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Montana Free Press
Introducing the Big Sky kebab burger
I like grilling any time of year. During winter, I sometimes slip out the back door — often wearing sandals and no coat — pretending it will only take a second to fire up the grill as the thermometer hovers around zero. When it warms up and there’s...
Why (some) Republicans don’t love the governor
The MT Lowdown is a weekly digest that showcases a more personal side of Montana Free Press’ high-quality reporting while keeping you up to speed on the biggest news impacting Montanans. Want to see the MT Lowdown in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. While reporting on a...
BLM to end new coal leasing in Powder River Basin
The Bureau of Land Management announced Thursday that it will not issue new coal leases in the Powder River Basin, the largest coal-producing region in the United States. The shift is codified in the supplemental environmental impact statement that the agency issued for plans outlining the agency’s natural resource strategy for areas administered by the Miles City and Buffalo, Wyoming, field offices. The basin includes southeast Montana and northeast Wyoming.
What we know about the arrest of state superintendent candidate Sharyl Allen
Recent weeks have seen a steady trickle of statements and media reports related to the arrest of Sharyl Allen, a former deputy to current Republican state Superintendent Elsie Arntzen and a candidate in the 2024 election to replace her. Allen, who will appear on the June 4 Republican primary ballot...
Ghost Candidates and the Money-Go-Round
Get an insider’s look into what’s happening in and around the halls of power with expert reporting, analysis and insight from the editors and reporters of Montana Free Press. Sign up to get the free Capitolized newsletter delivered to your inbox every Thursday. May 16, 2024. A recording...
Attorney General Knudsen accused of soliciting ghost competitor for campaign finance purposes
This story is adapted from Capitolized, a weekly newsletter featuring expert reporting, analysis and insight from the reporters and editors of Montana Free Press. Want to see Capitolized in your inbox every Thursday? Sign up here. A recording obtained and published by the Daily Montanan this week appears to feature...
Why Gianforte’s reelection bid has drawn a challenge from the right
At a late-April Republican fundraiser in Missoula, Montana candidates and Donald Trump’s campaign surrogates repeatedly pulled from a grab-bag of provocative right-wing talking points, bringing the audience of about 300 dyed-in-the-wool conservatives to its feet. Event headliners including the former president’s eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., U.S. Senate candidate...
Addiction treatment homes say funding fixes don’t go far enough
Montana health officials have started a voucher system to help people with substance use disorders move into transitional housing as they rebuild their lives. But those who run the clinical houses said the new money isn’t enough to fix a financial hole after a prior state revamp. Residential treatment...
June primary ballots give voters a chance to re-think their local government structures
Montana primary ballots up for consideration this year will offer voters a unique opportunity to audit the structures and powers of their city and county governments. This local government review appears as a “study commission question” toward the end of ballot forms. Most urban voters will see two entries — one for city and one for county governments.
Youth climate ruling looms large in Montana Supreme Court hearing about Laurel gas plant
Environmental groups challenging a gas plant under construction near Laurel asked the Montana Supreme Court during a hearing Wednesday to uphold a lower court’s decision to block the project. The lawsuit focuses on the adequacy of the environmental review the Montana Department of Environmental Quality applied to a permit...
Helena school district cuts more than 50 non-tenured teachers due to budget strains
The Helena School Board of Trustees voted unanimously Tuesday night not to renew the contracts of 52 non-tenured teachers, drawing concerns from both parents and educators. This year, the number of teachers who were “pink-slipped” doubled from last year’s 26 – just one of the outcomes of the school’s budget strains and the failure of levies last week, according to Karen Ogden, the district’s communications officer.
Missoula taxpayers asked to fund additional resources for fire department
Last weekend, Andy Drobeck filled out his primary election ballot more carefully than ever before. Drobeck, president of the Missoula firefighters union, said he was nervous to see the fire department’s levy on the back side of the ballot. “I was thinking to myself, ‘It would suck if this...
In the aftermath of a government scandal, Bozeman’s city manager looks to rebuild trust
For Bozeman’s Chuck Winn, taking on the city’s top executive role is a culmination of more than 40 years of work for the city. In fact, he’s the longest-serving city employee on the books. Winn was promoted from assistant city manager to interim city manager in April...
The GOP scrum for Montana’s second House district
The eastern congressional district candidate forum that the Yellowstone County Republicans hosted at their Lincoln Reagan Dinner in April was, by the standards of campaign-season political events, remarkable. But not because of emotional fireworks or raised voices or intra-party bickering. Those are all commonplace. What was remarkable, instead, was that...
Judge dismisses lawsuit involving new public charter schools
A district court judge in Helena last week resolved a legal dispute between the Montana Quality Education Coalition and the state Office of Public Instruction, ending litigation over the agency’s implementation of a new public charter school law. The dismissal of the case, ordered May 10 by Lewis and...
Who the heck is on your ballot?
The MT Lowdown is a weekly digest that showcases a more personal side of Montana Free Press’ high-quality reporting while keeping you up to speed on the biggest news impacting Montanans. Want to see the MT Lowdown in your inbox every Friday? Sign up here. While opening my mail...
Second Montana ski resort looks to turn wastewater into powder
The Spanish Peaks Mountain Club in Big Sky has asked for a permit from the Montana Department of Environmental Quality to let it turn wastewater into snow for skiing and snowboarding. The private club is the second Montana ski area to try and implement snowmaking technology that proponents say is good for the environment and skiers amid a warming climate.
What is a Supreme Court clerk, anyway?
Get an insider’s look into what’s happening in and around the halls of power with expert reporting, analysis and insight from the editors and reporters of Montana Free Press. Sign up to get the free Capitolized newsletter delivered to your inbox every Thursday. May 9, 2024. The clerk...
Republican lawmakers mount three separate pushes for special sessions
This story is adapted from Capitolized, a weekly newsletter featuring expert reporting, analysis and insight from the reporters and editors of Montana Free Press. Want to see Capitolized in your inbox every Thursday? Sign up here. Three groups of Republican lawmakers announced three separate calls for a special session this...
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