Montana’s U.S. Senators are on opposite sides of a resolution that would condemn President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency over border security. The House passed that resolution today. Montana’s Republican Representative Greg Gianforte called it a, “show vote,” and said, “Our country faces a humanitarian and national security crisis on our southern border.”

County election officials are backing a proposal to allow online voter registration in Montana ahead of the 2020 election. However Secretary of State Corey Stapleton is standing against the idea.

State lawmakers took up several bills dealing with vaccinations against preventable diseases Monday. The bills would expand immunization exemptions in daycares and foster homes in Montana. The same day, a fifth suspected case of measles was reported in Oregon, related to an outbreak of dozens of measles cases in Washington state.

A proposal to add gender identity or expression and sexual orientation to Montana’s Human Rights Act is again up for debate in the state Legislature. House Bill 465 would extend the statewide anti-discrimination policy to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people. A similar proposal was voted down during the last legislative session , primarily along party lines with Republican opposing it.

Tonight on Capitol Talk : The state admits it needs to do a lot better job monitoring for-profit wilderness schools for troubled teens. Economics hold little sway in the effort to abolish Montana's death penalty. Money is being restored to the depleted Health Department budget. Another Montana campaign finance reform law is upheld. And lawmakers may have found a way to bridge the infrastructure impasse.

A Montana legislator sent a female colleague harassing text messages in 2017 leading to his resignation as chairman of the state Tribal Relations Committee. This information came to light today in an investigation reported by the Associated Press .

A new plan to cap state government debt when paying for public works projects is on a fast track in the state Legislature. It’s a potential breakthrough in the Legislature’s long fight over borrowing money to pay for large scale infrastructure. The so-called Infrastructure Development and Economic Accountability Act passed out of House Appropriations unanimously, and without debate, hours after it receiving its first hearing Thursday.

Montana Attorney General Tim Fox’s chief deputy has announced he plans to run for Fox’s seat in next year’s election. Republican Jon Bennion has worked at the Montana Department of Justice for the past six years. The 40-year-old Billings native says his tenure there gives him a distinct advantage in Montana’s 2020 Attorney General race.

Great Falls City Firefighter Jason Baker lost his battle with Stage IV lung cancer Wednesday morning. His friend and fellow firefighter, David Van Son, remembers Baker, an 18-year-veteran of the city’s fire fighting team, as not only a terrific firefighter, but an all-around great man. “Oh my God – Jason was probably the best friend that anyone could have. (gets emotional) Sorry about that. Jason was someone that would always bring a smile to your face no matter what was going on.”

Health care programs devastated following the state’s budget collapse over the last two years are getting pieced back together. State lawmakers Wednesday gave initial approval for a new plan for public health spending in Montana, which accounts for more than 40 percent of the state’s total budget.