Montana Politics

An Illinois advocacy group is suing Montana Gov. Steve Bullock over one of his trademark campaign finance policies targeting so-called 'dark money' in politics.

The lawsuit announced Wednesday asks a federal judge to strike down Montana’s nearly year-old policy that requires certain businesses seeking contracts with the state to disclose donors and spending on elections.

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes kicked off a conference Tuesday on missing and murdered indigenous people (MMIP). The three-day event is aimed at raising awareness about the work being done to understand the scope of the issue both on the reservation and in the state.

This is the second conference the tribes have held this year since passing a resolution in January that created a local MMIP working group.

The Montana Secretary of State’s office plans to sign-off on a new touchscreen voting system designed for voters with disabilities that could be used at county polling sites as early as this November.

The ExpressVote system resembles a touchscreen desktop computer or ATM. Voters insert a ballot, scroll through pages of candidates or initiatives and make their picks, and then hit print.

Montana Health officials Friday released new rules for private therapeutic homes that previously fell under the authority of a mostly self-regulated board. This comes a month after the state health department removed two-dozen children from one of those facilities due to allegations of abuse.

Friday was the deadline for public input on the Montana health department’s draft proposal to add work and community service requirements to the state’s health coverage program for low income adults.

At the end of the month, Montana’s Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) plans to send the federal government the new outline of the state’s Medicaid expansion program, which covers around 90,000 people.

Steve Bullock is now the only governor remaining in the crowded field of Democratic presidential candidates, and it’s unclear if he’ll make it on the next primary debate stage.

2016 saw the first woman ever to be nominated for president. This election cycle, six women are vying to be the first female elected president.

As communications director for Hillary Clinton, Jennifer Palmieri had a front row seat to that failed effort. Palmieri was also communications director for President Obama and has written a best-selling book called Dear Madam President.

Palmieri is in Missoula working on another book, and sat down with Sally Mauk to talk about the 2016 campaign—and what it will take for a woman to win in 2020.