The Montana Senate passed a gargantuan bill Friday, April 23, with a plan to regulate and tax recreational marijuana following days of work by a special committee that brought the bill closer to the original plan voters passed when they legalized the drug in the November 2020 election. House Bill 701 cleared the Senate on a 34-16 vote, meaning it now returns to the House of Representatives and

Montana gas prices have risen 3.3 cents per gallon in the past week, averaging $2.79/g on Sundayt, according to GasBuddy’s daily survey of 615 stations in Montana. Gas prices in Montana are 9.0 cents per gallon higher than a month ago and stand 97.4 cents per gallon higher than a year ago. According to GasBuddy price reports, the cheapest station in Montana is priced at $2.64/g while the most

At a direct patient care facility in Billings, Gov. Greg Gianforte has signed a bill expanding access to affordable, high-quality health care. “We’re committed to making affordable, high-quality health care more accessible to Montanans by increasing choice, eliminating regulations and promoting competition,” Gianforte said. “This new, commonsense law will help bring down the cost of

One bill that would limit the rights of transgender youth is dead in the Montana Legislature and another is headed to Gov. Greg Gianforte’s desk amid growing warnings from health care providers, Democrats and athletic organizations of the economic and legal consequences of passing “discriminatory” bills. House Bill 112 and House Bill 427 are similar to a dozens of bills in states across

Montana State University Extension will offer three additional webinars in its Spring Beef Webinar series. The sessions will take place every Thursday from April 29 through May 13 at 6 p.m. via Webex. In the April 29 session, Casey Solomon, veterinarian at Milk River Genetics, will discuss beef cattle reproduction. The May 6 session will feature Juliana Ranches, assistant professor and

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., has introduced the bipartisan “The Fourth Amendment Is Not For Sale Act,” which would stop the government from circumventing the 4th Amendment by buying Montanans’ personal information from data brokers. “It’s simple, Montanans’ private information is not for sale. We must close the loopholes that allow the federal government to circumvent the Fourth

2017 by then-Commissioner of Securities and Insurance, Matt Rosendale. Since then, eight DPC clinics have opened in Montana. “Authorizing direct patient care was a key part of my success providing more affordable health care options for Montanans as insurance commissioner,” U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale, R-Mont., said. “I’m glad to see the governor and legislature make this bill a law to

Highlighting the urgent need to combat consolidation in the agricultural sector, U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., put the needs of Montana agriculture - the number one industry in the state - front and center during last week’s Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee hearing, hammering home the importance of the federal government to prioritize fair, competitive markets for independent

The Montana House of Representatives sent a bill to Gov. Greg Gianforte’s desk Wednesday, April 21, that would allow state-inspected Montana meat to be sold across state lines. Rep. Brandon Ler, R-Savage, sponsored House Bill 336 and said the bill was a response to the pandemic. “When you consolidate 80 percent of all the meat processed into four plants — and something like COVID hits

Montana will regain its second congressional seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to the 2020 Census state population count released on Monday, April 26, by the U.S. Census Bureau. The count reveals that Montana’s population grew from 989,415 people in 2010 to 1,085,407 people in 2020 — an increase of 95,992 residents over 2010, or nearly 10 percent. “Thanks to the efforts