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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The Montana Republican Party worked this primary season to oust several of its own members from the state Legislature. The party took issue with moderate candidates it saw as being too willing to work across the aisle with Democrats. With the dust from this month’s primary election settled, Lee Newspapers State Bureau reporter Seaborn Larson joined MTPR’s Austin Amestoy to share results of the intraparty battle -
The 2026 primary results yielded a couple of surprise congressional candidates for Democrats. Republican congressional candidates won as expected. Legislative races pitting conservative versus moderate Republicans ended with mixed results. And Republican primary voters turned out in much bigger numbers than Democratic primary voters. -
The stage is now set for Montana’s November 3 general election. One of Tuesday’s most closely watched races will ultimately determine who will replace two term Republican Sen. Steve Daines. -
It’s primary election day in Montana and voters are casting their ballots. MTPR reporters spoke with voters at several polling locations about the issues that matter most to them. Voters everywhere named the economy as a top issue.
