A hearing has been set for Wednesday in a constitutional debate between Montana’s governor and secretary of state. Late last week a District Judge in Helena temporarily blocked Republican Secretary of State Corey Stapleton from enrolling into law a bill to change the state’s definition of wild bison.

Gov. Steve Bullock is traveling to the West Coast and to Iowa this week as he campaigns for president. The Governor’s Office announced Monday that Chief of Staff Tom Lopach is leaving the administration after accepting a position with the campaign.

A Montana judge has blocked Secretary of State Corey Stapleton from enrolling into state law a bison bill that Gov. Steve Bullock vetoed last month. District Judge James Reynolds' temporary restraining order was issued Friday afternoon, two days after Stapleton declared the bill had become law because the Democratic governor missed a deadline to turn the veto in to the Republican secretary's office.

Montana legislation seeking to change the definition of “wild bison” is in limbo as the governor and secretary of state disagree over whether the bill has become law.

Montana Democrats have their first candidate for the Secretary of State’s office race in 2020. Missoula State Sen. Bryce Bennett announced his bid for the office Wednesday. Bennett declared his candidacy in a YouTube video released Wednesday morning.

The Montana Supreme Court Tuesday named former state Commissioner of Higher Education Sheila Stearns to lead the committee in charge of re-drawing the boundaries of Montana’s legislative districts. Stearns was picked by the state high court after the two Democrats and two Republicans on the Montana 2020 Redistricting Commission deadlocked on who should be their fifth and final member .

Montana’s Republican Senator Steve Daines is strengthening his response to the Trump Administration’s planned closure of the Job Corps’ Civilian Conservation Center in Anaconda.

At least $3.8 million was spent to influence Montana lawmakers’ work during the first three months of 2019. That’s with one more month’s worth of lobbyist spending reports for the 2019 legislative session yet to be filed. The deadline for that is today.

Helena Mayor and Democratic U.S. Senate Candidate Wilmot Collins says he plans to plead guilty to careless driving charges Tuesday, and is defending himself on Twitter after being cited on that charge and and leaving the scene of an accident.

Montana lawmakers will take a comprehensive look at state and local tax policy over the next two years. Legislators say a changing economy and increasing population means Montana should consider new ways of collecting taxes.