Associated Press

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The Montana Secretary of State certified that a measure seeking to legalize recreational marijuana in the state has gathered enough signatures to appear on the November ballot.

If passed, the measure would legalize the possession and use of limited amounts of marijuana for adults over the age of 21. The measure would also establish a 20% tax of non-medical marijuana.

The Montana Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an effort by the state Republican Party to remove Democratic attorney general candidate Raph Graybill from the November ballot, saying the petition filed on Aug. 3 didn't rise to the level of urgency needed for the issue to bypass state courts.

Efforts are underway in state and federal court to restore Green Party of Montana candidates to the state's general election ballot just days after a state judge disqualified them.

Montana is allocating $50 million to increase the availability of child care in response to COVID-19, Gov. Steve Bullock said Tuesday.

“As more Montanans return to work and families prepare for the upcoming school year, we must ensure there are options to provide high-quality and flexible care during this emergency,” Bullock said in a statement.

A judge ordered Green Party of Montana candidates removed from the November ballot, after finding the secretary of state improperly rejected requests by voters to have their signatures removed from petitions that qualified the minor party for the races.

The Crow Tribe ordered its members to lock down for two weeks beginning Friday, as tribal leaders moved to slow a sharp spike in coronavirus cases and deaths on yet another reservation in the country.

The Big Sky Conference has postponed its football season to spring 2021 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The conference includes Montana State University and the University of Montana.

The U.S. Postal Service says it lost $2.2 billion in the three months that ended in June as the beleaguered agency — hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic — piles up financial losses that officials warn could top $20 billion over two years.

But the new postmaster general, Louis DeJoy, disputed reports that his agency is slowing down election mail, or any other mail, and said it has “ample capacity to deliver all election mail securely and on time” for the November presidential contest, when a significant increase in mail-in ballots is expected.

A long-time Montana grizzly bear biologist is no longer with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, officials confirmed.

Montana's largest coal-fired power plant has begun demolishing equipment as part of a partial closure.

The Colstrip Power Plant started dismantling its Unit 1 and 2 cooling towers in July, the Billings Gazette reported Wednesday.