Gov. Steve Bullock’s request for more than $20 million for preschool funding is not included in the legislature’s initial draft of public education funding. The Legislative Subcommittee on Education finished its work Tuesday outlining money for public schools for the next two years.

HELENA -- The 2018 Federal Farm Bill legalized industrial hemp production and Montana lawmakers are considering the best ways to integrate it into the state’s agriculture economy. Sen. Tom Jacobson, D-Great Falls, is sponsoring two hemp-related bills. Senate Bill 176 would allow the Montana Department of Agriculture to create a hemp certification program plan. Senate Bill 177 would eliminate the criminal background check requirement to grow hemp. The Montana Senate passed both bills this week

HELENA — The Federal Communications Commission standard for broadband download speed is 25 megabits per second. According to a report published by the FCC in 2017, about half of Montanans have access to the minimum speeds.

Montana’s 2015 campaign finance law survived its biggest test Tuesday. The U.S. Supreme Court, without comment, declined to take up a case challenging the state’s Disclose Act . The high court leaves in place a lower court’s ruling that Montana’s so-called 'Disclose Act' is constitutional.

The long running debate over executing state prisoners is again surfacing in the Montana legislature as two men sit, condemned to die, in Deer Lodge.

Tonight on Capitol Talk: Medicaid politics; how Sen. Tester has moved to the center; and what's Gov. Bullock doing in Iowa again? Tune in now for these stories and more from the state Capitol, with Eric Whitney, Holly Michels and Rob Saldin.

Montanans could vote in 2020 to legalize recreational marijuana in the state. There’s no official ballot measure proposed, yet. But lawmakers are expecting one, and are now considering studying the possible impacts ahead of time.

Gov. Steve Bullock is traveling to Iowa this week. It will be his fifth trip to the Hawkeye State since he began exploring a possible 2020 presidential run last year. At least 11 Democrats are running for president or have formed exploratory committees, but Bullock has repeatedly deflected questions about his plans.

Gov. Steve Bullock says he’s willing to consider all options for the future of Montana’s Medicaid expansion program as debate about it gets underway at the state Legislature. However Thursday, Bullock criticized the idea of adding workforce requirements, a proposal backed by Republicans.

The Montana House of Representatives gave initial approval to remove Columbus Day from the list of state legal holidays and replace it with Indigenous Peoples Day. The House voted 62-38 to approve the creation of Indigenous Peoples Day, on the second Monday in October.