Big Sky Lede

This week Tom Kuglin and Sam Wilson talks about one legislator's quest to legalize the use of crossbows for hunters with disabilities and the process of drawing new legislative district maps.

This podcast from the Montana State News Bureau is created in partnership across five newsrooms — the Billings Gazette, the Helena Independent Record, the Missoulian, the Montana Standard and the Ravalli Republic. You can support this podcast and our efforts by subscribing. Visit any of these newspapers’ websites, and click on the Become a Member button at the top of the home page. We appreciate your support of local journalism.

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This week Seaborn Larson and Holly Michels discuss the ways the GOP is seeking to change the judiciary this session and a group of bills that would change how transgender minors live in Montana, as well as one targeted at who can attend drag shows held in certain places.

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This week, Holly Michels, Seaborn Larson and Sam Wilson of the Montana State News Bureau, talk about reporting from week five of the legislative session. 

Topics discussed: a package of Republican-backed legislation to spend $1 billion of the state’s surplus and cut taxes, a question of conflict of interest regarding a freshman legislator's bill and a couple controversial bills heard in both judiciary committees.

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This week, Tom Kuglin and Seaborn Larson of the Montana State News Bureau, talk about big-picture reporting from week four of the legislative session. 

Topics discussed: the formation of the Montana Freedom Caucus, a bloc of ultraconservative state lawmakers, and what this current session might have in store for fish and wildlife legislation.

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This week, Holly Michels and Seaborn Larson of the Montana State News Bureau talk about the big news from week three at the Montana legislature.

Topics discussed: the resignation of Rep. Mallorie Stromswold, Gov. Gianforte's tax relief bills debut, an anti-abortion bill aimed at the constitution and legislation aimed at addressing problems at the Montana State Hospital.

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This week, Tom Kuglin and Holly Michels talk about week 2 of the legislative session and how policy is starting to move.

Legislation discussed: making Montana Water Court permanent, increasing payments to block management enrollees and changes to child protective services.

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On this week's episode, the Montana State News Bureau's Tom Kuglin and Holly Michels run down the opening day of the legislative session, from leadership laying out their priorities and what priorities plan to focus on to voices of dissent in the Capitol and an early indication of a GOP dispute over the power of their supermajority.

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The news last week was dominated by the historic flooding in south-central Montana and all the damage left in the wake of receding flood waters. As the flooding started to happen early last week, the state was putting out press releases with quotes from Gov. Greg Gianforte about the response from his administration about the flooding, and by Tuesday had issued a disaster declaration.

But there was something less than standard about that executive order, because it was signed by Lt. Gov. Kristen Juras acting at governor.

On this week's episode, Holly Michels of the Montana State News Bureau, talks about the governor's whereabouts last week and what's being done in response to the historic flooding.

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On Tuesday, voters in Montana had their say in the state’s midterm primary election. While the primaries for the new western congressional seat drew most of the attention, voters also weighed in on state Supreme Court positions, seats on the Public Service Commission, legislative races and more. On this episode Montana State News Bureau reporters who give us a run down on who won, who lost and where votes are still being counted.

This podcast from the Montana State News Bureau is created in partnership across five newsrooms – the Billings Gazette, the Helena Independent Record, the Missoulian, the Montana Standard and the Ravalli-Republic. You can support this podcast and our efforts by subscribing. Visit any of these newspapers’ websites, and click on the Become a Member button at the top of the home page. We appreciate your support of local journalism.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the last few months, we’ve seen employees at Montana State Hospital try to raise the alarm about the conditions at the facility in Warm Springs. It’s the only state-run psychiatric hospital in Montana and, according to the state, is amid a serious staffing shortage.

On this episode, Seaborn Larson talks about an inspection report that lays out how those conditions have affected patients, and in some cases, how violations of federal health rules have had fatal consequences.

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