“I just do not see a good faith argument by secretary of state Stapleton,” said Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Mike McMahon.
2019 Montana Legislature
As the 2019 session ends, a powerful faction of GOP lawmakers tallies its wins and losses
|
The so-called Solutions Caucus carried Medicaid expansion renewal, infrastructure funding, and political central committee reform. The also saw some last-day defeats.
2019 Montana Legislature
The 2019 Legislature’s last three loose ends
|
Lawmakers funded the Montana Heritage Center museum with a bed-tax increase, but scuttled state preschool and a last-ditch effort to revive the ‘Save Colstrip’ bill
2019 Montana Legislature
Five we followed: A look back at bills that caught our eye this session
|
As the 2019 Montana legislative session winds down, we check back in on some previously highlighted bills to see what became of them.
2019 Montana Legislature
Companion bills, designed for budget tweaks, become a tool for end-of-session horse trades
|
Sold as a way to let legislators fine-tune the state budget, companion bills rankle lobbyists and some lawmakers as they’re used to enact last-minute deals.
Medicaid Expansion
After major revisions, Montana’s Medicaid expansion renewal bill heads to the governor’s desk
|
After a turbulent ride through the Montana Legislature, a bill extending Montana’s Medicaid expansion program cleared its final legislative hurdle Thursday.
2019 Montana Legislature
Legislation aims to crack down on “illicit massage parlors” in effort to expand trafficking investigations
|
Montana’s prostitution statutes don’t criminalize the buying or selling of non-penetrative sex. That means the state’s “illicit massage parlors,” as they’re referred to by law enforcement, weren’t breaking the law if workers provided sexual activity that didn’t involve penetration. A bill aims to change that by broadening the law to include “sexual contact that is direct and not through clothing” to the already prohibited exchange of sexual intercourse.
Colstrip
Embattled Colstrip bill gets a messaging makeover. It’s all about transmission, now.
|
SB 331’s true intent is to secure access to the 500-kilovolt “backbone” emanating from Colstrip, some supporters say. Transmission lines are valuable to companies like NorthWestern, due in part to how utilities make money.
Montana Lowdown Podcast
MT Lowdown – Episode 15: Sen. Jon Sesso on finding the middle ground
|
Few lawmakers in the capitol have as much legislative experience as Butte Democratic Sen. Jon Sesso. In a wide-ranging interview, Sesso reflects on his 16 years serving in the House and Senate and explains why he thinks finding the middle ground is the way to advance Democratic priorities.