House Bill 302 and House Bill 318, now in the House Agriculture Committee, with little public awareness, would essentially eliminate any possible Montana attempt to restore public-trust, wild bison in our state. These bills were vetoed in 2019, but a Gianforte veto may not be forthcoming. HB 302 requires approval of a county commission for […]

By JOE MCCARTY Guest columnist As predicted and right on schedule the legislature and governor have turned state government into a version of Alice in Wonderland. Up is down and good is bad. There is frenzied work to use the 90-day session to adopt solutions to nonexistent problems and ignore solutions to the very real […]

I commend Sen. Pat Flowers for his “Soil Health Subcommittee Bill,” Senate Bill 180. This bill will establish a task force that will make recommendations for a Montana soil health program aimed at increasing farmer and rancher profitability, building a more resilient agriculture sector, and helping everyday producers like myself and my neighbors here in […]

How is abortion an issue in any lawmaking setting? It’s simply government intrusion into the private health care decisions of all women. Flat out, Lola Sheldon-Galloway needs to get out of politics if she thinks her personal opinions about abortion have any credence in the Legislature. She believes a woman is not important in an […]

When Greg Gianforte was elected governor last November, he told supporters of the need to reduce economic burdens on working families in the face of an unprecedented global pandemic. Yet a cursory look at the priorities of the current legislative session tells a far different story that of a Montana GOP more interested in fanning […]

The Legislature is now considering the Gianforte tax policy: cutting income taxes for the wealthy with the promise that a windfall for those at the top will somehow “trickle down” to the rest of us. That familiar refrain is called “supply-side economics.” It’s been told and retold for decades by politicians and hucksters, but it’s […]

By JESSE DEUBEL AND FRANK SZOLLOSI Guest Columnists While Montana and New Mexico may have a lot of differences (especially during the winter months), our people are outdoors people and both states have a rich hunting heritage. For us personally, our families are blessed to bring wild fish and game to the table, and we […]

As a relatively new resident of Montana, I purchased a home in Livingston last July, I am appalled by the vote of “my” junior senator, Steve Daines. It is beyond my belief that, after viewing and listening to the president’s own words over so many months and to the words of those who stormed our […]

By SHANE COLTON, DAN VERMILLION, AND STEVE DOHERTY Guest columnists Since winning the Legislature in 2011, Republicans have introduced multiple pieces of legislation undermining Montana’s great hunting and fishing. Fortunately, successive Democratic governors vetoed them. The veto pen now belongs to Greg Gianforte. The 2021 Legislature is considering a bevy of legislation changing Montana’s hunting […]

Our representatives in Helena have a chance to make a real difference in the lives of Montanans. House Bill 228, the Montana Family and Medical Leave Insurance Act (FAMLI) would pool small contributions from employees and employers to fund paid time off for workers who need to take care of themselves or a loved one. […]