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Montana’s federal lawmakers are scrambling to pass a bill they have been working on for yers — decades in the making — that would provide funding to rehabilitate and repair the failed irrigation system that provides much of the water in the Milk River each year. The Senate acted quickly last Thursday to unanimously pass a bill that includes funding St. Mary Diversion and Conveyance, money that could repair a catastrophic failure that shut the system down. The Senate passed Thursday by unanimous consent the Fort Belknap India...
From U.S. Department of the Interior WASHINGTON — The Department of the Interior today announced that 56 local governments in Montana will receive a total of $43.3 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes funding for 2024. Because local governments cannot tax Federal lands, annual PILT payments help to defray the costs associated with maintaining important community services. A release from U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., lists the Montana payments, which included $1,258,897 for Blaine County, $483,587 for Chouteau County, $...
There are 33 million reasons to protect Medicare Advantage. That’s how many American seniors and persons with disabilities rely on the program for affordable health care with more benefits and better health outcomes at a lower cost than fee-for-service Medicare. I should know — as a senior living with tight margins every month, the cost of my health care is very important to me given the increase in costs of just about everything these days. Thankfully, Sen. Jon Tester has long been a supporter of Medicare Advantage, a pro...
Editor’s note: This version corrects that the Senate passed the bill Thursday. The Senate acted quickly Thursday to unanimously pass a bill that includes funding for the system that provides much of the water running through the Milk River, money that could repair a catastrophic failure that shut the system down. The Senate passed Thursday by unanimous consent the Fort Belknap Indian Community Water Rights Settlement Act, sponsored by by Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., and c...
A siphon on the more-than-100-year-old system that provides much - almost all, in drought years - to the Milk River broke Monday, shutting down the system. The Montana Area Office of the Bureau of Reclamation area manager said Tuesday the bureau was waiting for the water to finish flowing out of the breached siphons on the St. Mary Diversion and Conveyance Works and is working to get a feel for impacts caused by the breach and looking at possible models for replacement or...
Having proudly served as former secretaries of state in Montana, we understand how important democracy is to the people of our state. It’s not a matter of what side of the aisle you stand on — it’s a matter of what you value. Recently our state’s Supreme Court reaffirmed that Montanan’s right to cast a ballot is not a mere privilege — it is a right guaranteed by our Constitution. A coalition of lawmakers in Congress, including Montana’s Sen. Jon Tester, are working to uphold the integrity of our democracy through the F...
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., said Tuesday that he made another request for assistance in dealing with Monday’s catastrophic failure of the St. Mary Diversion and Conveyance Works that provides much of the water in the Milk River each year. Taster said in a press release that he called on President Joe Biden Tuesday to include the Milk River Project in his administration’s domestic supplemental package, which would make federal funding available to assist in the reconstruction of the St. Mary’s canal. “While it is too early t...
Updated 1:58 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, 2024 The Montana Area Office of the Bureau of Reclamation area manager said today the bureau is waiting for the water to finish flowing out of the breached siphons on the St. Mary Diversion and Conveyance Works and is working to get a feel for impacts caused by the breach and looking at possible models for replacement or partial repair. “We’re currently in an analysis, data gathering stage and we’re going to be in that posture for at least...
Posted 2:45 p.m. Monday, June 17, 2024 Editor’s note: This version corrects that Babb did experience flooding. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said a siphon on the St. Mary Diversion and Conveyance Works that provides much of the water to the Milk River each year breached about 8:45 this morning, causing flooding at a motel and shutting down the diversion. "Emergency response teams have been deployed to contain and evaluate the damage," Ryan Newman, Reclamation's Montana Area Offic...
Work is set to start on repairing a major part of the system that has been called “The Lifeline of the Hi-Line.” U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., announced last Thursday that a more-than $88 million contract that is funded through his bipartisan infrastructure law has been awarded to Montana-based NW Construction to complete the St. Mary Diversion Dam Replacement project. The contract is part of the up to $100 million Tester secured for the Milk River Project through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Tes...
U.S. Customs and Border Protection did an about-face this week and announced that it has decided to extend the summer hours of the Port of Wild Horse at the U.S.-Canadian Border north of Havre to its usual summer hours for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. After U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., sent a letter to a letter to Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Troy A. Miller the last week of May asking for the summer hours to resume, CBP said the agency planned to continue with the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. hours, with...
U.S. Customs and Border Protection announced that it has decided to extend the summer hours of the Port of Wild Horse at the U.S.-Canadian Border north of Havre to its usual summer hours for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic. U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., sent a letter to a letter to Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Troy A. Miller the last week of May, saying the extended hours were “critical for the agricultural sector, tourism, and everyday trade and travel between the U.S. and Canada.” Tester also not...
From the office of U.S. Sen. Jon Tester WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced Thursday that a more-than $88 million contract that is funded through his bipartisan infrastructure law has been awarded to Montana-based NW Construction to complete the St. Mary Diversion Dam Replacement project. The contract is part of the up to $100 million Tester secured for the Milk River Project through his bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Tester negotiated and helped pass into law. Tester was the only m...
Staff and wire The Primary Election is over, with voters selecting who will advance to the November general elections and, in Hill County, rejecting three proposals to study forms of government and for a tax to support county roads but passing a new levy to support the Havre City-County Airport. Out-of-city voters rejected a proposal to impose a mill levy to support work on county roads, 485 for and 789 against, but voters in the county passed a measure to impose a levy to support work at the airport 1,728-1,425. Proposals...
AMY BETH HANSON and MATTHEW BROWN The Associated Press HELENA — Three-term incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and Republican newcomer Tim Sheehy cruised to victory in Montana's primary election Tuesday, setting up a contentious November election that could tip the balance of power in the closely divided U.S. Senate. Sheehy is a former Navy SEAL backed by former President Donald Trump, Gov. Greg Gianforte and the Republican establishment. Beyond the race's national implications, it offers Republicans a chance to complete t...
Sen. Jon Tester has started a push to extend summer hours of operation at the border ports in Montana into Canada, specifically citing the Port of Wild Horse north of Canada in a letter to Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Troy A. Miller sent this week. "The Port of Wild Horse and travel across the northern border is essential for farmers, ranchers, businesses, and families in north-central Montana," Tester said in the letter. "... For years, the Port of Wild Horse...
Growing up as a kid in Big Sandy, I learned from a young age about the incredible service and sacrifice of our servicemembers when I played Taps at the funerals of veterans of both World Wars. It’s something that has always stuck with me, and I carry with me every day. Montana is the greatest state in the greatest country in the world. But it didn’t get that way by accident. Hundreds of thousands of Americans have fought to defend our freedom and protect our democracy, with many paying the ultimate sacrifice to keep us free....
Press release The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday $1 million in Brownfields grant funding including in Havre and Box Elder to support the environmental assessment, cleanup and redevelopment of critical properties in communities across northern Montana. The EPA awards are being provided to two grantees. Bear Paw Development Corp. will receive $500,000 in EPA Brownfields funding for high-priority projects in Havre and Box Elder. The Sweetgrass Development Corporation will also receive $500,000 to assess...
STEPHEN GROVES, MARY CLARE JALONICK and REBECCA SANTANA The Associated Press WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans again blocked a bill meant to clamp down on the number of migrants allowed to claim asylum at the U.S.-Mexico border as Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer sought today to underscore GOP resistance to the proposal. The legislation, negotiated by a bipartisan group of senators, was already rejected by most Republicans in February when it was linked to a foreign aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies. But...
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana BILLINGS - A Billings man who admitted to threatening to kill U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., in voicemail messages was sentenced May 1 to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The defendant, Anthony James Cross, 30, pleaded guilty in January to threats to injure and murder a United States Senator. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court accepted a...
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Montana BILLINGS - A Billings man who admitted to threatening to kill U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., in voicemail messages was sentenced Wednesday to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. The defendant, Anthony James Cross, 30, pleaded guilty in January to threats to injure and murder a United States Senator. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court...
More than 100 years ago, my grandparents made a life for our family on a homesteaded plot of land outside of Big Sandy that we still farm to this day. I’ve been blessed to call Montana home my entire life and to always have a place to rest my head after a hard day’s work. Unfortunately, finding an affordable place to live has become a challenge for far too many Montanans. As I travel across Montana, I hear about how housing challenges are hurting working families. From Missoula to Kalispell to Bozeman, all the way to sma...
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., held a press call with rural media outlets Thursday morning, where he discussed a number of ongoing issues in Congress including the upcoming renewal of surveillance legislation and the situation at the U.S. southern border. Tester is running for reelection and faces Michael Hummert of Helena in the Democratic primary. Tester said Thursday that the renewal of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, allows intelligence agencies to access American citizens’ data without a warrant i...
The Hill County Commission had a long discussion in a working meeting Monday about how to better engage with the public and keep them informed of the county’s dealings, as well as the possible implications of a road name change. The conversation about public relations was prompted by a letter from Montana Department of Transportation Havre Area Senior Engineer Project Manager Mike Moore, which said he was doing a survey in preparation for a presentation he will soon make. Among the survey questions was one about how the c...
Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., held a press call Thursday to discuss a number of legislative issues, including the looming deadline for a government shutdown, which will occur at midnight tonight if lawmakers cannot pass a series of long-debated spending bills. Tester is running for re-election and faces Michael Hummers of Helena in the Democratic primary. Tester said Thursday he thinks the final appropriations bills will be passed before the deadline, but he remains frustrated that partisan politics have held up the process for...
