Elections have consistently broken spending records in the state in recent years, largely due to corporate money. A ballot measure known as the Montana Plan aims to eliminate that kind of spending in Montana, sidestepping a controversial U.S. Supreme Court ruling. That would make the state a national legal test case.

Fourteen black bears were killed last week following an investigation at a Bozeman-area home. Game wardens say the bears had stopped relying on natural foods and were completely unafraid of humans.

In most states, people with Medicaid coverage will have to prove they're working, volunteering or studying, starting Jan. 1. But Montana is starting that early, and it's sowing confusion and anxiety.

“Unprecedented.” That’s the word wildlife managers keep using to describe bear conflicts in Red Lodge. “This year has really been kind of off the charts in terms of conflicts,” says Chrissy Webb, a spokesperson with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

As the next legislative session draws closer, leadership from the Mountain States Policy Center and Gov. Greg Gianforte’s office are trying to gather support for a flat personal income tax for all Montana taxpayers. Advocates promoted the proposal and fielded questions from voters in Helena Thursday.

Voters can now see what their midterm ballot will likely look like. Poverello Center steps in to keep transitional housing program operating. The Secretary of State’s office reports Montana businesses have been receiving phony 2027 Annual Report requests. About 1,200 homes in Cascade County now have access to high speed Wi-Fi, calling and television services.

The independent and Democratic candidates for Senate went head-to-head on campaign funding, tax reform and other policy priorities on Sunday. Democrat Alani Bankhead and independent Seth Bodnar spoke to voters, answering questions from the hosting organization Indivisible Missoula and the crowd.

More than 900 bison owned by American Prairie are at the center of a national debate. The Bureau of Land Management wants them off of federal grazing allotments in northeast Montana. A judge says they can stay temporarily. MTPR's Caroline Weiss sat down with Montana PBS reporter Matt Standal to learn more.

State employees will see big changes to their health care coverage next year. That includes increases to monthly premiums, deductibles and what workers pay per visit to the doctor’s office. The state needs to come up with roughly $70 million to cover state workers’ health care through next year.

The Environmental Protection Agency announced changes to lead cleanup in Butte, as work continues to clean up toxic legacy mine waste in the city. The decision cut the threshold that triggers cleanup of lead in soils within priority residential areas by nearly a third.