Montana Politics

A ballot proposal to limit campaign spending in Montana is blocked from advancing. The state’s high court Tuesday ruled it doesn’t pass legal muster.

Gov. Greg Gianforte declined to suspend a state public service commissioner from office, but encouraged an internal investigation to continue. Molnar has been accused of harassment and is under investigation by an internal response team.

The state’s high court agreed that Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen violated the rules of professional misconduct, but not to the extent an oversight board concluded.

A ballot proposal aimed at simplifying the ballot initiative process is now tied up in court. Attorney General Austin Knudsen blocked the proposal for being legally insufficient, saying it contains too many concepts.

A second ballot initiative that would ensure Montana’s judicial elections are nonpartisan is advancing. The initiative was tied up in court when its backers and Attorney General Austin Knudsen disagreed over its wording.

State higher education officials have changed the eligibility requirements for Montana’s American Indian Tuition Waiver. Starting next fall, blood quantum will no longer count toward eligibility.

A group of young Montanans are asking the state Supreme Court to overturn new laws that weaken the state’s ability to regulate planet warming emissions, and exclude some fossil fuel projects from environmental review. This filing comes a year after they won a landmark ruling over Montana's constitutional right to a "clean and healthful environment."

The Trump administration in November prioritized approval of a rare earth mineral mine at the headwaters of the Bitterroot River. But the project faces strong opposition from the public, local government and members of Montana's congressional delegation.

A district court judge has ordered the state to allow for nonbinary designations on state driver’s licenses. The order follows back-and-forth disagreements between state officials.

In Montana, abortion access has been at times illegal, legal, and stuck in limbo. Providers have weathered bombings and arson, advocates and opponents have battled it out in court, and citizens have passed a constitutional amendment affirming a woman's right to choose. One listener wants to know more about the history of reproductive rights in Montana. MTPR's Aaron Bolton reports on the underground networks, political violence and landmark court cases that got us to where we are today.