Following the collapse of the state budget last year, lawmakers are considering changing how the state plans out its budgeting process. However, a proposal from the state budget director on the topic doesn't seem to be receiving support from Republican finance leaders.

Now that Montana's primary elections are over, we're profiling the candidates voters will choose in November to represent Montana in Congress. Today, Greg Gianfort e, the Republican who won the special election last year earlier to replace Ryan Zinke, who was appointed Secretary of Interior.

Revenue projections indicate the state will likely have enough money at the end of the fiscal year to backfill $45 million in cuts made to state agencies during last year’s special legislative session. “We are extremely hopeful,” says Representative Nancy Ballance , the Republican chair of the Legislative Finance Committee, which met Monday morning.

A report being released today says Montana’s uninsured rate is staying steady at about half of what it was before Medicaid expansion started in 2016. It says just under eight percent of Montanans now lack health insurance. And, one of the studies outlines what it says are clear benefits to the state as voters and state lawmakers are considering whether to end Medicaid expansion.

The Montana Broadcasters Association made a last minute pivot Sunday morning from a debate format to more of a moderated town hall when it became clear only Senator Jon Tester would be participating.

The Montana Broadcasters Association is still planning to hold its Senate candidate debate Sunday in Whitefish, but only one candidate is going to be there. Republican Matt Rosendale reportedly backed out of the debate after saying he’d be there. His campaign later said the debate conflicted with Rosendale’s Father’s Day plans and it was scheduled without his input.

Nature is a powerful economic driver here, and livelihoods depend on cold water and healthy fish. People know it’s warming, but few will say that's climate change.

There’s a potential problem with how Montana determines which schools will get special assistance under the replacement for the federal No Child Left Behind law. It’s with how schools handle basic student attendance records.

Leaders of Montana’s K-12 public schools system will update state lawmakers Thursday morning about progress on rolling out the replacement for the federal No Child Left Behind Act following cuts to education funding last year. The Office of Public Instruction plans to brief lawmakers on the schools identified this spring as the lowest performing five percent in the state.

Leaders from the Blackfeet Nation and U.S. Interior Department signed documents Tuesday implementing a $471 million settlement over water rights claims.