Category: News Article

BILLINGS, Mont. — A divided U.S. Supreme Court rules that religious schools in Montana can be eligible for a state scholarship program funded by tax credits. The court’s 5-4 decision ruled in favor of three Montana mothers in Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue. The three mothers, the plaintiffs in this case, applied for the state-funded scholarships to keep their children enrolled at Stillwater Christian School in Kalispell. Today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling strikes down the Montana Constitution’s ban on state aid to religious schools. The ruling is a victory for parents, like Kendra Espinoza, who want to use these

BILLINGS — U.S. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana is calling on the U.S. Postal Service to review and correct policy after a Billings veteran’s remains were lost in the mail. Daines recently sent a letter to the USPS inspector general asking for an in-depth investigation into the matter, which took place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Billings veteran Donald Tyler died from COVID-19 while traveling with his wife Christine Tyler overseas in March. Don was a U.S. Air Force veteran who served in Vietnam and made a career working as a federal law enforcement officer. Last month, Christine finally received her

U.S. Senator Steve Daines has announced that the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) will be directing $35,166,221 in Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funds to Montana’s small and rural counties. Ravalli County will receive $2,671,717. “PILT payments provide critical support to Montana’s rural counties,” Daines said. “I’ve worked hard to support the PILT program which provides critical resources for essential services like emergency response efforts and transportation in Montana’s rural counties. Given the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, this funding is more important than ever.” The federal government directs PILT funds to local governments to offset the loss

Consistency is important especially when running a business but circumstances brought about by the pandemic have shifted the way people do business across our state. That holds true for the Sullivan family in Dixon. Right alongside the National Bison Range near Dixon sits the Sullivan family ranch. From the beginning, it’s been a family business. “When I met Chris, he had always wanted to do bison, and that sounded exciting to me. We started with just 20 young ones and built it into what we have today,” said Stacy Sullivan. Everything down to the logo was given careful thought and

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT) on June 24 led a Republican bill that would remove the so-called Cottonwood decision, which the senator considers a roadblock to responsible forest management efforts on federal lands. “Even the Obama Administration agreed that the Cottonwood decision was flawed and crippled forest management,” Sen. Daines said last week. “This law has tied the hands of our land managers, prevented them from following the best available science in management decisions, and diverted resources for a paperwork exercise yielding no conservation benefit.” In 2015, the Ninth Circuit Court ruled in Cottonwood Environmental Law Center v. United States

A $1.9 billion measure to help settle a long-disputed water rights deal between the state and federal governments and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes received its first congressional hearing on June 24, with both of Montana’s U.S. senators and a senior Interior Department official praising the legislation as the best course of action to avoid costly litigation, modernize outmoded irrigation systems in the Flathead Valley and mitigate historic damage to natural resources. Introduced last December by U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Montana, and co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, the Montana Water Rights Protection Act is the product of

Several employees stood among wooden dressers, dining room tables, couches and chairs to greet Sen. Steve Daines as he visited the showroom for Black Timber Furniture in Four Corners on Friday morning. Black Timber Furniture received $65,000 from the federal paycheck protection program, a $349 billion initiative that provides loans to small businesses. The program was part of the $2.2 trillion congressional coronavirus relief package. When Gov. Steve Bullock issued a stay-at-home order in late March, Black Timber owner Todd Fullerton had to close his Four Corners showroom. He was able to keep operating his Belgrade manufacturing facility because, as

GREAT FALLS — On Thursday, Senator Steve Daines introduced a bill in an effort to save Montana’s Pioneer Baseball League teams. The bill would amend the Small Business Act to prevent Major League Teams from receiving benefits from the Paycheck Protection Program or any lending programs from the CARES Act. Daines said in a press release that the bill is intended to pressure MLB to keep its minor league affiliations after proposed cuts, including those to the Great Falls Voyagers, Billings Mustangs and Missoula Paddleheads. Great Falls Voyagers president Scott Reasoner said in a statement, “This bill is another great

It was just a matter of time before someone in Congress brought out the heavy artillery in the plight of 42 cities who stand to lose their Minor League Baseball teams if Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred has his way. Leave it to someone from Montana to do it. On Thursday, U.S. Senator Steve Daines (R, MT) has introduced legislation which, if passed, would amend the Small Business Act to prohibit MLB teams from receiving loans under the Paycheck Protection Program if any minor league teams are eliminated by contraction. The wording of the bill states that, if the

Six ports of entry between Montana and Canada will continue to operate at reduced hours through July 21. Travel between the two countries is still restricted to essential only amid the new coronavirus pandemic.U.S. Customs and Border Protection reached an agreement with Canada on June 16 to extend the ban on non-essential travel for another 30 days. The limited hours of operation continue for ports of entry Raymond, Opheim, Morgan, Turner, Del Bonita, and Piegan in Montana and Porthill in Idaho. CPB also announced the port of Wild Horse north of Havre will continue on its winter hours, seven days