Montana Politics

A Democratic state lawmaker Wednesday questioned the head of the state health department about whether medical experts were involved in making a controversial emergency rule issued last month regarding masking in schools.

The law in question gave vaccine status protection under the Montana Human Rights Act, which in effect prohibits government agencies and businesses from requiring employee vaccinations.

Montana’s largest labor union filed a lawsuit today against Montana’s secretary of state over same-day voting registration restrictions passed during the 2021 legislative session.

Montana officials are preparing for the state’s recreational marijuana program to come online in January. Some are worried the process is being rushed.

In a few months, Montana’s Districting and Apportionment Commission will finalize the state’s new maps outlining political districts. To kick things off, they’re looking at map submissions from the public.

From now until the next Montana legislative session in 2023, state lawmakers are studying potential ways they can change the judicial system. That conversation is happening while tensions are high between the two branches of government.

The new laws in question limit voter identification acceptable at the polls, restrict ballot drop-offs and eliminate same-day voter registration.

The Montana Supreme Court has denied Republican lawmakers’ request to withdraw a previous order that limited the legislature’s subpoena power.

State Budget Director Kurt Alme says in a news release he’s stepping down from the position to move back home to Billings where his family lives.

As the last United States’ military planes departed Afghanistan Monday, a group of Montana veterans met with Sen. Steve Daines to discuss the end of the nation’s longest war. They all encouraged Montanans to welcome Afghan ally refugees who now, or will soon, call Montana home.