Click any of the articles below to read the most recent news about Montana politics and elections.
Montana Politics Latest
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MT Legislature cancels Monday floor sessions while COVID contact tracing continues
The Montana Legislature has canceled floor sessions on Monday, April 19 following canceled floor sessions on Friday after a lobbyist testing positive for COVID-19.Republicans escalate battle with Supreme Court, subpoenaing all justices
Republican leadership at the Montana Legislature Thursday ratcheted up their inquiry into alleged bias by the Montana Supreme Court, ordering its justices to produce, by Monday, any internal communications about bills before the Legislature.NorthWestern Energy/Colstrip bill ignites fiery debate again
At a marathon hearing Wednesday evening, the bill meant to encourage NorthWestern Energy to acquire a larger share of the Colstrip 4 power plant came under withering criticism, as a “corporate bailout” that could fleece the company’s ratepayers.Proposal for a Constitutional amendment to ban abortion in Montana comes up short
A proposed constitutional amendment that would essentially ban abortion in Montana has failed to get enough legislative votes to be placed before voters in 2022.Montana woman will be nominated to head the BLM
Tracy Stone-Manning, a National Wildlife Federation executive in Missoula and top aide to former Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, will be nominated by the Biden administration to head the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.Supreme Court administrator asks again to block GOP subpoena on emails
The administrator of the Montana Supreme Court, at the center of a battle with Republican legislators over the release of internal emails of the state judiciary, has filed a new request asking the high court to block GOP efforts to obtain and disseminate those emails.Legislature refuses to comply with SupCo order on judicial emails
The attorney general’s office late Monday told the Montana Supreme Court that Republican legislators will not comply with the court’s order to halt their attempts to acquire and publicize internal emails from the state judiciary.NCAA releases statement in support of transgender athletes
The NCAA Board of Governors released a strong statement on Monday that could spell the end of playoff football at Bobcat Stadium or Washington-Grizzly Stadium.MT Supreme Court quashes subpoena seeking internal judiciary e-mails
In an escalating political battle between Republican leadership at the Montana Legislature and the state’s judiciary, the Montana Supreme Court Sunday quashed a subpoena lawmakers had used to obtain a cache of internal e-mails from the judiciary.MT House endorses bill for elections to change health orders
The Montana House has endorsed a bill that would let the public ask for an election to change local health boards’ actions. It’s the latest of a series of bills debated this session that would put boundaries around the authority of health boards and officers.Daines: GOP shut out on infrastructure discussion
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines said this week his fellow Republicans want to support an infrastructure bill, but that President Biden’s proposal goes far beyond just infrastructure – and that Democratic leaders are indicating they don’t want GOP input.To ease housing crisis, GOP lawmakers look to ease development regs
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MT House narrowly rejects bill to regulate media in Montana
The Montana House Wednesday narrowly rejected a bill that sought to mandate the media do follow-up reporting on cases where someone had been accused of wrongdoing and later exonerated.Montana House endorses three marijuana reform bills
The Montana House has advanced three bills that provide different visions for how to implement recreational marijuana in the state, after legislative leadership asked them to keep all three alive.Senate advances bill ensuring NW Energy cost-recovery for Colstrip acquisition
Republicans in the Montana Senate Tuesday advanced the bill that guarantees NorthWestern Energy certain cost recovery, from its customers, if it acquires more power from the Colstrip coal-fired plants.MT Legislature tackles affordable housing – or not
Kayla Tengdin says without a special zoning program requiring Bozeman builders to include more affordable houses in their developments, she and her husband Rolf likely could not have bought a home. But Republican lawmakers have voted to end the program, in Bozeman and anywhere in the state.Former MT Gov. Stan Stephens dies
Former Montana Gov. Stan Stephens, a Republican whose 1988 electoral victory ended 20 years of Democratic governors in the state, has died. He was 91.Another judge steps away from case deciding Gianforte’s judicial appointment powers
A state judge chosen to fill in for Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice Mike McGrath said Thursday he’ll withdraw from deciding the constitutionality of a new law giving Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte sole discretion on filling judicial vacancies.Gianforte gets first COVID-19 vaccine dose
As Montana opened COVID-19 vaccine eligibility for everyone age 16 and up Thursday, the state’s governor got his own first dose of the vaccine.GOP Senate advances amended version of transgender athlete ban
Republicans in the state Senate Tuesday advanced a bill restricting transgender student athletes in Montana – but not before attaching an amendment that could void the law in the future.