Corin Cates-Carney

State utility regulators have agreed with NorthWestern Energy’s request to block details on its new coal supply contract from becoming public — at least for the moment. This comes as Montana’s biggest utility moves to buy a larger share of the coal-fired power plant in Colstrip. 

The top enforcer for state political campaign regulations says a complaint filed by Montana Democrats is frivolous.

Political Practices Commissioner Jeff Mangan wrote in his decision Friday that Republican Secretary of State candidate Christi Jacobsen did not use public time or resources in support of her campaign, as alleged by the Democratic party.

The U.S. Department of Treasury has agreed to settle a Montana county’s debt for the cleanup of a 2011 oil spill. Montana’s Congressional delegation announced the settlement Friday following their bipartisan pressure on the federal department.

More than 85 percent of the money fueling primary campaigns for Montana’s U.S. House race this year is held by two candidates; Republican Matt Rosendale and Democrat Kathleen Williams. Rosendale and Williams each have more than $800,000 in the bank to start the 2020 election year.

A former Montana legislator has accused a fellow Democrat of being ineligible for the office he’s campaigning for, alleging he hasn’t practiced law in the state for long enough to run for state attorney general. A two-way Democratic primary is underway for the job, pitting Missoula state Representative Kimberly Dudik against Raph Graybill, chief legal counsel to the Governor’s Office.

Montana’s two U.S. Senators indicated they’ll split their votes along party lines on articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump. President Trump faces two impeachment articles for abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. 

Montana’s Attorney General is suing two of the largest opioid distributors in the state for allegedly fueling prescription drug overdoses. The state’s lawsuit filed Monday says McKesson Corporation and Cardinal Health Inc. together shipped more than 60 percent of the opioids coming into the state from 2006-2014.

Montana Attorney General Tim Fox is heating up the Republican party primary race for governor, picking a running mate from his rival’s home town. Fox has tapped former Montana House Rep. Jon Knokey from Bozeman as his lieutenant governor.

Researchers say government activity in Lewis and Clark County continues to insulate the area from major economic swings. But an outlook released Tuesday by University of Montana analysts shows wage growth in the area lags behind the state as a whole.

Montana saw wage growth in 2019, but an economic slowdown is expected in coming years, according to University of Montana researchers. The Bureau of Business and Economic Research released its annual outlook Tuesday in Helena.