Montana News

HELENA — Montana Governor Steve Bullock has signed nearly 180 bills into law so far this legislative session , on issues ranging from water rights to foster care.

The American Civil Liberties Union sued Cascade County Wednesday for allegedly failing to comply with several Freedom of Information Act requests. ACLU of Montana’s Legal Director has had it with Cascade County:

Federal investigators said today they found credible evidence that male supervisors and staff in the maintenance division at Yellowstone National Park created a work environment that included unwelcome and inappropriate comments and actions toward women. Yellowstone National Park Spokesperson Morgan Warthin:

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has halted a proposal to transfer the National Bison Range into tribal control. In an email to the Missoulian, Secretary Zinke says he is committed to not selling or transferring public lands, but hopes the tribes will, "play a pivotal role in our discussions about the best path forward."

An attempt to revive a substantial increase in the tobacco tax failed in the Montana House of Representatives. Representative Kerry White said this tax increase, which included a $1.50-tax-per-pack increase for cigarettes just further creates a black market for cigarettes.

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester has his first challenger in the 2018 Montana elections. Republican state Sen. Albert Olszewski said today he will run for Tester's seat. Olszewski is an orthopedic surgeon who lives in Kalispell. He served one term in the state House from 2015-2017, and is in his first term in the state Senate.

A company proposing to develop a new campground just outside Glacier National Park ’s western entrance is facing opposition from the park, some local residents and agencies. The company Glacier Park, Inc, plans to build a campground with 25 rental cabins and 102 recreational vehicle spaces near the village of West Glacier. GPI says it will also build a new water and sewer system for the development.

The EPA gave an update Tuesday on their ongoing investigation of pollution levels at the now-defunct Smurfit-Stone pulp and paper mill just west of Missoula. There’s still a lot to figure out at the former Smurfit-Stone mill in Frenchtown. The plant that operated on the 3,200 acre site for over 50 years just downstream of Missoula on the Clark Fork River used all kind of hazardous chemicals.

The town of Colstrip ’s biggest champion in the Legislature walked out of the south entrance of the Capitol building Monday night disappointed. His proposal aiming to secure the social and economic future of his home town , as parts of the coal-fired power plant there are scheduled to go off line in coming years, failed to pass out of a House committee.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program announced today that it would stop using predator-killing cyanide traps in Idaho, at least temporarily according to the Idaho Statesman. This after a cyanide trap killed a dog in Pocatello and sickened a 14-year-old boy on March 16