A judge has dismissed a challenge to the 2024 initiative that enshrined abortion access in Montana’s Constitution; The BLM revokes bison grazing permits for American Prairie reserve; USDA grants an extension for rural water system program.
Judge upholds Montana's constitutional protections for abortion
Shaylee Ragar
A Billings judge has dismissed a challenge to the 2024 constitutional initiative that enshrined abortion access in Montana’s Constitution.
The Montana Life Defense Fund and two plaintiffs argued the ballot proposal’s text was deficient, and its voter approval should be void. A Yellowstone County District Court disagreed, concluding the proposal met all legal requirements.
The constitutional amendment protecting access to abortion stands.
BLM revokes American Prairie Reserve bison grazing permits
Victoria Traxler
The Bureau of Land Management Friday terminated bison grazing bison grazing leases owned by American Prairie.
The agency’s decision says its grazing leases are for livestock purposes only and that American Prairie is using its leases in northeastern Montana to conserve bison.
American Prairie argues it manages its bison herds for livestock purposes by breeding and harvesting animals. The meat goes to tribal food programs. The BLM concluded the group’s mission to restore wild populations of animals native to the prairie negates that argument.
This decision stems from a 2019 request from American Prairie to approve grazing leases for bison instead of cattle on BLM land. Federal officials approved that request in 2022. That decision quickly received pushback and was appealed.
USDA extends rural water-operator program
Victoria Traxler
The federal government granted an extension for a program that supports rural towns’ water systems.
Water operators are responsible for ensuring the drinking and wastewater systems in communities are safe. Rural areas often struggle to find adequate support for these positions and turn to one federal program for help – the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Circuit Riders.
Circuit riders are specialists who provide training and support for rural water operators, including those in Montana. Sometimes they even fill-in during emergencies. Funding for the program lapsed during the government shutdown in October, but was temporarily extended.
The USDA announced this week the contract for the program was renewed for five more years, safeguarding those supports for rural communities.
