The candidates for Montana's two contested seats in Congress this year, and their supporters, spent more than $76 million over the last two years in their election campaigns. The U.S. Senate race between Democrat Jon Tester and Republican Matt Rosendale brought in most of that money, making it the most expensive election contest in state history.

There’s been some improvement in Montana’s roads, bridges and other public works projects since 2014, but they’re still generally in mediocre shape. That’s according to a new report card from the American Society of Civil Engineers. It gave Montana a ‘C’ grade Thursday in its latest analysis of public infrastructure here .

Remember back in March, when high school students in several towns across Montana staged marches against gun violence ? The marches began a month after 17 students and staffers were shot to death at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. One of those groups, Helena Youth Against Gun Violence , has remained active. They hosted a U.S. House candidates forum last spring, and on Tuesday night held what they called their re-launch meeting.

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester 's chief of staff says the Senator ‘misheard’ a question Tuesday night that led to his comment that Montana Gov. Steve Bullock would run for the U.S. Senate in 2020. Tester’s comment about Gov. Bullock’s future plans came at an event of American University College Democrats, in Washington D.C.

An environmental SuperPAC says environmental messaging helped swing a handful of tight midterm races last month, including Montana’s hotly-contested U.S. Senate race. The League of Conservation Voters Victory Fund urges future candidates to remember these results. “And if they don’t, I think it will be at their peril," says LCV Victory Fund’s Pete Maysmith.

There is a fight brewing in the Montana Legislature over how much power House leadership should have to keep bills they don’t like from going forward. It’s revealing lines between conservative and moderate factions in the Republican caucus; and how it plays out could determine the way high-profile policy is made. “There’s a lot at stake in this game,” says Derek Skees , a Republican party whip in the House.

Senator Steve Daines visited Turkey and Afghanistan last weekend, meeting with top U.S. military and diplomatic officials, and with Montana National Guard troops stationed in Afghanistan. About 60 soldiers with the Kalispell-based 495th Combat Sustainment Support Battalion deployed there in June. Daines spoke with Montana reporters about his visit today.

Legislative analysts estimate Montana would have to spend nearly $59 million more over two years to continue its Medicaid expansion program. But those costs of providing health insurance for about 95,000 people could be covered by expected state revenue.

A decade out from the Great Recession, personal incomes and wages are growing in Montana faster than most other places in the United States. “It’s one of the top ten states with the strongest growth in total personal income, both over the ten years since the start of the Great Recession and over the past year,” says Barb Rosewicz, a project director with The Pew Charitable Trusts State Fiscal Health research team.

A group of self-described concerned citizens are proposing an alternative to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal Water Compact to settle water rights claims on and around the Flathead Reservation. The state Legislature narrowly passed the CSKT Compact in 2015. It now awaits federal ratification. Without a compact, some 10,000 tribal water claims extending farther east than Billings would need to be adjudicated individually.