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Montana Free Press
Rosendale drops out of race for U.S. Senate
This story is adapted from Capitolized, a weekly newsletter featuring expert reporting, analysis and insight from the editors and reporters of Montana Free Press. Want to see Capitolized in your inbox every Thursday? Sign up here. Montana Congressman Matt Rosendale, who just last week announced a highly anticipated run for...
Broadwater County judge rules against developers in ‘landmark’ water ruling
A Broadwater County judge ruled this week in favor of a small coalition of landowners and water rights holders who challenged a subdivision proposed for an area already grappling with water supply and quality issues. In a sprawling, 85-page order, Broadwater County District Court Judge Michael McMahon chastised the Broadwater...
Gianforte says statewide sales tax off the table as his property tax task force gears up
Addressing his property tax task force at the group’s first formal meeting Wednesday, Gov. Greg Gianforte had two big messages: Figure out how to bring some permanent tax relief to Montana homeowners — and don’t do it by recommending a statewide sales tax. “As we and all...
Helena schools grapple with looming budget shortfall
The Helena Public School District Board of Trustees will ask voters to approve new taxes this spring to lessen a budget shortfall that could result in the closure of some district schools and the reduction of positions. The trustees voted 8-0 Tuesday night to call for an election this spring...
The Sit-Down: Kimberly Reed
Last April, Montana found itself in the national spotlight as history unfolded at the state Capitol in Helena. On April 18, first-term Rep. Zooey Zephyr, D-Missoula, a trans woman, rose to speak in opposition to Senate Bill 99, which would ban transition-related medical and surgical care for transgender minors. (As of mid-February, the law is temporarily enjoined while litigation continues.) “The only thing I will say is if you vote ‘yes’ on this bill and ‘yes’ on these amendments, I hope the next time there’s an invocation when you bow your heads in prayer, you see the blood on your hands,” Zephyr said, in reference to high suicide rates among trans minors.
What maternal health care can do to prevent family separations
Native American children make up more than a third of the foster care caseload in Montana, despite representing less than 10% of the state’s child population. While there’s a broad consensus among child welfare experts that this outsized representation is a problem, the state lacks a collective strategy to address it. The Montana Free Press series Keeping the Kids, supported by a data fellowship through the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, explores the available data and highlights examples of local solutions around the state. This article focuses on a prenatal health intervention program getting off the ground in a northeast Montana county where the rate of children in foster care far exceeds state and national figures.
Missoula schools move forward with massive budget cuts
Facing an $8 million shortfall, the Missoula County Public Schools board voted Tuesday night to move forward with budget cuts that could impact upwards of 100 teachers, administrators and other staff. Attendees at Tuesday night’s meeting were greeted by a tunnel of students expressing their disdain for the deep cuts...
Rosendale says Senate bid is not just about beating Tester
U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale’s gleeful Maryland twang cut through a Helena ballroom Friday evening, bringing a speech by fellow Congressman Ryan Zinke to a momentary, laughing halt. Zinke was taking his turn at the podium during the state GOP’s winter kickoff event, addressing the party faithful gathered to gear...
The Viz: Record-low snowpacks endure despite midwinter storms
This story is excerpted from the MT Lowdown, a weekly newsletter digest containing original reporting and analysis published every Friday. Mid-January and early February storms brought some much-needed snow to the region, but a third of Montana’s basins continued to post record-low snowpacks as of Feb. 7, a situation likely to produce low summer streamflows and uncomfortably dry forests heading into fire season.
National stakes for a county job in Great Falls
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. The results of several...
A remembrance of roast beefs past
There were very few Sundays growing up when we didn’t sit down to a nice roast beef dinner with potatoes, gravy and other roasted vegetables. I grew up in Montana, where beef was (and still is) very much the king of proteins. My mom or dad did some prep...
How we calculated disproportionality in Montana foster care
Native American children make up more than a third of the foster care caseload in Montana, despite representing less than 10% of the state’s child population. While there’s a broad consensus among child welfare experts that this outsized representation is a problem, there exists no collective strategy to address it. The Montana Free Press series Keeping the Kids, supported by a data fellowship through the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, explores the available data and highlights examples of local solutions around the state. This article explains MTFP’s reporting framework and methodology.
Can Montana mend its racial gap in foster care?
Native American children make up more than a third of the foster care caseload in Montana, despite representing less than 10% of the state’s child population. While there’s a broad consensus among child welfare experts that this outsized representation is a problem, there exists no collective strategy to address it. The Montana Free Press series Keeping the Kids, supported by a data fellowship through the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism, explores the available data and highlights examples of local solutions around the state. This article focuses on MTFP’s analysis of the available data and some of the factors contributing to racial disproportionality in foster care.
With Billings’ South Side Pool failing, the city and community members look for solutions
BILLINGS — For Mystical Powers, a 12-year-old patron of South Park Pool, summer doesn’t officially start until the pool opens. “I make myself get extra sleep the whole week before so on the first day I can be up early and ready to go!”. Fellow middle schoolers...
Rosendale makes U.S. Senate bid official
Eastern Montana Congressman Matt Rosendale formally launched his campaign for U.S. Senate on Friday, pledging to appeal to conservative voters who want to flip the seat currently held by incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester to Republican hands. Rosendale, an iconoclastic Republican hardliner who voted against certifying 2020 presidential election results...
Is Rosendale Really Finally Ready?
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. February 8, 2024. This might...
Citing an ‘insurmountable’ lack of snow, Montana ski area closes for the season
A small, locally owned ski area west of the Rocky Mountain Front community of Choteau announced Thursday that it’s closing for the remainder of the 2023-2024 season, citing dismal snowfall, warm temperatures and the financial repercussions of holding out for more wintery weather. In a six-page letter posted to...
Governor still mum on tribal law enforcement in Lake County
Officials in Lake County say the clock is ticking for the state to assume felony law enforcement duties on the Flathead Indian Reservation, but so far they’ve heard nothing from Gov. Greg Gianforte. In November, the Lake County Commission sent a letter to Gianforte informing him that the local...
Political strategist arrested on stalking charges
A Republican political strategist was arrested in Whitefish last weekend on charges that he stalked and harassed a Flathead County resident he had accused of sexual abuse, according to court documents. Whitefish police arrested Dan Duffey on Feb. 3. He was charged with one misdemeanor count and one felony count...
Butte Silicon plant owner says it will scale back operations
Global semiconductor company REC Silicon said Wednesday it is closing a major production line at its Butte facility because of higher electricity costs, a move that will cost jobs and signals a potential complication for federal efforts to strengthen supply chains for U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing. Specifically, the Norway-based company announced...
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