Montana’s state health department is getting ready to take over day-to-day help for 3,000 people with developmental disabilities this spring, after severing contracts with four private contractors. The department says it had no choice after state lawmakers and the governor cut $49 million out of its budget in November.

Last year’s Women’s March drew more than 10,000 people to Helena. Organizers this year are trying something different. This time there won’t be one big, centralized rally.

Montana Democratic Senator Jon Tester wants immigration officials to tell Congress when they eavesdrop on cell phone conversations. His proposal is part of the Department of Homeland Security’s 2018 budget, which is still under consideration in Congress.

Since 2007 Montana taxpayers have compensated ranchers when wolves and grizzly bears kill their livestock — to the tune of up to $200,000 a year. Some of that money is also spent on projects designed to prevent predator conflicts. That earns it high marks from both ranchers and conservation organizations. Last year, state lawmakers voted to add mountain lion -related losses to the compensation list for the first time. The problem is, the program didn’t get any additional funding to do that.

Sally Mauk, Chuck Johnson and Rob Saldin discuss what distinguishes the Democratic House candidates, parse Tester's meeting with Trump this week, and talk about the risks and rewards of getting 100 percent behind Trump. Listen now on this installment of "Campaign Beat."

Today was the first day Montana’s political candidates could begin filing for state and national legislative primaries in June. In all, 145 candidates filed; that’s a record number of candidates to file on the first day of a non-presidential election year, according to the Secretary of State’s office, beating the number in 2014 by seven.

MTPR is doing a lot of reporting on the more than $170 million worth of cuts to the state budget that are resulting in people losing their jobs across state government and with private contractors, and reduced services to some of Montana’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens. Today, we’ve asked our Capitol Reporter Corin Cates-Carney to join us for a big picture look at how the cuts came about, where they’re landing and whether there are any alternatives.

Five Democrats running for their party’s nomination to challenge Republican Greg Gianforte for Montana’s lone seat in the U.S. House met in their second public forum in Helena Thursday night. They continued working to distinguish themselves as uniquely qualified to beat Gianforte. A Democrat has not represented Montana in the U.S. House since 1996.

Governor Steve Bullock has signed an executive order creating an advisory council on state parks. Bullock’s order says the fiscal health of state parks remains a chronic problem, and the implementation of Montana’s plan for parks and recreation has not been fully undertaken or realized.

The federal government has denied Montana’s request for $44 million dollars in disaster funding following the historic 2017 fire season that burned over a million acres across the state.