Montana News & Current Events | Public News Service

Roughly 120,000 Montana families receive some form of public assistance. Many are caregivers or single parents and 97% are employed. (Adobe Stock)

Monday, October 21, 2024

New report shows who gets Montana public assistance and why

A new report from the Headwaters Foundation in Montana showed at least half the people who receive public assistance are only enrolled for one year…

The Well Done Foundation said it is working to plug some 126,000 abandoned oil and gas wells in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Montana rancher works to cap abandoned oil and gas wells

By Michaela Haas for Reasons to be Cheerful.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Big Sky Connection reporting for the Solutions Journalism Network-Publ…

This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Indian Citizenship Act, securing Native Americans' right to vote in the United States. (Adobe Stock)

Tribal leaders mark Indigenous Peoples Day urging Native vote

Today is Indigenous Peoples' Day, and tribal leaders are using the occasion to call on people in Indian Country to vote in the upcoming election…

The town of Libby, Mont., population 3,100, is looking to Flathead Valley Community College to train future workers in fields to keep them and their children close to home. (Adobe Stock)

Community college anchors rural Montana town's future

By Denali Sagner for The Hechinger Report.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Big Sky Connection reporting for The Hechinger Report-Public News Servic…

Many residents of Montana's seven Indigenous tribes live several hours from the nearest polling place. Advocates are pushing back on efforts to limit remote ballot collection efforts on tribal lands. (Adobe Stock)

Indigenous groups fight limiting remote ballot collection

Montana's Indigenous population is pushing back against efforts to limit ballot collection on tribal lands. Many members of the state's seven tribes …

An estimated 85,000 Montana residents stand to lose their Medicaid coverage if a program expansion expires next year. Opponents of the expansion said Medicaid should not be a long-term health care option. (Adobe Stock)

85,000 Montanans stand to lose Medicaid

Montana's expanded Medicaid program is set to expire next year. People who rely on it are calling on lawmakers for an extension but opponents argued …

Montana residents who qualify can receive up to $675 in property tax rebates. (Adobe Stock)

Deadline approaches for Montana tax rebate

Tomorrow is the deadline for Montana residents who qualify to apply for a property tax rebate. The State Legislature passed the measure during its …

Little Rye was among the winners of the 2023 Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund's Pups for Public Lands photo contest. (MCVEF)

Pups with a purpose: Photo contest a backdrop for MT public lands

A Montana conservation group is holding a photo contest, with a focus on dogs and social media to promote the state's vast trove of public lands…

Western Native Voice's 'Snag Dat Vote' is designed to make sure every Indigenous voter is prepared and energized to cast their ballot. (Adobe Stock)

Indigenous group travels Montana to 'get out the vote'

Montana's largest Indigenous rights group is hosting a series of events around the state to empower Native voters as the election draws closer…

As part of its Collaborative Wildfire Risk Reduction Program, the U.S. Forest Service has made $8 million available to help prevent fires in Montana by reducing hazardous fuels. (Adobe Stock)

$8 million to be used to reduce Montana wildfire fuel

The U.S. Forest Service is spending $8 million to reduce wildfire risk in Montana, part of a larger federal program funded by the Inflation Reduction …

Conservation groups in Montana have sued the U.S. Forest Service for a logging project in an area of the Bitterroot National Forest that's been home to a successful wolverine den, according to Alliance for the Wild Rockies. (Adobe Stock)

Montana suit: Logging project threatens critical habitat

Two conservation groups have filed suit in a federal court in Montana to stop a U.S. Forest Service logging project that would clear cut large stands …

A program at Montana State University has shown success in reducing the rate of youth suicide by educating students about alternatives. (Adobe Stock)

Experts want more school mental health services

Mental health experts have released a checklist for parents of students headed back to school in Montana. Research shows kids who need services are …

Montana has been carried by the Republican presidential candidate in every election between 1996 and 2020. The last Democrat to carry the state was Bill Clinton in 1992. (Adobe Stock)

Key election issues for Montanans: Population growth, health care, education

Labor Day typically kicks the campaign season into high gear in an election year as candidates sprint to the finish line. Montana has traditionally …

U.S. Justice Dept. hits Montana landlord with $25,000 discrimination fine

The U.S. Justice Department has issued a ruling against a Livingston, Montana, landlord for discriminating against a tenant. The consent decree …

Bozeman's current Affordable Housing Ordinance was adopted in 2022 to provide incentives encouraging developers to build affordable housing in exchange for permissions to build outside the zoning code, a type of density bonus, according to Forward Montana. (Adobe Stock)

Confronting Bozeman's affordable housing shortage

An advocacy group in Bozeman is calling on young people and low-income renters to take on the city's notorious housing crunch. More than half of the …

A new documentary short captures how these organizations are innovating to open doors for Missoula residents to become property owners (Neighborkworks Montana)

Montana group uses co-op model to take on housing crisis

A coalition of advocates is using a novel approach to address the housing shortage in Missoula, helping renters become owners. Prices and …

Supporters of the Inflation Reduction Act say clean energy installations bring jobs to local economies. Montana is eyeing the potential in wind energy infrastructure. (Adobe Stock)

IRA funds clean energy jobs in Montana, critics skeptical of cost

Environmental advocates are heralding added jobs and ecosystem protections funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, which just marked its two-year …

The latest data show 1 in 3 young females report symptoms of a mental health disorder, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (Adobe Stock)

Doctors: Prioritize mental health for Montana school kids

Montana's 166,000 students are headed back to the classroom soon. Beyond the typical school supplies like pencils, notebooks and backpacks, doctors …

A lawsuit prompting a decision in federal court ordering a re-evaluation of the status of the Arctic grayling was brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, Western Watersheds Project and Butte resident Pat Munday, with representation by Earthjustice. (Adobe Stock)

Montana federal judge rules for threatened Arctic grayling

A federal district court judge in Missoula has ruled the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must reconsider whether to list Montana's Arctic grayling …

Nearly half of all Montanans (482,214) have a library card, according to the state. (Adobe Stock)

Libraries sound alarm about ultra-conservative agenda

The Every Library Institute has just released a report contending the Republican Party's conservative agenda outlined in the Heritage Foundation's Pro…

Montana's 872 Commission is asking lawmakers to address the

Montana mental health experts call for more student funding

Montana is spending $300 million to improve mental health services in the state. Experts are focusing on six key areas. Montana's mental health …

Native American children make up more than a third of the foster care caseload in Montana, despite representing less than 10% of the state's child population, according to a data analysis by the Montana Free Press. (Adobe Stock)

Racial gaps persist for Montana's Indigenous foster care youth

New research shows Indigenous youth comprise more than a third of the children in Montana's foster care system, despite making up a far smaller …

The Hechinger Report's Tuition Tracker allows students to compare a school's graduation rates, which shows the likelihood of successfully completing their degree on time. That can affect affordability. (Adobe Stock)

Tuition calculator helpful for college-bound rural Montanans

For Montanans preparing to start college this fall, an interactive online Tuition Tracker can help them figure out some of the costs ahead of time…

Wildfires in the western United States have burned more than 1.3 million acres of vegetation so far in 2024. Officials warn flooding is a serious danger in the burn scars left by the blazes after the flames are out. (Adobe Stock)

Dangerous floods loom following Montana wildfires

The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation has issued flood alerts following wildfires burning huge swaths of the state. Floods …

The University of Montana is using traditional gender stereotypes in its marketing materials to attract male students, whose numbers have been down in recent years. Administrators say the campaign seems to be having an effect. (University of Montana)

UM 'leans in' to gender stereotypes to attract male students

By Jon Marcus for The Hechinger Report.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Big Sky Connection reporting for The Hechinger Report-Public News Service C…

An outdoor coalition is fighting plans for a $4 billion copper mine on land near Sheep Creek, which feeds the iconic Smith River. (Miranda Hernandez)

Coalition: Mine threatens Montana's iconic Smith River

Nearly 10,000 Montanans have petitioned the U.S. Forest Service to prevent mining activity in the iconic Smith River watershed. The Smith is known …

A report by the mental health advocacy organization Inseparable showed one in five police shootings involve someone with a mental illness. (Adobe Stock)

Montana's mental health hotline addresses crises

A national mental health advocacy organization called Inseparable has released a report on the rollout of the 988 crisis line for people going through…

Montana was chosen to host the $41 million Headwaters Hub partly because its rural geography makes it ideal for studying and creating jobs in photonics. (Adobe Stock)

Headwaters tech hub brings $41 million to MT

Montana has been granted $41 million to create a training and education program for new jobs in the high-tech sector. The Headwaters Hub is part of …

Western Montana could see highs up to 105 degrees this week, according to the National Weather Service. (Adobe Stock)

Excessive Montana heat prompts virtual emergency health care

Health care experts are warning people outdoors to use caution when engaging in sunny summertime activities. Medical service providers say virtual …

Doctors and the Montana Department of Health and Human Services have structured the previously informal process of

'Drive-thru' blood network addresses critical shortage in rural MT

By Arielle Zionts for KFF Health News.Broadcast version by Mark Moran for Big Sky Connection reporting for the KFF Health News-Public News Service Col…

The Northern Goshawk is dependent on old-growth forests and is especially good at getting into tight spaces. A federal judge in Montana has blocked a logging project that threatened the birds' habitat. (Adobe Stock)

Federal judge blocks logging project, protects iconic hawk

A federal court judge in Montana blocked a large project which would have logged or clear-cut more than 10,000 acres of old-growth forest and threaten…

Wild animals can be aggressive if people don't respect their space, according to the National Park Service. (Adobe Stock)

After 83-year-old gored in Yellowstone, wildlife experts warn bison 'not in a zoo'

Wildlife experts are warning people not to get too close to the animals in national parks as the summer travel season heats up. Overeager tourists …

Montana currently has no law against the use of gestation crates to raise livestock. (Adobe Stock)

Montana feels effects of California 'price gouging'

California joined a dozen other states across the U.S. either banning or regulating the use of gestation crates to raise livestock and a ballot …

'Death by a thousand cuts' for Bozeman's low-income renters

A group formed to fight for the rights of Bozeman's lower-income renters is pushing for mandatory legal assistance for people facing eviction…

The Anaconda-Pintler Wilderness is popular with hikers in Montana. (Adobe Stock)

Judge set to rule on massive MT logging project

A federal judge in Montana is holding a hearing next Tuesday on a motion for an injunction against the Pintler Face logging and burning project on Bea…

Many of the rules governing oil and gas operations on Montana public lands had not been updated in a century. (Adobe Stock)

MT groups fight to preserve new BLM oil and gas rule

Montana groups are working to save a new Bureau of Land Management rule about oil and gas leasing on public lands. They have hand-delivered a …

Energy derived by coal in Montana overtook hydropower last year as the result of Western drought. Hydropower had been the recent leader. (Adobe Stock)

Rural MT emissions up in the air

While only 18% of Americans live in rural areas, they produce more than a third of the nation's emissions. Nearly half of Montana's population is …

In Montana, one-third of fourth graders scored at or above proficient in reading in 2022, according to the new Annie E. Casey Kids Count Data Book. (Adobe Stock)

Report: MT kids face poverty, lack reading and math proficiency

New data show Montana ranks 20th for the overall well-being of its children. The Annie E. Casey Foundation's "Kids Count Data Book" reported the …

Montana is not among the list of states outlawing or restricting restaurants' use of meat products from producers using gestation crates to raise their livestock for the food chain. (Adobe Stock)

Report: Popular MT restaurants 'lag' in banning gestation crates

A prominent animal-safety group is calling on restaurants to do more to ban the use of animal gestation crates where livestock and poultry are grown f…

With the online tool Ballot Builder, advocates are working to make voting easier, more accessible and efficient for Indigenous people living on Montana's seven reservations. (Adobe Stock)

MT goes live with online tool for Indigenous voters

Indigenous leaders in Montana have announced the release of an online tool to help Native voters learn about the issues and candidates on the ballot…

Nationwide, about 27% of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 cast a ballot in the 2022 midterm election, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement at Tufts University. (Adobe Stock)

MT's young, rural voters in spotlight

Get-out-the-vote advocates in Montana are spending more time and money than ever to get young people educated about the elections and get them to the …

The Department of Veterans Affairs Volunteer Transportation Network is a partnership with Disabled American Veterans. The administration is recruiting more drivers in Montana to provide rides to vets who often live far from their health care providers. (Adobe Stock)

VA needs more volunteer drivers in rural Montana

The Department of Veterans Affairs is warning that rural America is in drastic need of volunteer drivers to help get vets to medical appointments…

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte vetoed Senate Bill 442 after the Senate had adjourned, leaving lawmakers no chance to override the veto of the popular measure. (Adobe Stock)

Marijuana revenue veto override fails as critics claim 'judicial overreach'

Montana constitutional experts say the state Supreme Court did the right thing by providing lawmakers a chance to override the governor's veto of a po…

Montana is among 10 election battleground states featured in a new report on attitudes of rural American voters. (Adobe Stock)

Poll: Montana battleground voters are 'economic populists'

A new report by the Rural Democracy Initiative shows voters in key battleground states, including Montana, could play a significant role in the 2024 …

Corporate grocery chains raised prices well above what was necessary during the pandemic, and continue to do so today, according to a report by the Federal Trade Commission. (Adobe Stock)

FTC says corporate grocers gouge Montana shoppers

The latest report from the Federal Trade Commission says despite an easing of pandemic related supply chains and economic stressors, major grocers …

In Montana, 6.9% of children do not have health insurance, ranking the state 44th out of 51, according to Georgetown University's study. (Adobe Stock)

MT sees nation's highest percentage of kids losing Medicaid

More than 4 million children nationwide were removed from Medicaid and CHIP health coverage by the end of 2023 as the government reset the programs af…

New federal rules will govern 245 million acres of public lands in the United States, including in Montana. (Adobe Stock)

New oil and gas mining rules benefit wilderness, rankle companies

The Bureau of Land Management has released a pair of rules that will change how the agency manages 245 million acres of public land. The rules …

Montana classrooms have seen a more than 12% increase in the number of special education students, according to the latest data. (Adobe Stock)

MT disability advocates sue to stop school vouchers

Advocates for the rights of people with disabilities have joined the Montana Quality Education Association in a suit to stop a school voucher bill in …

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