Montana Representative Greg Gianforte is trying to win support in Congress for more roadbuilding on public lands. Conservationists say he’s trying to turn back the clock to policies that proved unsustainable. On Tuesday, Gianforte chaired a House subcommittee hearing focused on road closures and access on U.S. Forest Service lands.

State lawmakers will formally vote on a proposal for the legislature to come back to Helena for a July 16 special session. Secretary of State Corey Stapleton tweeted just before five Wednesday afternoon that his office will send out ballots to legislators as soon as possible. The effort to convene a special session comes at the request of Republicans concerned about a pair of citizens initiatives that will likely appear on ballots this November.

Unlike in April, there were few fireworks Wednesday over President Trump's nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs. In April, Democratic Senator Jon Tester endured a tweet-storm from Trump after Tester released a list of anonymous accusations that Trump's previous nominee was unfit for the job. That nominee, Admiral Ronny Jackson, subsequently withdrew his nomination. The President then tweeted that Tester should resign from the Senate, and said he'd come to Montana to campaign against his re

The Senate has started debating its version of the Farm Bill, and both of Montana’s Senators, Jon Tester and Steve Daines , say their chamber’s version of the Farm Bill is good news for Montana farmers and ranchers. But they disagree on at least one important aspect of it. First, Yellowstone Public Radio's Jackie Yamanaka reports on what they agree on.

A new study funded in part by the coal industry says shutting down of Colstrip ’s two newer, larger coal-fired electricity generators in the next decade could have a huge impact statewide. Colstrip’s two older units, 1 and 2, will shut down no later than July 2022 because of a Clean Air Act lawsuit settlement. But the future of the newer units, 3 and 4, remains uncertain.

A proposal to ban mining near Yellowstone National Park got its first hearing in the U.S. House today. It has the unconditional support of Montana’s lone representative, Republican Greg Gianforte . Congressman Gianforte is an ardent supporter of the natural resources extraction industries. Even so, he testified against mining before a House Natural Resources subcommittee Thursday.

Several hundred people rallied in Missoula and Kalispell Wednesday to protest the Trump administration’s policy of separating families attempting to enter the country illegally at the southern border. Though President Trump overturned that policy through an executive order Wednesday afternoon, many in Missoula remained skeptical.

The Flathead Basin Commission is redefining its role protecting water quality in northwest Montana, after legislators gutted its funding last November and its executive director was fired in February. The Commission spent much of Wednesday reinventing itself.

Mining industry advocates went on the offensive Wednesday against a proposed ballot initiative they say would effectively ban future mining in the state. The opposition group to ballot initiative 186 announced its launch a day after the Montana Supreme Court ruled against the mining industry’s request to void the initiative .

The Montana Supreme Court today unanimously denied a request by the Montana Mining Association to toss out a proposed ballot initiative for being legally insufficient to put before voters. Sponsors are collecting signatures for the initiative to require future mines to submit reclamation plans that don't require the perpetual cleanup of polluted water after the mines close.