Montana Politics: Latest News

Republican Joe Dooling, a farmer and rancher from Helena, on Thursday became the third Republican and fourth candidate overall to file for Montana’s open U.S. House seat in 2020.

A proposed settlement of the Confederate Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ water rights raises too many unanswered questions and should be withdrawn, its opponents argued Wednesday.

State lawmakers and the public weighed in Tuesday on whether the Montana Legislature should meet every year – and also heard a reminder that any change should require voter approval.

The Bullock administration and the legislative auditor remained at an impasse Monday over a disputed audit, which the administration says is delaying the sale of bonds for $80 million worth of state construction projects.

Most of Montana’s 150 legislators will gather in Helena next week, not for an actual session, but rather a series of briefings and hearings on the coming costs of government services – and how best to pay for them.

About 100 candidates for Montana office, from U.S. Senate to the Public Service Commission, paid their filing fees Thursday on this official opening day of the 2020 campaign season.

Montana’s $80 million bonded infrastructure program – approved by lawmakers in 2019 for the first time in a decade – may be delayed because of a dispute over an audit of the state’ Medicaid program, Bullock administration officials said Wednesday.

In the 2020 races for state office besides governor, many candidates are choosing to use their own pocketbook to finance substantial parts of their campaign – and most of those candidates are Republicans.

Democrat Whitney Williams, a late entry into Montana’s 2020 gubernatorial race, reported Monday that she raised more than $439,000 in the final three months of last year – more than any other candidate in that period.

More than two years into reforms designed to slow, or even reverse, the growth of offenders in Montana’s correctional system, state officials say they see indications of progress. But most early data show scant change.

The latest U.S. Census Bureau state population figures indicate that Montana is one of several states that could gain a congressional seat in 2022, according to a published report.

On the brink of the biggest Montana election years in two decades, state Republicans make no secret of their political playbook for 2020: Tie themselves to President Trump and his policies and ride to victory statewide – including the governor’s office for the first time in 16 years.

One day after the impeachment vote on President Trump, Congress got back to regular business Thursday – and advanced two bills of importance to Montana’s rural economy.

A state district judge late Tuesday declined to block the Bullock administration’s emergency ban on flavored e-cigarette or vaping products, clearing the way for the ban to take effect Wednesday in Montana.

Montana’s only congressman, Republican Greg Gianforte, said Friday he’ll be voting “no” on two articles of impeachment of President Trump when they hit the floor next week, calling the impeachment inquiry “a sham since day one.”

The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed former Montana Solicitor General Lawrence VanDyke for a spot on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals by a vote of 51-44.

While NorthWestern Energy announced Tuesday that it has agreed to acquire an additional 185 megawatts of coal-fired power, from Colstrip, the company still plans to ask for bids to acquire even more electricity generation.

Montana’s dominant electric utility, NorthWestern Energy, announced early Tuesday that it intends to buy an additional 185 megawatts of coal-fired power generated by the Colstrip 4 plant.

Advocates for renewable power rallied Monday against NorthWestern Energy’s plan to build or acquire 800 megawatts of electricity in Montana, saying the plan favors fossil fuels over cheaper wind or solar energy.

NorthWestern Energy is proposing to buy or build 750 megawatts of new power-generation for Montana customers – twice what it has now – and says it will decide what type after getting bids in a process beginning soon.

One person has been taken into custody in connection with Monday morning’s bomb threat that prompted the evacuation of Bigfork High School.

Gov. Steve Bullock pulled the plug on his long-shot presidential campaign Monday, saying it’s become clear he can’t “break through to the top tier” of Democratic candidates.

While two of the three Republican candidates for Montana governor in 2020 took the stage for a debate here Tuesday night, the one who didn’t attend – Greg Gianforte – sparked the event’s only real conflict.

The Montana Public Service Commission Monday unanimously rejected NorthWestern Energy’s proposed change in electric rates for rooftop solar customers – a change that the solar installers said would harm the industry.

Two years after a media firestorm torpedoed Whitefish Energy’s contract to rebuild the power grid on hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico, the CEO of the Montana firm says he’d do it all again – but, he’d like to get paid for work the company did.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock is running TV ads in Iowa, the state he’s hoping will provide him a boost -- but poll indicates he's still far back in the Democratic pack.

A U.S. Senate committee Tuesday advanced a bill to fully fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, with the support of Montana Sen. Steve Daines, who called it a possible breakthrough to achieving the long-sought goal.

U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte’s 2020 campaign for Montana governor is getting some help from the first family this month, as Donald Trump Jr. will be in Helena on Nov. 24 for a fundraiser.

Montana Supreme Court Justice Laurie McKinnon, who announced five months ago she would not run for re-election for a second term, said Sunday she’s changed her mind and will be running in 2020.