Capitol Talk is MTPR's weekly legislative news and analysis program. MTPR's Sally Mauk is joined by Montana Free Press State Editor Holly Michels and Lee Banville, Director of the University of Montana School of Journalism and Professor of Political Reporting. Tune in during the legislative session online Friday afternoons and on-air Saturdays at 9:44 a.m. Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe
The campaign rhetoric, power struggles and 2022 election results converge in the 68th Montana Legislature. Join us Mondays at 7:45 a.m. for a breakdown of what we’re watching in the statehouse.
-
Doug Mills/AFP via Getty ImagesTrump broke little new ground, restating messages his White House has been pushing for months: that economic problems can be blamed on Joe Biden, and that his second term has been a massive success. -
jittawit.21/Getty Images/iStockphotoA federal program that supports schools and infrastructure in rural communities lapsed two years ago. This month, Congress revived it. In 2023, 30 Montana counties received a collective $16 million from the program. -
nathaphat/Getty Images/iStockphotoA second ballot initiative that would ensure Montana’s judicial elections are nonpartisan is advancing. The initiative was tied up in court when its backers and Attorney General Austin Knudsen disagreed over its wording. -
jittawit.21/Getty Images/iStockphoto/iStockphotoA Helena judge has blocked a program that allowed parents of students with disabilities to spend state funds on private education expenses. The judge found the program was being funded illegally, because lawmakers hadn’t followed proper procedure. -
Ellis JuhlinA group of young Montanans are asking the state Supreme Court to overturn new laws that weaken the state’s ability to regulate planet warming emissions, and exclude some fossil fuel projects from environmental review. This filing comes a year after they won a landmark ruling over Montana's constitutional right to a "clean and healthful environment." -
Megan Johnson/Montana Public RadioA district court judge has ordered the state to allow for nonbinary designations on state driver’s licenses. The order follows back-and-forth disagreements between state officials.
