Articles written by Shaylee Ragar
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Lawmakers pass $10 billion budget
HELENA - On the final day of the 66th Montana Legislature, lawmakers completed their only state constitutionally mandated task by passing the bill that sets the budget for state agencies. House Bill...
Legislature Passes Infrastructure Bonding
On a cold, January afternoon last year, Wendy Gerky got a call that someone could see water rising in her downtown Havre quilt shop. She thought it was joke. By the time Gerky got to her store,...
State Budget Bill Ahead of Schedule, But Many Other Spending Bills Sparking Debate at Montana Legislature
The only constitutionally-mandated assignment for state lawmakers is to construct a balanced two-year budget, and the 66th Montana Legislature is ahead of schedule. Butte Democratic Sen. Jon Sesso said on the Senate floor that approving a budget this...
Lawmakers Consider The Future Of Bison In Montana
Debates are intensifying at the Montana Legislature over the state's management of North America's largest land mammal: The American bison. Some argue bison are a critical cultural, spiritual and...
Montana House Bill 2 combines $10 billion of state, federal funding
HELENA - The Montana House of Representatives has passed House Bill 2, which combines about $10 billion of state and federal funding for state agencies for the next two years. The bill passed with a vote of 54-45 last week and now moves to the...
Montana Lawmakers Consider New Ways To Protect Against Aquatic Invasive Species
A prolific alien organism is closing in on Montana's ecosystem and could have dire consequences for food production, outdoor recreation and the economy if it crosses the state's borders. Aquatic...
Medicaid expansion a hot topic during last week's session
People filled the Montana Capitol Saturday to testify during an all-day hearing on two competing bills that would extend Medicaid expansion, some of them arguing to keep the program as is, some...
Budget hearings kickoff second half of 2019 Legislative session
HELENA -- The Montana House Appropriations Committee opened public testimony last week on House Bill 2, the bill that sets the budget for state agencies. Some of the most controversial changes come from the subcommittee that deals with the budget...
Montana lawmakers Debate Bison Grazing, Vaccines and Country Of Origin Labeling
HELENA - The 66th Montana Legislature is at its halfway mark and that means that any general bills that did not make it through their first house before the transmittal deadline are effectively killed. About sixty bills have passed both houses and...
Lawmakers Debate Fire Suppression, Local Gun Ordinances
The Montana House of Representatives last week advanced legislation that would require a two-third vote majority for the Legislature to transfer funds out the state's fire suppression account. The governor would still hold the authority to pull from...
Lawmakers Weigh Bill on DUI
As Montana lawmakers consider overhauling the state's DUI laws, the Montana Highway Patrol wants to dispel myths about blood alcohol levels. Last week, the Highway Patrol hosted a demonstration for lawmakers to show just how much alcohol it actually...
Montana Attorney General Pushes for Opioid Prescription Regulation
McKenna Fromm was a straight-A high school student, basketball player and member of student government in 2011. By 2015, she was living in a spider-infested "drug den," estranged from her family and deep in addiction. Fromm said her life turned...
Bill Would Use Coal Money for Affordable Housing Projects
The Montana House of Representatives has passed a bill that would use money from the coal severance tax trust fund to pay for low- and moderate-income housing projects. House Bill 16, carried by Rep....
Bullock Outlines Priorities in State of the State
In his final State of the State address Thursday, Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock laid out his priorities for this legislative session, including Medicaid expansion, access and funding for education, and repairing Montana's crumbling infrastructure....
Lawmakers debate infrastructure funding
Lawmakers in Helena are beginning discussions on how to build and maintain the state's infrastructure, including roads, bridges, wastewater systems and state buildings. Again, the debate will come down to which projects get funding and whether that...
