Category: News Article

The U.S.-Japan trade agreement signed Monday by President Donald Trump should deliver several million dollars in beef prices for Montana, the Montana Stockgrowers Association said. Fred Wacker, MSGA president, who was at the White House for the signing ceremony, said cattle prices had already increased on news that the deal would be signed. Trade organizations, like the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association noted that beef appeared to be the big winner among agriculture interests included in the limited agreement. Japan’s tariff on U.S. beef is 38.5%, which will decrease gradually to 9% by 2033. The reduction is on track with tariff

Sen. Steve Daines and the head of the Montana Stockgrowers Association were present Monday when President Donald Trump signed a limited trade deal with Japan expected to benefit ranchers and farmers in the Treasure State. The deal will eliminate tariffs and expand market access on farm, industrial and digital products. But it does not address the bigger hurdle of autos. President Donald Trump indicated the two countries were still working on a broader agreement.  Joining Daines at the signing was Fred Wacker of Miles City, who serves as president of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. Daines’ staff said Daines was invited to

BILLINGS — What began as a facility for Rocky Mountain College equine students has morphed into a form of therapy to help veterans, “ I’ve been raised around horses all my life, so I realized the value of horses in therapy,” Barbara Skelton, treasurer and co-founder of Horses Spirits Healing. On Thursday, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines stopped by to celebrate securing a grant from the Department of Veterans Affairs to assist veterans. “We’ve been working hard, and making requests for getting grants from the VA. And we were successful in getting a nice grant just this week,” the Montana Republican

Sen. Steve Daines said he sent a letter Monday to the FBI Director Christopher Wray urging the agency not to reduce resources on human trafficking in Montana. The Billings Gazette recently reported the special agent who had worked full-time on human trafficking will now spend half his time on Indian Country cases. An FBI spokeswoman said it is not uncommon for agents to focus on different areas during their careers. Some have called the change “a blow” to Montana anti-trafficking efforts.   While he said he applauded the FBI for providing urgently needed law enforcement in Indian Country, he said human trafficking

Sen. Steve Daines, who is a member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, has been successful in passing an issue out of that committee to keep power costs for the Kinsey Irrigation and Sidney Water Users districts at an affordable rate. The two groups have been part of the Pick Sloan power group for going on eight decades, but in 2017 received a notice from the Bureau of Reclamation that the agency would not renew their contracts. Jack Connor, an administrative officer for the Bureau of Reclamation, said an audit determined that neither of the two

Montana farm and ranch groups described U.S.-Japan trade terms announced Wednesday as a must-have win for the state’s agriculture economy, which has been battered by trade disputes. Japan is the biggest foreign buyer of Montana wheat and the largest purchaser of U.S. beef. Tariffs against U.S. wheat have put the state’s grain growers at a disadvantage in the key market. The trade terms were released ahead of a scheduled Wednesday announcement by President Donald Trump and Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The trade terms are expected to be finalized in October. In the agreement, Japan received more favorable terms for

Montana airports, including Hamilton and Stevensville, will be receiving Department of Transportation funding, according to Montana Senator Steve Daines. Daines last week said 11 airports will share over $4 million in air travel infrastructure funding, part of the Airport Improvement Program. The airports are: Conrad, Geraldine, Billings, Lewistown, Stevensville, Sherwood, Twin Bridges, Dawson County, Ravalli County, Missoula and Big Horn. Senator Daines said, “Having the necessary resources to support our air infrastructure is vital to Montana jobs. These grants will strengthen our tourism industry and improve access for folks from all across the country to come to Big Sky Country.”

KALISPELL, Mont. — In August, an all-girls robotics team won at a NASA competition. On Saturday, they showed off their skills to U.S. Senator Steve Daines. The challenge included flying a drone and using a moon map. The moon map pays homage to the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 landing. The girls made lots of adjustments to the robot to meet the requirements of the challenge. It took a lot of hard work and practice. They learned how to effectively communicate amongst each other because the pilot, who operates the robot is blind, behind a wall. No one on

Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester are part of a bipartisan group of federal lawmakers hoping to find a home for the “Lost 74,” a group of U.S. sailors who died in 1969 when their ship collided with an Australian vessel in a training exercise off the coast of Vietnam. The two signed a Sept. 9 letter to the Armed Services committees in the House and Senate asking that the names of the sailors be included on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall. This includes William Fields, who grew up in Great Falls, who served as a seaman apprentice aboard the U.S.S. Frank