Jacobsen subpoena produces more frustration than answers
Montana lawmakers trying to get to the bottom of what state voter information was shared with the federal government say they still have questions, despite a subpoenaed response from Montana’s secretary of state.
Latest Government Reporting
The state is running out of money for employees’ healthcare
The Montana Department of Administration announced in late August a substantial increase in insurance costs — tripled deductibles and doubled out-of-pocket maximums — beginning January 2027. About 28,000 people use the state healthcare plan, including current state employees and retirees, along with their families. With funding low, DOA is planning to raise employee contributions. The…
Legislators to subpoena secretary of state over voter data handoff
State lawmakers have voted to subpoena information about Montana’s voter registry from Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen to determine what voter information her office has shared with the federal government.
Dept. of Transportation head steps down for private-sector job
Montana Department of Transportation Director Chris Dorrington is leaving the role Oct. 1 for a job in the private sector, the governor’s office announced in a press release. Gov. Greg Gianforte is expected to announce Dorrington’s replacement in the coming weeks.
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Knudsen’s term-limit reset races the ballot-certification clock
Montana’s Secretary of State faces an Aug. 20 deadline to certify the November ballot as a new attorney general opinion changes how legislative term limits are calculated. The interpretation could affect Republican lawmakers Llew Jones and Steve Fitzpatrick, and has prompted a request for a restraining order to prevent AG Austin Knudsen’s directive from taking…
Misty Ann Giles to step down as director of Department of Administration
Misty Ann Giles, director of Montana’s Department of Administration, will leave her role at the end of August, according to a press release from Gov. Greg Gianforte’s office. Gianforte has named Mark Blasdel, current director of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development and a former state lawmaker from the Flathead Valley, to succeed Giles.
State accountant: Lottery’s former financial services director ‘stopped doing his job’
A state accountant told the Legislative Audit Committee that the Montana Lottery’s faulty bookkeeping, which includes $18.5 million in miscalculated financial records over the last several years, occurred because the agency’s former financial services director “stopped doing his job” before his death in March 2025.
State Senate calls on Windy Boy to resign his seat
A bipartisan majority of Montana state senators has asked Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, to resign his legislative seat in light of sexual abuse allegations.
Brad Molnar wants back in the building
Utility commissioner Brad Molnar is asking a federal court to end his state-imposed ban on entering his workplace — the Montana Public Service Commission building in Helena.
Gianforte has a 44% approval rating, poll finds
The survey of more than 800 registered voters found that 47% of respondents disapprove of Gianforte’s job performance, while 44% approve. Partisan affiliation and income brackets were both strong predictors on respondents’ views on Gianforte’s work.
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MORE GOVERNMENT REPORTING
State Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy stripped of interim committee assignments
Legislative leaders have removed state Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, D-Box Elder, from his interim committee and commission assignments. Interim committees and commissions meet between Montana’s biannual legislative sessions to discuss issues and draft policy. Windy Boy’s removal from two interim committees and one commission came at the request of Senate President Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, and…
What to know about Montana’s new sex definition bill
Nearly a year after it passed the Legislature, Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill defining sex as binary, based on a person’s reproductive system. The move officially amends wide ranging sections of Montana law to include new definitions of “male,” “female,” “sex,” and “gender.”
Gianforte administration reverses guidelines for permits, again allowing for weekend events at the state Capitol
The Montana Department of Administration has again reversed its guidelines that prohibited permits for weekend rallies on state grounds.
Gianforte administration says it will reconsider policy change to restrict Capitol rallies
The Montana Department of Administration is considering revising a recent policy change that restricts weekend rallies at the Capitol in Helena, according to department director Misty Ann Giles.
Montana Supreme Court upholds housing reform laws
The Montana Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a slate of pro-construction housing laws that were enacted by the Legislature in 2023. In a press release Tuesday evening, Gov. Greg Gianforte called the court’s finding “a landmark victory.”
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