Lawmakers table public school health insurance trust bill
Austin Amestoy | Montana Public Radio
A finance committee in the Montana Legislature Friday voted down a bill that would incentivize public schools to join together in a trust to help bring down the cost of employee health insurance.
House Bill 332 was backed by a coalition of groups in support of public schools that said the bill would help districts stabilize health insurance premiums and take less from teachers’ paychecks.
A bipartisan group of lawmakers in the House Appropriations Committee voted to table the bill, arguing that it didn’t contain enough protection for districts if premium costs spike after the trust forms and that districts in the trust might ask for more state funding support in the future.
State announces $1.5 million in food assistance money
John Hooks | Montana Public Radio
The Montana Department of Agriculture announced it is awarding close to $1.5 million to help supply more locally produced food to 10 food banks and community resource organizations across the state.
Funds for the award come from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Local Food Purchase Assistance Program, which provides pandemic relief dollars to stock food banks with produce from suppliers within 400 miles of the delivery destination.
In a press release, the Montana Department of Agriculture said the funds would help more local food end up on Montanans’ plates.
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Montana Republican leaders are mum on President Trump's threat to "nationalize" elections. Tribal leaders vow to fight Trump administration efforts to remove "woke" exhibits from national parks and monuments. Gov. Gianforte pushes for the establishment of a conservative religious club in Montana schools. And the Epstein files become an issue in Montana's congressional race. -
Montana’s junior senator has thrown his support behind the Trump administration’s push to end birthright citizenship. Several federal courts blocked the order from going into effect. The Supreme Court will hear arguments debating the order's constitutionality in April. -
The Missoula City Council Monday approved sweeping new rules for residential development within the city. The major overhaul will allow developers to build more and larger apartment complexes, and loosen rules for how many housing units can sit on a single plot, among other changes. -
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte Wednesday rallied support for an initiative to engage high school students in conservative politics. Gianforte announced that he and Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen sent a letter to all Montana school districts encouraging support for local “Club America" chapters.
