Jessi Bennion

Montana’s primary elections — which take place later than those in all but a handful of states — are now officially in the rear-view mirror. That raises a good question: Why are Montana's primaries so late in the year? It's a question that stumped many historians. Here's what we found out.

Montana Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester is walking a fine line as he seeks a fourth term. And this year could determine control of the Senate. Tester’s appeal-to-the-middle brand of politics faces another tough test in increasingly polarized times.

Republicans try to silence transgender lawmaker Zooey Zephyr. Anti-trans bills are on their way to becoming law. Lawmakers table a bill to create a one-time "jungle primary" in next year's Senate race. The defeat of that bill may have political fallout for Senator Steve Daines.

Abortion in Montana could be severely limited if a slew of bills headed to the governor's desk become law. Montana's attorney general intervenes in a lawsuit to ban an abortion pill. Another bill seeks to answer the question of whether religious freedom protects bigoted speech. And lawmakers hope more money will help fix problems at the Warm Springs state hospital.

Reporters Mara Silvers and Shaylee Ragar discuss this week's deadline for lawmakers to pass general bills out of their original chamber. There’s a lot of policy to consider, including rules about access to abortion.

Republican lawmakers in Montana wield a supermajority that gives them the power to ask voters to approve a constitutional amendment that would break the link between abortion rights and the right to privacy in the state’s Constitution.

MTPR’s Shaylee Ragar takes us on the campaign trail with the Republican western district U.S. House candidate Ryan Zinke. Zinke's pitch is to champion core conservative issues in Congress.

When Tucker Carlson was confronted in a Montana fly shop, it ignited a political firestorm across the country, providing one example of how today’s political disagreements can have far-flung consequences.