The U.S. Senate Tuesday confirmed former Montana solicitor general Katie Lane as one of the state’s three federal judges. The Kootenai National Forest just got 160 acres bigger thanks to a land purchase near Troy. Montana families can pick up free meals this summer for kids under 18 at sites across the state. Montana workers have a new way to submit wage concerns to the state labor department.
Senate confirms Montana federal judge nominee despite lack of qualifications
Austin Amestoy
The U.S. Senate Tuesday confirmed former Montana solicitor general Katie Lane as one of the state’s three federal judges. Lane served under Republican Attorney General Austin Knudsen and most recently worked as counsel for the Republican National Committee.
Lane was the first judicial nominee of President Trump’s second term to be rated as “unqualified” by the American Bar Association. It said she had less than the organization’s recommended 12 years of experience in law and has never tried a case as lead counsel.
32-year-old Lane could serve decades on the bench; federal judges are not term-limited.
Land purchase adds 160 acres to Kootenai National Forest
Ellis Juhlin
The Kootenai National Forest just got 160 acres bigger thanks to a land purchase near Troy.
The Vital Ground Foundation, a local land trust, partnered with the Kootenai National Forest to help purchase the parcel of former timber land. It includes Falls Creek, several popular recreation trails, and the largest waterfall in the Cabinet Mountains.
Mitch Doherty, with the Vital Ground Foundation, says the site is also important habitat for grizzly bears.
"This property is located, sort of on the edge of the Cabinet Wilderness Area, and supports connectivity between the east and the west Cabinets, so a route for bears and wildlife to sort of travel between those two mountain ranges."
The Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem is the smallest recovery area for grizzlies in Montana. It is estimated no more than 50 bears live in the region. The U.S. Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee cites habitat loss and fragmentation as one of the main drivers of population declines.
Summer meal program begins
Austin Amestoy
Montana families can pick up free meals this summer for kids under 18 at sites across the state. The state education department announced the launch of the Summer Food Service Program in late May. The state partners with local nonprofits to provide these meals to kids, aiming to close a nutrition gap families can face when school is out. The federal agriculture department sponsors the service. To find a meal site near you, search online for the USDA Summer Food Service Program.
State launches website to track wage and labor concerns
Austin Amestoy
Montana workers have a new way to submit wage concerns to the state labor department. The agency announced the new online Wage and Hour Portal in a May 27 news release. The labor department intends for the portal to make it easier for workers to report unpaid wages, overtime or other earned compensation. Before the portal launched, workers had to bring concerns to the state over the phone, mail, email or in person. The portal will also allow businesses to upload their own materials to show compliance with state law.
