out of poverty, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. But the measure awaiting action in the U.S. Senate does not have broad public support. (Adobe Stock)

Child Tax Credit would benefit 46,000 MT kids

Advocates of the Child Tax Credit are calling on Washington lawmakers to expand it as they return to the Capitol this week. It's estimated an …

Montana is home to about 1,100 wolves, according to state wildlife officials. (Adobe Stock)

MT sues for federal wolf protection

A coalition of conservation groups has sued the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for refusing to relist wolves under the Endangered Species Act…

New research at the University of Montana recommends letting smaller wildfires burn where possible, heading off potentially more dangerous blazes later. (Adobe Stock)

MT researchers: Let smaller wildfires burn

A new study in the journal Nature Communications by Montana researchers said suppressing small wildfires is leading to larger, more intense and …

Montana's homelessness problem is a combination of unprecedented growth, mental health problems and higher housing costs, according to groups working to shelter more people. (2023 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report)

MT homeless population increase leads the nation

A new report shows Montana has the nation's most rapidly rising homeless population. Advocates for more affordable housing call the situation …

Tiny particulate matter in wildfire smoke can lodge deep in the lungs and cause serious respiratory problems. (Adobe Stock)

MT earmarks millions to cooperate on reducing wildfire threat

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation has awarded $3.1 million for 13 projects to reduce wildfire risk to communities and impro…

The Lolo National Forest's geographic location is seen as critical for connecting wildlife habitats. (Adobe Stock)

Wildlife habitat, connectivity, key to Lolo National Forest management plan

Today is the deadline for public comment on Montana's Lolo National Forest management plan. Advocates say the input will shape how the land is used …

Montana land proposed for solar power

The Bureau of Land Management has proposed expanding the public land available for solar power production in 11 states, including Montana. The BLM's …

According to the Montana Farmers Union, data is often harvested by third parties through precision ag tools, without a farmer's knowledge. (Adobe Stock)

Montana farmers want ag data protection

Montana farmers have testified before a panel of state lawmakers asking them to protect agricultural data that is collected by precision farming techn…

Indigenous people will be discussing tribal identity on and off Montana reservations and learn what it means to be

Indigenous conference to address cultural identity

Billings-based Western Native Voice is holding its annual membership conference in Great Falls starting tomorrow, and members are discussing …

Environmental advocates contend a logging project bordering Montana's Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness Area threatens habitat for the lynx, which is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. (Adobe Stock)

Environmental advocates sue over MT logging project

The Alliance for the Wild Rockies has sued the U.S. Forest Service over a logging project in southwestern Montana. The group claims the agency …

Montana doctors and nurses say state law is not clear about whether health care workers can access mental health and addiction treatment without notifying the boards overseeing them. (Adobe Stock)

Montana clinicians want confidential mental health treatment

By Katheryn Houghton for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Big Sky Connection reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Service …

Gov. Greg Gianforte vetoed SB 442 after the Montana Legislature adjourned, which could affect veterans' programs and other services. Critics of the veto now want lawmakers to override it. (Adobe Stock)

MT military veterans support veto override

A Montana court has denied Gov. Greg Gianforte's attempt to stop the Legislature from having an opportunity to override his veto of a bill that …

One of the more well-known housing discrimination cases in Montana involved a $37,343 verdict against a Bozeman landlord for charging $1,000 to a resident with physical and psychiatric disabilities to have a service animal in 2017. (Adobe Stock)

HUD files discrimination charge against MT apartment owner

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has charged a Livingston landlord with discrimination after investigating a complaint filed by a …

Environmental groups recently sued the Montana Department of Environmental Quality over its CAFO water pollution permit. (Adobe Stock)

Farm group calls on changes to USDA environmental funding

A farm advocacy group says large corporate agriculture producers are getting federal environmental safeguard funds that were intended for smaller oper…

The union that represents Montana's public school teachers has filed suit to stop a pair of school choice bills in the state. One would create Educational Savings Accounts, the other a charter school system, both of which would be funded with state education money. (Adobe Stock)

MT teachers union files pair of 'school choice' lawsuits

Montana's largest teachers union has filed two lawsuits against "school choice" measures in the state. Montana lawmakers passed House Bill 393 last …

Consumer Direct Montana is the latest agency in Montana to unionize, and just last month, completed bargaining for its first union contract with in-home caregivers, who are currently voting to ratify the tentative agreement. (Adobe Stock)

MT health care workers vote on large pay increase

A group of health-care workers in Montana will learn tomorrow whether their new union contract has been ratified. The tentative deal, between SEIU 7…

The Helena point-in-time survey is conducted each year to count people either living in shelters or other temporary housing. (Adobe Stock)

Helena ups efforts to track, shelter homeless Montanans

Helena is stepping up efforts to track its homeless population. The number of people living without shelter has risen sharply since the city started …

Montana faces above-average rates of obesity and diabetes, both of which are dangerous to heart health. (Adobe Stock)

MT faces unique challenges during Heart Month

Doctors in Montana are asking people to pay close attention to their cardiac health during February, which is National Heart Month - especially since …

Despite concern over the influence of foreign money on statewide elections, Montana has just increased its campaign contribution limits for PACs and individuals to $1,120 from $1,000. (Adobe Stock)

Montana political candidates receive among highest foreign donations

New research from a campaign finance-tracking group shows foreign corporations are investing heavily in statewide elections. Montana is one of a …

Heart Butte, Mont., population 600, is on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation. The suicide rate for Montana's Native American youth is more than five times the statewide rate for the same age group, according to the Montana Budget and Policy Center. (Amanda MorningStar)

MT Tribes grapple with crippling suicide rate

By Cheryl Platzman Weinstock for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Big Sky Connection reporting for the KFF Health News/Public News …

Montana has consistently had one of the highest voter turnout rates in the nation, according to the Secretary of State's office. The group Western Native Voice is working to increase the number of Indigenous voters this year. (Adobe Stock)

MT Indigenous group creates app to increase voter turnout

A Native American advocacy group is making a big push to get out the Indigenous vote in this year's elections. It is hiring field organizers across …

Montana House Bill 393, which would create Educational Savings Accounts for special education students, is scheduled to take effect July 1, 2024. Critics vow to challenge it in court. (Adobe Stock)

MT teachers oppose special-ed voucher program

The union that represents Montana teachers opposes a move to legalize private school vouchers in the state. Educational Savings Accounts, or ESAs…

The majority of victims in sextortion cases are boys between the ages of 13 and 17, targeted by online scammers pretending to be females, according to the FBI. (Adobe Stock)

FBI: Sextortion cases up 20% in Montana

The FBI reports an alarming rise in the number of sextortion cases in Montana, reflecting a national trend. The agency is drawing attention to the …

About 70% of the 1.6 million-acre Bitterroot National Forest is in northwest Montana. The remainder is in southeast Idaho. (Adobe Stock)

Conservation groups sue to stop Forest Service Mud Creek project

Montana environmental groups have filed suit against the U.S. Forest Service to stop a large logging project in the Bitterroot National Forest…

Climate stressors such as heat and drought are changing America's forests at a rapid rate. The National Wildlife Federation supports a policy proposed by the Biden administration to protect and nurture habitat in old-growth forests. (Adobe Stock)

Plan to preserve MT's old-growth forests a 'good first step'

A group of conservation, sporting and land-stewardship organizations calls the U.S. Forest Service's move to conserve old-growth forests a "good …

Urban Community Forestry Grants seek to improve air quality and wildlife habitat in Montana's disadvantaged urban areas. (Adobe Stock)

MT invests in tree canopies in underserved communities

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is investing $400,000 in grant projects to improve the tree canopy in Montana's urban are…

The number of mental health-care providers in Montana increased 36%, from 282.7 to 385.1 per 100,000 people, according to the United Health Foundation report. (Adobe stock)

Health report: Bright spots and warning signs in Montana

New data from the United Health Foundation show a handful of significant and chronic health conditions on the rise across the U.S. But there is …

The Montana Legal Services Association's Tribal Advocate Incubator Project focuses on legal advocacy, <br />court representation and the basics of how to run your own business. (Adobe Stock)

Advocates boost legal services to MT's native tribes

A new program from the Montana Legal Services Association is boosting legal assistance to people living on the state's tribal land. The Tribal …

Wildlife advocates have been working to restore the black-footed ferret population on federal and tribal land in Montana since 1994. It was listed as endangered in 1967, six years before the passage of the Endangered Species Act, which turns 50 this week. (Kristy Bly/WWF)

At 50, Endangered Species Act responsible for black-footed ferret comeback

The Endangered Species Act turns 50 this year, and the World Wildlife Fund credits the measure for significant gains in the black-footed ferret …

Montana consistently reports one of the highest voter turnout rates in the nation, and Montana Conservation Voters is trying to make sure it stays that way, with on-the-ground organizers across the state. (Adobe Stock)

Montana Conservation Voters invests in democratic participation

Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund is upping its education efforts, adding field offices around the state and putting boots on the ground…

Researchers at the University of Montana are working on a vaccine for tuberculosis. While considered a serious problem in underdeveloped parts of the world, cases in the United States are up, having jumped to 8,300 in 2022 from 7,874 in 2021. (Adobe Stock)

Montana researchers awarded $12.3 million grant for tuberculosis vaccine

Researchers at the University of Montana have been awarded more than more than $12 million from the National Institutes of Health to continue their wo…

Many of Montana's county access roads to public lands are shared by hunters and local residents. <br />(Adobe Stock)

Counties sue over vetoed outdoor funding bill

A District Court judge has heard oral arguments in a lawsuit over a vetoed Montana funding bill. The measure would have changed the way the state's …

Wolverines are powerfully built and have short legs with wide feet for traveling across the snow. They are a vital part of ecosystems in northern climes, according to Defenders of Wildlife. (Adobe Stock)

Threatened wolverine gains protected status

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has added the wolverine to the list of endangered species. Advocates said it will add critical protections for the …

Montana is home to more than 30 million acres of public state and federal lands, nearly one-third of the state. (Adobe Stock)

MT wilderness advocates question motives of 'Conservation Act'

Wildlife advocates are pushing back on a bill in Congress which would remove federal wilderness protections from some Montana land. There are …

Public schools and colleges are working together to build a pipeline of homegrown talent to help address the teacher shortage in Montana's K-12 classrooms. (Working Nation)

Creating a local pipeline for Montana teaching jobs

By Victoria Lim for WorkingNation.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Big Sky Connection reporting for the WorkingNation-Public News Service Collabora…

Montana used $13.5 million in pandemic relief aid to upgrade its online unemployment benefits application system. (Adobe Stock)

MT upgrades 'archaic' unemployment system

Montana has upgraded its outdated online unemployment insurance system, which should allow the state to process unemployment claims more efficiently…

The Lincoln Prosperity Proposal would add wilderness area while at the same time opening up more recreational opportunities for motorized-vehicle enthusiasts, bikers and hikers. (Lincoln Prosperity Proposal)

Small Montana town carves out prosperity plan amid public lands

Residents of the Montana town of Lincoln are working to create a new economic development plan adding recreational opportunities and wilderness…

The State of Montana works to reduce the threat of climate-induced avalanches on over 4,000 miles of trail across the state. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Climate change to cost MT jobs, hundreds of millions of dollars

A new scientific report from a wildlife conservation group details the potential impacts of climate change on Montana jobs and the environment…

Around 49% of Montana voters lean Republican while 30% are Democrats. The remainder identify as independent, according to the Pew Research Center. (Adobe Stock)

Poll highlights MT 'battleground' voters

A new poll shows Montana's rural voters are concerned with rising transportation and energy costs, higher health-care expenses, and a lack of good-…

Statewide, about 60% of registered voters participated in the last election, but in Montana's four majority-Native American counties, turnout was significantly lower. Advocates for Indigenous Montanans are trying to change that for the upcoming election. (Adobe Stock)

MT advocates party like it's Election Day

Indigenous voting activists are throwing parties around Montana this weekend to encourage citizens to vote, but especially to encourage Native …

While they are common, emotional support animals may be animals other than dogs. (Adobe Stock)

Increased renter restrictions target emotional-support animals

Fair-housing advocates are concerned about changes the Legislature made to tighten restrictions on emotional-support animals for Montana renters…

It's estimated that 37.2% of women and 34.6% of men in Montana have experienced physical, sexual or stalking abuse from an intimate partner. Evidence indicates the numbers are vastly underestimated, according to 'domesticviolence.org.' (Adobe Stock)

MT launches $1 million family mediation program

CORRECTION: The funding source for this program is federal. An earlier version indicated that Montana state tax dollars were funding it, which is not …

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