Montana Politics: Latest News

On what’s become one of the keynote bills of the 2019 Legislature, organized labor, business lobbies and pro-coal forces lined up Monday to support a guaranteed return for NorthWestern Energy if its buys more Colstrip-generated power — while consumer advocates and environmentalists argued that the c

The Firefighter Health and Safety Bill passed another hurdle Monday afternoon.

Two years after the Montana Legislature passed a bill to overhaul the state’s medical marijuana system, Democratic Sen. Tom Jacobson of Great Falls says more changes are still needed.

On a 10-9 vote, a state Senate committee Monday advanced one of the 2019 Legislature’s biggest bills to the Senate floor: House Bill 658, which would continue Medicaid expansion, the $700 million-a-year program that provides medical coverage to 95,000 low-income Montanans.

Montana’s senior U.S. senator Jon Tester stopped by the Montana This Morning set to discuss some matters impacting the state and nation.

The Montana Legislature advanced bills this week aimed at protecting elderly and vulnerable adults from abuse.

On Friday, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines met with leaders from the skilled trades in Helena to discuss ways to encourage more students to consider apprenticeship programs.

Democrat Kathleen Williams announced Friday she will run again for Montana’s lone seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Republicans on a Senate committee voted Friday morning to table the bill that would continue Montana’s $700 million-a-year Medicaid expansion coverage for low-income adults — but the measure isn’t dead.

After a relatively short debate, the state Senate Thursday endorsed the major spending bill that funds state government for the next two years.

The Health and Safety Bill for firefighters has passed out of a Montana House committee.

Before the Senate Finance and Claims Committee voted last week on the main bill that funds Montana’s $10.3 billion, two-year budget, its 19 members broke for an hour and met privately in two groups to discuss proposed amendments to the bill.

The field of hopefuls in the 2020 race for Montana governor has a new addition.

Missoula state Rep. Tom Winter this week became the first Democrat to announce that he’s running for Montana’s sole U.S. House seat in 2020.

Gov. Steve Bullock joined state leaders and business owners to bring attention to the ongoing wage gap between men and women.

Montana Attorney General Tim Fox and his Ohio counterpart told a federal appeals court Monday that the Affordable Care Act — “Obamacare” — should not be thrown out entirely, although part of the law is unconstitutional.

The future of public funding for preschool programs in Montana is now uncertain, after two proposals to increase the state’s contribution missed an important deadline in the Legislature.

For the first time in several legislative sessions, an infrastructure bonding bill has passed the Montana House.

The Montana House Saturday gave its final approval to the bill continuing Medicaid expansion, which provides health coverage to 96,000 low-income adults in the state.

A bill aimed at addressing the issue of missing and murdered Native Americans has been revived in the Montana Legislature.

President Trump has issued a new permit for the Keystone XL Pipeline, which appears to circumvent a previous federal judge’s order and allow for construction work in northeastern Montana.

HELENA — The Montana House Friday endorsed a bill increasing the license fee paid by most investment advisers and stockbrokers doing business in Montana — a bill that raises about $8 million a year and could be part of the final budget picture at the 2019 Legislature. The House voted 59-40 to advanc

Senate Bill 338, which would provide funding for the long planned Montana Heritage Center, passed a significant vote at the Montana Legislature on Thursday.

Legislation supported by high school students and inspired by gun education passed the Montana House of Representatives.

Senator Steve Daines wants a doctor convicted of sexual abuse on the Blackfeet Reservation to stop receiving government benefits.

Montana’s hospitals, a big beneficiary of the state Medicaid expansion program, pay a new tax that would raise $15 million a year to help fund the state’s share of the program, under the bill that would continue the program.

A federal court order this week that struck down work requirements for Medicaid participants in Kentucky and Arkansas shouldn’t affect the debate in Montana over similar requirements, the sponsor of a bill to add them to Montana’s program told MTN News Thursday.

House Bill 652 includes nearly $80 million in funding for state and local infrastructure projects.

The bill touted by supporters as a savior for the Colstrip 4 power plant — and a benefit for NorthWestern Energy electric customers — won endorsement Wednesday by the Montana Senate, on a mostly party-line vote with Republicans in favor.

A bill that would have allowed law enforcement to temporarily remove firearms from the possession of suicidal individuals was tabled in the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.