Section
Government
Government
City Commission Meets Monday; Agenda and Packet Available for Review
1 source · helena city development & infras · 06:46
The Helena City Commission holds its regular meeting Monday, September 14, starting at 6 p.m. Residents who want to weigh in on any item before commissioners vote should plan to show up — public comment is accepted at regular meetings.
Government
Cascade County Investigators Probe 800 Suspect Signatures Tied to Independent Candidates Eisenhauer and Bodnar
1 source · montana free press · 06:47
The Cascade County Attorney's Office and Cascade County Sheriff's Office have opened an investigation into roughly 800 potentially fraudulent signatures gathered on behalf of two independent candidates — Michael Eisenhauer, running for U.S. House in Montana's Eastern Congressional District, and Seth Bodnar, running for the state's open U.S. Senate seat. At least one signature gatherer worked on both campaigns, and investigators are now working to determine the scope of the alleged misconduct.
Government
Democratic States Warn Supreme Court That Trump Mail-In Voting Order Would Disenfranchise Millions
1 source · daily montanan · 06:47
A coalition of Democratic-led states and voting rights organizations filed briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court this week arguing that President Donald Trump's executive order restricting mail-in voting would bar millions of Americans from casting ballots. The groups are asking the court to block enforcement of the order while legal challenges proceed.
Government
Montana Panel Advances Bill to Close Domestic Violence Firearm Loophole Ahead of 2027 Session
1 source · daily montanan · 06:47
A state advisory body voted last week to move forward draft legislation that would prohibit people convicted of domestic assault in Montana from purchasing or possessing firearms — a gap in state law that currently allows such individuals to legally own guns. The Criminal Justice Oversight Council approved the measure 9-to-7, sending it toward consideration in the 2027 legislative session.
Government
Lewis and Clark County Sends Absentee Ballot Envelopes to Printer Without Trump's Voter Barcodes
1 source · montana free press · 06:46
Lewis and Clark County and dozens of other Montana counties moved ahead this week with printing return envelopes for absentee ballots, opting not to include the individual voter barcodes that are central to President Donald Trump's mail screening initiative. With today marking the hard deadline for sending envelope designs to printers, elections officials across all 56 Montana counties didn't wait for the courts to sort out the president's plan.
Government
Montana Democrat Among Lawmakers Building Cross-State Network to Counter Conservative Organizing
1 source · daily montanan · 06:46
Montana state Sen. Cora Neuman is among a group of Democratic lawmakers from across the country working to build a more coordinated state-level political infrastructure, an effort party members say is modeled on the organized conservative networks that have shaped state legislatures for years.
Government
Helena Fire Chief: Most of What HFD Does Has Nothing to Do With Fires
1 source · montana free press · 06:46
If you picture the Helena Fire Department responding mostly to structure fires, the department's leadership would like a word. Fire Chief and Assistant Fire Chief sat down recently to explain what actually fills HFD's call log — and fires are a fraction of it.
Government
Helena City Commission Holds Administrative Meeting Tuesday
1 source · helena city development & infras · 06:46
The Helena City Commission is scheduled to hold an administrative meeting Tuesday, September 9, beginning at 5 p.m. An agenda and packet are available ahead of the session.
Government
Federal Judge Blocks BLM Order That Would Have Removed American Prairie Bison from Grazing Allotments
1 source · daily montanan · 06:46
A federal judge has ruled that American Prairie can keep its bison on three federal grazing allotments while a lawsuit over the animals' presence works its way through the courts — a significant early win for the conservation nonprofit in a fight that has divided ranchers and conservationists across north-central Montana.
Government
Downing Bill Would Strip HUD Funding from Sanctuary Cities, Casting a Shadow Over Several Montana Communities
1 source · montana free press · 06:46
U.S. Rep. Troy Downing is pushing legislation that would deny Department of Housing and Urban Development funding to so-called sanctuary cities — a move that, according to reporting by the political newsletter Capitolized, is aimed at least in part at communities in Montana.
Government
Federal Judge Blocks BLM From Forcing American Prairie's Bison Off Grazing Leases
1 source · montana free press · 06:46
A U.S. District Court judge sided with American Prairie this week, issuing a temporary restraining order that blocks the Bureau of Land Management from forcing the conservation organization to remove more than 300 privately owned bison from federal grazing leases. The 29-page ruling, filed Friday, found that the agency's attempt to redefine the words "live" and "stock" to exclude bison from the category of livestock was not a legally defensible basis for the removal order.
Government
Lawmakers Signal Independent Oversight Is Coming for Montana Department of Corrections
1 source · daily montanan · 06:46
Legislators are signaling that increased oversight of the Montana Department of Corrections is likely on the table — possibly as early as the 2027 session — after sustained pressure from prison rights advocates who say the agency has operated for too long without meaningful outside scrutiny.
Government
The Courts Are Running Montana This Week — And Nobody Seems Happy About It
edition · 09:01
If you wanted to understand how Montana government actually works right now, you'd do better studying court dockets than committee agendas. This week alone, a Lewis and Clark County district judge ruled that Montana Republican Party bylaws likely cross a legal line in controlling elected officials, a separate judge confirmed PSC Commissioner Brad Molnar's full suspension stands, a Butte judge sided against 406 People First in the data center ballot fight, and the Montana Supreme Court quietly extended briefing deadlines in two criminal appeals and the MTQEC environmental case. That's five significant judicial actions in a single week — and that's before you count the Idaho abortion ruling that legal observers say could ripple back into Montana courtrooms before long. For residents, the pattern is hard to miss: when the political branches deadlock or overreach, Helena's judges are increasingly the ones drawing the lines. The Montana Public Service Commission appeared three times in this week's coverage alone — a sign that the regulatory body, and its embattled membership, isn't done making news. Gov. Greg Gianforte, meanwhile, showed up on both ends of the spectrum: signing an executive order to help ranchers move hay and sitting across from a HUD secretary in Bozeman discussing foster youth housing. The governor is governing. The courts are also governing. And the legislature is issuing subpoenas to the Secretary of State. It's a lot of governing for a state that prides itself on not being governed.
Government
Legislative Committee Votes to Subpoena Secretary of State Over Voter Roll Data
1 source · daily montanan · 06:47
A legislative oversight committee voted 10-1 this week to subpoena Montana Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, demanding to know what voter roll information her office handed over to the U.S. Department of Justice. The move puts two Republican-controlled branches of state government on a collision course over transparency and election data — with Helena at the center of it.
Government
Gianforte Waives Trucking Rules to Help Ranchers Move Hay
1 source · daily montanan · 06:46
Gov. Greg Gianforte signed an executive order Monday temporarily relaxing motor carrier regulations on truck driver hours, a move aimed at helping ranchers across Montana get hay to their cattle during what has shaped up to be a brutal stretch for livestock operations.
Government
Idaho Abortion Ruling Could Ripple Into Montana, Set Up Supreme Court Return
1 source · daily montanan · 06:47
A federal court decision out of Idaho is drawing attention from abortion-rights advocates and legal observers across the region, including here in Montana, where the issue has its own complicated legal history. U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill ruled earlier this month that Idaho cannot enforce its abortion ban when a pregnancy threatens a person's physical or mental health — a broader standard than the narrow emergency exceptions most restrictive-state laws allow.
Government
Judge Orders PSC Commissioner Brad Molnar to Serve Out Full Suspension
1 source · daily montanan · 06:47
A Lewis and Clark County district court judge has confirmed that Montana Public Service Commission member Brad Molnar will remain suspended for a full year, ending a legal challenge that could have returned him to the regulatory body earlier. The ruling, issued from the courthouse on Last Chance Gulch, drew a firm line on what the court called the public interest in a harassment-free commission.
Government
Butte Judge Sides Against 406 People First in Data Center Ballot Fight
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:47
A Butte-Silver Bow County district judge has ruled against the citizen group 406 People First in its lawsuit over signature gathering for a ballot initiative that would have let voters weigh in on data center development in the county. District Judge Frank Joseph filed his ruling August 28, closing off what had been the group's last legal avenue to get the measure before voters.
Government
Montana DOT Director Chris Dorrington Leaving Oct. 1 for Private Sector
1 source · montana free press · 06:47
Montana Department of Transportation Director Chris Dorrington is stepping down October 1, the governor's office announced Monday, leaving one of the state's largest agencies without a permanent leader heading into fall construction season. Dorrington is departing for a job in the private sector, though the announcement did not identify his new employer.
Government
Montana Supreme Court Appeals Move Forward in Two Separate Criminal Cases
2 sources · mt supreme court daily orders · 06:46
The Montana Supreme Court has granted procedural extensions in two separate criminal appeals originating from District Court proceedings, keeping both cases active into late 2026. The orders, issued in recent weeks, reflect routine but consequential steps in the appellate process that determine when — and whether — convicted defendants receive final rulings on their cases.
Government
Montana Supreme Court Extends Briefing Deadline in MTQEC Environmental Case
1 source · mt supreme court daily orders · 06:48
The Montana Supreme Court has granted appellants additional time to file briefs in DA 26-0179, the case captioned MTQEC v. State, pushing the deadline for cross-appeal response and reply briefs to October 16, 2026.
Government
Libertarian Kyle Austin Makes His Case to Montana Voters in U.S. Senate Race
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:48
Kyle Austin, the Libertarian nominee for Montana's open U.S. Senate seat, is pushing back on the narrative that this fall's race is a three-way contest — and he wants Helena-area voters to know there are actually four names on the ballot.
Government
Helena City Commission Schedules Fifth Bylaws Work Session for August 31
1 source · helena city development & infras · 06:48
The Helena City Commission has scheduled a fifth bylaws work session for August 31 at 5 p.m., continuing a review process that has stretched across multiple meetings this year. Agenda and packet documents are available for the public ahead of the session.
Government
Data Center Fight in Billings Spawns Write-In Campaigns Against State Senator
1 source · montana free press · 06:48
The political fight over data centers in Billings has gotten personal enough to produce write-in candidates, with two opponents mounting campaigns against Sen. Daniel Zolnikov — described as the most tech-savvy Republican in the Montana Senate — in his race to represent Billings Heights and Shepherd.
Government
Judge Rules Montana GOP Bylaws Likely Cross Legal Line in Effort to Control Elected Officials
1 source · montana free press · 06:48
A Lewis and Clark County District Court judge ruled this week that several Montana Republican Party bylaw provisions are likely illegal, dealing a significant blow to the state party's attempts to exert formal control over publicly elected Republican officeholders.
Government
Montana's Courts Are Busy Reshaping the Political Landscape
edition · 09:01
Two separate district court rulings landed this week, and taken together they sketch a picture of a state where major policy fights are increasingly being settled by judges rather than lawmakers. In Lewis and Clark County, a district court judge struck down six sections of the Montana Republican Party's bylaws for contradicting state law — a ruling both sides spun as a win, which tells you how murky the legal terrain is. Meanwhile, down in Yellowstone County, a judge halted the state's planned forensic mental health facility in Laurel, ordering an environmental review before construction can proceed. That second ruling carries real weight for Helena residents: the state has been under federal pressure for years to improve its psychiatric care system, and a delayed facility means delayed relief for a system that advocates say is already at a breaking point. Add in the federal judge in Billings weighing Montana's AI election content law, and you've got three separate courts actively reshaping state policy in a single week. The Helena City Commission also called a special meeting for August 31 — the agenda wasn't posted at press time, but the timing, one day after a week of legal and political turbulence, has people paying attention.
Government
The PSC Is Having a Week — And It's Not Done Yet
edition · 09:01
If you only tracked one institution this week, it was the Montana Public Service Commission — and the story kept getting bigger every day. It started with hundreds of NorthWestern Energy customers, including Helena resident Michelle Sexton, reporting their August electric bills had tripled or more with no clear explanation. The PSC opened a formal review. Then, mid-week, Gov. Greg Gianforte appointed former PSC commissioner Kirk Bushman to fill the seat of suspended Commissioner Brad Molnar — a political maneuver that raised eyebrows about who's minding the utility watchdog while it's under fire. And to close out the week, Gianforte's own energy task force dropped a bombshell recommendation: scrap the elected PSC entirely and replace it with a governor-appointed board. For Helena-area residents still staring at a $400 August power bill they can't explain, the timing of that last recommendation is going to sting. The PSC appeared four times across this week's editions, and NorthWestern Energy logged 101 mentions in the week's coverage — the most of any private entity. The practical upshot for residents: the PSC investigation into the bill spikes is ongoing, but whether the body doing that investigating will look the same a year from now is very much an open question.
Government
Montana Guaranteed at Least $89 Million from Meta's $17.1 Billion Settlement
1 source · daily montanan · 06:49
Montana is guaranteed to receive at least $89 million from the landmark $17.1 billion settlement reached with Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram — though the final figure could be higher depending on how several settlement factors shake out.
Government
PSC Opens Review After Hundreds of NorthWestern Customers Report Sudden Bill Spikes
1 source · daily montanan · 06:49
The Montana Public Service Commission is investigating a spike in NorthWestern Energy electric bills for August, after hundreds of customers contacted the commission reporting charges they couldn't explain.
Government
Judge Strikes Down Six Sections of Montana GOP Bylaws, Both Sides Claim Victory
1 source · daily montanan · 06:49
A Lewis and Clark County district court judge ruled Wednesday that six sections of the Montana Republican Party's bylaws contradict state law — a decision that left both sides of the lawsuit declaring themselves the winner.
Government
Judge Halts State Psychiatric Facility in Laurel, Orders Environmental Review
1 source · montana free press · 06:48
A Yellowstone County district court judge has put the brakes on the state's planned forensic mental health facility in Laurel, granting a preliminary injunction that stops construction until a new environmental study is completed. Judge Ed Zink issued the ruling Wednesday in a lawsuit brought by Laurel CARED — Community Advocates for Responsible Economic Development — marking a significant legal victory for neighbors and residents who have fought the project.
Government
Gianforte Names Former PSC Commissioner to Fill Molnar's Seat During Suspension
1 source · daily montanan · 06:48
Gov. Greg Gianforte has appointed Kirk Bushman to fill a seat on the Montana Public Service Commission while Commissioner Brad Molnar remains suspended. Bushman, who previously served on the five-member regulatory board from 2013 through 2016, will hold the temporary appointment through July 8, 2027.
Government
Sheehy Makes Case for Passenger Rail at Helena Summit, Eyes Tourism and Federal Dollars
1 source · daily montanan · 06:48
U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy told a room of rail advocates and state officials Wednesday that Montana needs to get serious about passenger rail — and that federal support could help make it happen. Sheehy, a Republican, spoke at the Greater Northwest Rail Summit in Helena, arguing that expanded passenger service could relieve pressure on the state's increasingly crowded airports while driving new tourism revenue.
Government
Helena City Commission Calls Special Meeting for August 31
1 source · helena city development & infras · 06:48
The Helena City Commission has scheduled a special meeting for Monday, August 31, beginning at 6:00 p.m. The agenda and packet materials are available to the public ahead of the session, and public comment is typically accepted at commission meetings.
Government
Gianforte Energy Task Force Recommends Replacing Elected PSC with Appointed Board
1 source · daily montanan · 06:46
The top recommendation from Gov. Greg Gianforte's energy task force is a significant one: Montana should consider scrapping its elected Public Service Commission in favor of an appointed body. The Governor's Office released the task force's findings Tuesday, and the PSC restructuring proposal leads a list of changes the group says are needed to stabilize and modernize the state's energy framework.
Government
Helena-Area NorthWestern Energy Customers Report Summer Bills Tripling, Demand Answers
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:46
NorthWestern Energy customers across the Helena area are opening their August bills and doing double-takes. Helena resident Michelle Sexton said her electrical bill tripled from July to August, and she wasn't alone — hundreds of customers took to social media in recent days to ask neighbors whether they were seeing the same thing.
Government
Federal Judge Takes Up Montana's AI Election Content Law
1 source · ktvh helena · 19:42
A federal judge in Billings is weighing the constitutionality of a Montana law that bars the use of AI-generated content designed to deceive voters — but only during the 60-day window before an election. The 2025 Legislature passed the restriction as AI-generated images and audio became increasingly common in political advertising nationally, and Montana candidates and advocacy groups began using the technology in their own materials.
Government
Lawsuit Argues NorthWestern Merger Hearings Can't Proceed While Molnar Sits Suspended from PSC
1 source · daily montanan · 06:49
A new lawsuit filed against the state argues that the Montana Public Service Commission cannot legitimately proceed with hearings on NorthWestern Energy's proposed merger while Commissioner Brad Molnar remains suspended — a legal challenge that could throw one of the most consequential utility proceedings in recent Montana history into further uncertainty.
Government
Two Republican Lawmakers Sue Attorney General, Secretary of State Over Term Limit Ruling That Would Pull Them From November Ballot
1 source · daily montanan · 06:45
Two Republican state lawmakers filed suit Friday against Attorney General Austin Knudsen and the Secretary of State after Knudsen issued a decision this week that would remove them from the November ballot on term limit grounds. The lawsuit puts a legal challenge directly in front of the courts before the state Republican Party moves to replace the affected candidates.
Government
Knudsen Reverses 14-Year-Old Term Limit Opinion, Triggering Court Fight Over November Ballot
1 source · montana free press · 06:46
Attorney General Austin Knudsen this week rescinded a 2012 legal opinion that has governed how Montana enforces its legislative term limits, replacing it with a new interpretation that would allow two veteran Republican lawmakers to run for the 2027 Legislature — and setting up a court confrontation with a ballot-certification deadline bearing down fast.
Government
Courts and Legal Pressure Are Reshaping Montana Policy From the Ground Up
edition · 09:02
Three separate legal battles moved forward this week, and taken together they sketch a portrait of a state whose major policy questions are increasingly being sorted out by judges rather than legislators. A Missoula District Court judge heard arguments over House Bill 121, the 2025 bathroom law whose outcome, as this outlet noted, could directly affect Helena facilities. The Montana House Majority Leader said he expects to file a lawsuit after Attorney General Austin Knudsen's term limits ruling threatened to knock Republican primary winners off the November ballot — a collision between the AG's office and legislative leadership that is anything but routine. And a state commission is putting finishing touches on its final report examining whether Montana adequately funds its public schools, a document that could set the table for its own legal challenge if the findings are unfavorable. For Lewis and Clark County residents, the practical upshot is uncertainty: facilities policies, ballot eligibility, and school budgets all hinge on proceedings that haven't concluded. Watch the courthouse calendars as much as the legislative calendar between now and November.
Government
Montana's U.S. Senate Race Turns Into a Three-Ring Circus — and Helena Is Watching
edition · 09:02
The 2026 U.S. Senate race generated more column inches this week than any other single political story, and the picture it painted was one of a Democratic Party in open distress and an independent candidate who refused to blink. Twenty-two Democratic state lawmakers signed a public letter asking nominee Alani Bankhead to step aside — an extraordinary show of intraparty fracture that played out in the open while Seth Bodnar, the independent candidate, held a Billings news conference to announce he wasn't going anywhere, with 80 hours left before the withdrawal deadline. Bodnar appeared twice in this week's coverage, both times in the same defiant posture. Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate itself — back in Washington — confirmed a new FEMA administrator, confirmed a new attorney general, passed a stopgap spending bill, and blocked a voter ID measure, all in a single overnight session before heading home for recess. And closer to Helena, a federal judge ordered the release of a Yellowstone County man held at Cascade County Detention Center whose attorneys argued the detention was unlawful. The week's political coverage adds up to something Helena residents have felt for a while: the decisions being made in courtrooms, party offices, and the Senate chamber are landing closer to home than the distance suggests.
Government
Term Limits Ruling Could Knock GOP Primary Winners Off November Ballot
1 source · daily montanan · 06:47
Montana House Majority Leader Steve Fitzpatrick said Thursday he expects to file a lawsuit after Attorney General Austin Knudsen issued a ruling this week that could remove him and other Republican primary winners from the November ballot. The decision hinges on how the state counts terms for the purposes of term limit calculations — a question that Fitzpatrick, a Great Falls Republican, said has been interpreted inconsistently and now threatens to upend races that were already decided by voters in June.
Government
Stillwater Mine Workers Hold Columbus Town Hall as Contract Talks Stall
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:47
More than 50 union members and Columbus-area residents packed the United Steelworkers union hall Thursday evening to hear where things stand in contract negotiations between Sibanye Stillwater and United Steelworkers Local 11-0001. The gathering had the feel of a community meeting as much as a union briefing — residents whose livelihoods are tied to the mine showed up alongside workers, reflecting how central the Stillwater operation is to that stretch of Stillwater County.
Government
Helena City Commission Meets Monday Evening; Public Comment Open
1 source · helena city development & infras · 06:47
The Helena City Commission holds its next regular meeting Monday, August 17, beginning at 6 p.m. The agenda and full packet are available for review ahead of the meeting, and public comment is accepted in the standard format.
Government
Missoula Judge Hears Arguments Over State Bathroom Law; Outcome Could Affect Helena Facilities
1 source · montana free press · 06:47
A Missoula District Court judge heard oral arguments Thursday in a lawsuit challenging House Bill 121, the 2025 state law that requires sex-segregated spaces in multiuser public bathrooms, dormitories, and locker rooms. The case is one of the more closely watched civil rights challenges working through Montana courts this year, and a ruling could affect public facilities across the state, including those in Helena.
Government
After Spokane Fires, Montana Officials Urge Residents to Harden Their Homes Now
1 source · daily montanan · 06:47
With wildfires burning across Montana and the memory of devastating urban fires in Spokane fresh in the minds of emergency managers, state officials and forestry professionals gathered in Alberton this week to drive home a message for homeowners: the time to prepare is before the fire starts, not during it.
Government
Helena City Commission Holds Administrative Meeting Tuesday Evening
1 source · helena city commission · 06:47
The Helena City Commission is scheduled to hold an administrative meeting Tuesday, August 12, beginning at 5 p.m. Agenda documents and a meeting packet have been posted for public review ahead of the session.
Government
State Commission Nears Final Report on Whether Montana Adequately Funds Public Schools
1 source · ktvh helena · 06:47
A state commission that has spent more than a year examining Montana's public school funding formula is putting the finishing touches on its final report, and one of the legislators leading the effort says the work is laying the groundwork for a more thorough legislative debate to come.
Government
Residents Confront PSC Over North Star Water Shortages, NorthWestern Rate Delay
1 source · daily montanan · 06:46
Members of the public pressed the Montana Public Service Commission on Tuesday over two unresolved issues that have frustrated Helena-area ratepayers for months: ongoing water problems in the North Star subdivision and a stalled NorthWestern Energy rate case that residents say has dragged on without resolution.