Lake County

The state is not responsible for funding Lake County law enforcement on the Flathead Reservation. That’s according to a Montana Supreme Court ruling Tuesday.

Montana’s share of the $26 billion national opioid settlement with Johnson & Johnson and its distributors is starting to flow to communities. The first two grants approved will serve Lake County.

Lake County commissioners may reconsider whether to pull out of an agreement to provide law enforcement services on the Flathead Reservation.

Federal officials said they don’t have many resources to offer if they take over law enforcement on the Flathead Reservation. Those comments come as Lake County plans stop providing those services on the reservation.

Gov. Greg Gianforte said the state will not take over law enforcement services on the Flathead Reservation. That comes after Lake County pulled out of an agreement to provide felony law enforcement oversight on the reservation. It's unclear who will take over the services.

Lake County said it will no longer handle felony cases for tribal members on the Flathead Reservation come next spring. But there are many open questions about whether the state will fill that void.

Lake County commissioners Monday sent a letter to Gov. Greg Gianforte reiterating that the county will no longer oversee felony cases on the Flathead Reservation. Commissioners have long argued that the county doesn’t have the tax base to pay for law enforcement on tribal lands.

Lake County commissioners delayed a decision Thursday about whether to stop county law-enforcement work on the Flathead Reservation. The delay comes as the county waits for a court to weigh in.

The funding bill would have used state money to pay Lake County $5 million for providing law enforcement on the reservation. County officials have argued residents can no longer afford to pay for those services.

A bill that would require the state to pay for the cost of law enforcement services on the Flathead Reservation passed through the state Senate Thursday.