U.S. Senate passes Sen. Daines’ ALS bill
According to ALS News Today, about 14,000 people in the U.S. are suffering from ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, slowly crippling the patient. There is currently no known cause or cure and Social Security Disability Insurance requires a five-month waiting period for treatment. The U.S. Senate this week passed a bipartisan bill presented by Montana Sen. Steve Daines that “will allow Montanans with ALS to receive both Medicare and Social Security Disability Insurance benefits in the first month the patient is under disability,” according to a Dec. 2
Daines applauds deal making Montana minor league teams part of new MLB Partner League
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines (R-MT), who worked to save Montana’s Minor League Baseball teams when Major League Baseball (MLB) announced it would cut ties with 42 minor league teams across the country, on Monday applauded an agreement by MLB and Montana’s minor league teams that retains professional baseball in the state. “Professional baseball in Montana helps bring our communities together and drive our local economies,” Sen. Daines said. “I’m very glad that after months of negotiations, MLB and Montana’s minor league teams have come to an agreement to allow Great Falls, Missoula, and Billings to continue playing professional baseball in
Daines outlines ingredients of second COVID stimulus package as Congress continues negotiations
BILLINGS- Funding for small businesses, unemployment, schools and local governments is about to run out nationwide as Congress continues to negotiate terms for a second round of COVID-19 stimulus relief funds. However, Montana Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines believes lawmakers are close to reaching an agreement if they can get past bipartisan disagreements for how money should be allocated. Daines spoke with MTN News Thursday afternoon from his Washington, D.C., office on a Zoom call. He discussed the importance of a second bill having much of the same relief as the first. Money from the CARES Act, which Congress passed
Daines’ Bipartisan Bill Supporting Montanans Diagnosed with ALS Passes U.S. Senate
U.S. SENATE – Today, the U.S. Senate passed Senator Daines’ bipartisan bill that helps support Montanans battling the devastating disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS. For a video statement from the Senator, click HERE. “ALS is a devastating disease, and Montanans who have been diagnosed with it should not have to wait five months to receive disability benefits. My bipartisan bill eliminates this waiting period, providing quicker access to benefits for those who suffer from this aggressive disease. I’m glad to see my bill pass the U.S. Senate, and I will continue fighting until it’s passed out of the House and signed into law to help support Montanans battling ALS,” Daines said. Currently,
Daines, Tester urge support for extending tax break for craft brewers and distillers
Montana U.S. Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester are among a bipartisan group of senators calling for the permanent renewal of a federal excise tax break for craft brewers and distilleries, a growing industry in Montana. In a Tuesday letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, 57 senators urged passage of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform before it expires at the end of 2020. The measure aims to extend the tax breaks for small brewers and distillers granted as part of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, the massive tax-reform plan
Daines Statement on New Agreement Between MLB, Montana Minor League Teams
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement after it was announced that after months of negotiations, Major League Baseball (MLB) and Montana’s Minor League Baseball teams have come to an agreement on the future of professional baseball in Montana. “Professional baseball in Montana helps bring our communities together and drive our local economies,” Daines said. “I’m very glad that after months of negotiations, MLB and Montana’s minor league teams have come to an agreement to allow Great Falls, Missoula, and Billings to continue playing professional baseball in their communities. It was my privilege to fight for the future of Montana’s
Play ball! Great Falls Voyagers rescued from the chopping block
It’ll be peanuts and Cracker Jack in 2021 for Great Falls Voyagers fans as Major League Baseball and the Pioneer League announced in a Monday news release that the Pioneer League is safe. Starting in 2021, the Pioneer League will transition from affiliated status to an independent professional MLB Partner League that will continue to provide baseball to Montana, Idaho, Utah and Colorado. Morgan Sword, MLB’s Executive Vice President, Baseball Economics & Operations, said, “Over the past year, we have worked closely with Pioneer League owners and elected officials to ensure the continued success of baseball in the Mountain West.
Pioneer League to operate as independent Partner League of Major League Baseball in 2021
BILLINGS — The Pioneer League will usher in a new era in 2021, ending months of speculation and uncertainty regarding its future in professional baseball. The league, which was founded in 1939, has officially lost its longstanding professional development licenses with Major League Baseball parent clubs and will now shift to independent status as a Partner League of MLB. Major League Baseball announced the agreement on Monday, giving clarity to the Pioneer League’s direction since news broke last year of MLB’s desire to restructure the minor league system. Teams in the Pioneer League operated under player development contracts with MLB
Group of AGs pushes for CARES Act deadline extension
MISSOULA, Mont. — Time is running out to use the $1.25 billion Montana received in CARES Act money. Now, the majority of the country’s attorneys general signed on to a letter pushing for an extension. Montana Attorney General Tim Fox signed on to the letter, along with 42 other attorneys general, urging Congress to extend the deadline to use the funds until the end of next year. “We now know that, you know, things may not be back to normal until some time next year,” Fox said. “We felt like that deadline was somewhat artificial and inappropriate and that we