Montana State Fund, the state’s largest and leading workers’ compensation insurance company, announced the signing of House Bill 836 on Wednesday. HB836, creates a “regulatory sandbox” in which property and casualty insurers can apply for waivers to test new and different products or services. Insurance routinely ranks as one of the top ten most regulated industries in the country.

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed both the Montana Indian Child Welfare Act and a bill revising Indian Education For All laws last week. The first bill secures Indigenous family protections in state law, and the second revises how Native history is taught in schools. Both bills were sponsored by Rep. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, who worked throughout the session to ensure that the issues

The state is dedicating $400,000 in one-time grant funds for autism facilities to get off the ground in Montana, a move advocates said would help serve a community of people who have had to seek treatment in other states. Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 952, sponsored by Rep. Courtenay Sprunger, R-Kalispell, into law this month. The bill originally provided $200,000 in one-time

the matter with the city council prior to working with Bleicher in developing a MOU proposal. Commissioners will then consider the MOU request. Commissioners said they will conduct more research regarding how other counties handle such situations.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced the Great Northern Development Corporation will receive a $2,250,000 Brownfields Revolving Loan Fund grant, funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, for dozens of assessment, cleanup and redevelopment projects. The grant will focus on projects in Poplar, Wolf Point, Glendive and other eastern Montana communities. GNDC will work closely

Community members approved donation requests for several youth activities during the Wolf Point Community Organization’s monthly meeting on Monday, May 15. The donations included $10,000 for Wolf Point’s American Legion and Babe Ruth baseball programs. Usually WPCO gives $4,000 to the program, but additional funds are needed this year especially for field maintenance projects. Ray Ostby,