News you can use
News you can use
Sorted by date Results 1048 - 1072 of 2820
HELENA — When Jennifer Strickley first learned she had ovarian cancer, it was Planned Parenthood that detected the disease. She had been going to a Planned Parenthood clinic in Billings for about a decade, as the discounts on Pap tests, contraception and regular checkups provided an essential break for the single mom working without health insurance as a waitress to support her two kids. So when she found lump on her abdomen in 2011, that's where she went to get it checked out. Strickley is one of 26,000 Montanans who rely u...
HELENA— Tavern owners faced off against craft brewers at the Capitol Tuesday, arguing the upstart competition has been allowed to unfairly flourish with too few restrictions. Both sides packed a state House Business and Labor Committee hearing looking at two bills. One brought by the tavern owners, House Bill 616, would put new licensing requirements on the brewing industry. The tavern owners argue some breweries have grown into full-scale retail establishments not envisioned by the original law that allows tasting rooms. A...
HELENA (AP) — Two Montana parents are suing the state schools superintendent over the agency's refusal to provide tuition assistance for their daughter to attend a Christian preschool. Eric and Kelsi Wilson filed their lawsuit in U.S. District Court Thursday after an administrative hearing officer dismissed their complaint with the Office of Public Instruction. Agency officials have cited federal regulations and a Montana Constitution clause that say education funds can't be used for religious instruction or to aid c...
HELENA (AP) — Tavern owners faced off against craft brewers at the Capitol Tuesday, arguing the upstart competition has been allowed to unfairly flourish with too few restrictions. Both sides packed a state House Business and Labor Committee hearing looking at two bills. AP Photo/Matt Gouras Rep. Roger Hagan introduces his bill to place limitations on the expanding retail craft brewing industry on Tuesday in Helena. One brought by the tavern owners, House Bill 616, would put new licensing requirements on the brewing i...
HELENA — Supporters of former U.S. Rep. Pat Williams easily outnumbered opponents at a packed hearing on his Board of Regents nomination — but opposition included former allies who argued Williams went too far when he said the University of Montana had recruited thugs. AP Photo/Matt Gouras Former U.S. Rep. Pat William speaks before a state Senate committee asking for support for his nomination to the Board of Regents on Wednesday in Helena Williams outraged some of the school's football fans earlier this year with the comment...
BILLINGS (AP) — Attorneys for asbestos victims in a Montana mining town are seeking more than $4 million in fees and costs out of a legal settlement with chemical company W.R. Grace that was set up to cover the victims' ongoing medical costs. State District Judge James Wheelis has ordered a March 1 fairness hearing on the request, recently submitted by a group of lawyers who said they sunk more than 16,000 hours of work into the case over 11 years. Last year's settlement followed decades of asbestos exposure from a Grace m...
HELENA (AP) — Gov. Steve Bullock is disputing a Republican argument that his budget proposal spends too much. The Democratic governor told reporters Tuesday his budget only increases state spending in agency budgets by about 2 percent. He says Republican legislative leaders have shown themselves to be the big spenders with a proposal to increase their own legislative division's budget by 11 percent. Senate Republicans recently said they want to keep the budget increase — including federal money — at about 2 percent. The G...
BILLINGS (AP) — Some victims of asbestos exposure in northwestern Montana have asked a state judge to deny $4 million in fees and costs requested by attorneys in a legal settlement with chemical manufacturer W.R. Grace and Co. In letters submitted to state District Court Judge James Wheelis, about 20 people, including victims, said the money should instead be spent on medical care for those sickened by asbestos dust from a Grace mine near Libby. Three letter writers supported the fee request. Court officials said Monday t...
HELENA (AP) — The House is advancing a bill that would let landowners haze or shoot wild bison that come onto their property. The measure was endorsed Thursday in a 62-38 vote. The state estimates it could lead to the destruction of more than 100 bison a year. Supporters said it is necessary to give landowners a way of removing wild bison that can injure people and damage property. They said destruction of the bison would be a last resort. Bison management has long been the focus of conflict, particularly around Y...
HELENA, — Gov. Steve Bullock unveiled bipartisan legislation Thursday aimed at shedding light on so-called "dark money" in politics — an issue that could split some Republican lawmakers. Bullock and Republican state Sen. Jim Peterson said the "comprehensive" proposal will force groups that mention candidate names to disclose how they are spending money and where it comes from. AP Photo/Matt Gouras Gov. Steve Bullock, left, and state Sen. Jim Peterson of Buffalo unveil bipartisan legislation aimed at shedding light on dar...
HELENA (AP) — Gov. Steve Bullock has overhauled the state Fish, Wildlife and Parks panel by replacing three members and naming a new chairman. The commission oversees hunting and fishing regulations and is a lightning rod on many issues, including wolf and bison management. Bullock on Tuesday named Richard Stuker of Chinook, Matthew Tourtlotte of Billings and Lawrence Wetsit of Wolf Point as new commissioners. They replace Ron Moody, Shane Colton and A.J. Stafne. The only holdovers from former Gov. Brian Schweitzer's term a...
HELENA (AP) — Gov. Steve Bullock says he is open to modifying the proposal to take federal money in order to expand Medicaid to the working poor. Bullock talked about spending and other issues on Friday, as the Senate prepares to take up the state's main budget bill. Bullock says the fate of Medicaid expansion and many other priorities are still up in the air with about two weeks left in the session. The governor has sparred with Republicans over Medicaid expansion all session. One plan passed the Senate, but has since s...
HELENA — Senate debate on a relatively minor bill dealing with so-called "dark money" in politics is leading to another row in the Republican caucus. The issue has split Republicans all session after anonymous groups' spending in recent elections has helped fuel bitter GOP primary battles. The wound was re-opened Friday during debate on a bill to require a new disclaimer on materials sent by groups that don't disclose donors. Senate Majority Leader Art Wittich of Bozeman agitated some in his caucus by alleging a "crossover c...
HELENA — Montana Democrats left little question Saturday night what their top priority is: elect party leader Sen. Max Baucus to a seventh term in 2014. Democrats are coming off a 2012 election cycle that saw a lot of successes — topped by re-electing U.S. Sen. Jon Tester and putting Steve Bullock in the governor's office. The party held its annual Mansfield-Metcalf fundraising dinner Saturday and the focus was all about Baucus, the top Democrat up this election cycle. AP Photo/Matt Gouras U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, left, and U.S....
HELENA (AP) — A $180 million state plan to build education and other buildings — including automotive-diesel technology building at Montana State University-Northern — in order to spur jobs is hitting a roadblock. The Senate Finance and Claims Committee agreed Wednesday in a bipartisan vote to table the plan. Chairman Rick Ripley of Wolf Creek says the bill was just too expensive. He says lawmakers need to start trimming priorities with just 15 days left to balance a budget. Gov. Steve Bullock wants to issue low-i...
HELENA (AP) — The woman who led the court battle to strike down a Montana law that made gay sex illegal knows that having the unconstitutional law struck from the books is a symbolic act. All the same, Linda Gryczan began to cry when the state House finally brought the issue to the floor on Monday. She tells the Great Falls Tribune she didn't realize until then how important it was to remove the law from the state code. The bill striking the law passed a final vote in the House Wednesday. It now goes to Gov. Steve Bullock. G...
HELENA (AP) — Montana Department of Military Affairs leaders are asking their employees to participate in a workplace assessment after a study found distrust and dysfunction within the division responsible for emergency preparedness. The Department of Administration is conducting the survey. A link to an online questionnaire was sent to employees last week, with responses due April 17, Adjutant Gen. Matthew Quinn told a panel of state lawmakers Wednesday. A state human resources team will discuss the results with staffers a...
MISSOULA (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Pat Williams has defended and repeated his contention that the University of Montana is recruiting "thugs" for its football team. The Democrat, who is now a member of the Board of Regents that oversees the Montana university system, first made his comments in a New York Times story on Thursday. Williams said university football players have been implicated in a spate of sexual assaults, vandalism and beatings. "The university has recruited thugs for its football team and this thuggery has g...
HELENA — A Montana lawmaker told colleagues Friday that students should be allowed to leave their guns locked in cars without fear of expulsion, a proposal opposed by those who argue the weapons have no place on school grounds. Republican Rep. Jerry O'Neil told the House Judiciary Committee that students sometimes inadvertently leave hunting rifles in their vehicles and shouldn't be punished for doing so. The Republican cited the 2010 suspension of a 16-year-old Columbia Falls student who left her hunting rifle in the t...
On House Bill 96: Sen. Greg Jergeson, D-Chinook, voted no. Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D_Box Elder, voted yes. On House Bill 138: Jergeson and Windy Boy voted no. HELENA (AP) — The Senate is backing Republican proposals to reduce taxes on business equipment and energy production. The 3 percent equipment tax would be cut in half on the first $10 million of property under Senate Bill 96. It was endorsed 34-16 on Friday. Supporters say it will help spur economic development by making Montana competitive with other states on tax s...
The Hi-Line's state senators, Greg Jergeson, D-Chinook, and Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, voted for the legislation. HELENA (AP) — School coaches could face more stringent rules when dealing with student athletes who suffer concussions under a new bill that is advancing in the Montana Legislature. The Montana Senate on Friday endorsed, in a 33-17 initial vote, a plan that aims to better protect high school athletes from the dangers of concussions. It has been adopted in 43 other states, supporters said. Senate Bill 112 w...
HELENA (AP) — The Montana House has rejected a proposal aimed at stopping people from bringing their own beer and wine into restaurants that don't have liquor licenses. House Bill 405 by Republican Rep. Roger A. Hagan of Great Falls would have made it a punishable crime for a restaurant without a liquor license to allow patrons to bring their own alcohol to consume on the premises. Hagan argued the activity is supposed to be illegal under current liquor license laws, but local officials have found it to be vague and u...
HELENA, — Gov. Steve Bullock is ramping up the pressure on lawmakers by taking his Medicaid expansion request, one of the legislative session's bigger issues, straight to his constituents. Bullock has been touring the state selling his proposal, and he pitched it Thursday to the Helena Chamber of Commerce. Access Health Montana would use federal money allotted in the federal health care bill to expand Medicaid to as many as 70,000 Montanans. The plan needs legislative approval. The Democrat argues the influx of federal m...
HELENA (AP) — A state senator whose absence led to an uproar is back in attendance. AP Photo/Matt Gouras State Sen. Shannon Augare looks at a vote tally after returning to the Montana Senate on Saturday. Augare's unexplained absence a day earlier led to a parliamentary showdown as minority Democrats were foiled in their attempts to kill GOP bills with procedural moves. State Sen. Shannon Augare of Browning returned to the Senate early Saturday morning as the chamber resumed voting. A day earlier Democrats attempted to halt a...
HELENA (AP) — The state House has given initial approval a measure that would provide $2.5 million in private school scholarships and public school grants. Senate Bill 81 would give tax credits to people who donate to organizations that provide scholarships to private schools and grants for new programs at public schools. Supporters say it gives students more educational options. Republican Rep. Cary Smith of-Billings says it would help disabled and low-income students. Critics say the measure is unconstitutional because i...
