News you can use
News you can use
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HELENA — The battle lines over competing workers' compensation reform plans crystalized Monday at a hearing for the Republican reform plan, as workers made it clear they don't like a bill partially written by the insurance industry. Construction, timber, oil companies all made up parts of the business community that aligned with the medical community in backing a Republican proposal aimed at cutting rates by as much as 40 percent. One eastern Montana oil business said it could save more than $600,000 in work comp costs a...
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A plan to use only mail-in ballots for the state's main elections, which haltingly moved forward with fragile bipartisan cooperation, failed Friday after allegations of racism from a Native American lawmaker and defensive counter-accusations. The simmering tensions between Republicans and Democrats erupted, somewhat surprisingly, over a bill that modifies the way elections are run. The House had abruptly changed its mind on the proposal after endorsing the proposal a day earlier. The bill failed after man...
HELENA — The House has endorsed a plan to use only mail-in ballots for the state's main elections on a 57-43 vote despite a divided Republican majority. The issue has failed for years in the Montana Legislature after the political parties took turns opposing it. Many of the conservative tea party Republicans opposed the measure on Thursday. The plan brought forward this time was a long time in the making and likely better researched than past efforts. Under House Bill 130, all local, municipal, state and federal elections wou...
Mont. Senate acts to undermine federal health care MATT GOURAS,Associated Press HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Two Republican bills aimed at undermining federal health care reform advanced Wednesday in the state Senate despite objections that one of the measures may itself be unconstitutional. Republicans in control of the Legislature have made their opposition to the federal health care reform a priority this legislative session. A long list of GOP bills aim to stymie implementation that in many cases will have to be done by state a...
MATT GOURAS,Associated Press HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Legislative supporters of extractive and other industries want to ask voters to change the Montana Constitution's "clean and healthful environment" provision to help aid development. The declaration in the Constitution's inalienable rights has long been a sore point for those who say it gets in the way of development — while conservationists and others hail it as forward-thinking language that has helped preserve the state. A Republican lawmaker told the House Judiciary Com...
Senate moves to undermine federal health care HELENA — The state Senate is advancing two Republican measures aimed at undermining federal health care reform. One measure tells the attorney general to join an ongoing lawsuit from other states challenging the federal law, despite objections that plan could run up against the state Constitution by trying to give an order to the attorney general. The other bars the state from implementing the federal requirement to purchase health insurance. The GOP holds a 28-22 majority in the...
MT lawmaker resigns leadership post after citation HELENA, Mont. (AP) — State Sen. Jim Shockley resigned Thursday as Judiciary Committee chairman after he was cited for driving with an open beer in his vehicle, but said he will continue his run for state attorney general. The Republican from Victor told The Associated Press he will not let the incident derail his plans to run for higher office in 2012. But, he added, he broke the law and it is not possible to continue running the Senate Judiciary Committee when its focus i...
HELENA — State senators moved to cut 5 percent out of the Legislature's own budget amid criticism to looming cuts for other areas of government. The so-called "feed bill" pays for operation of the Legislature and is normally routine. But it unexpectedly hit the news earlier this month when Gov. Brian Schweitzer criticized lawmakers for tapping taxpayer money to get new, personal laptop computers. Then House Democrats opposed the measure after pointing out it included previously scheduled small increases for per diem and h...
Sen. overseeing DUI reform cited, open container HELENA — The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee overseeing sweeping reform to the state's drunk driving laws says a recent open container ticket resulted from poor judgment. Republican Committee Chairman Jim Shockley of Victor is also gearing up for a run at the office of Montana attorney general. Shockley says he was driving home from Helena last Friday when he stopped to buy a beer, his second of the evening. Missoula police pulled him over and issued an open a...
HELENA — Lawmakers aiming to crack down on drunk driving made it clear Wednesday that the state's relatively lax laws on driving drunk very likely could get a makeover over the next several months. The spotlight on repeat drunk driving has intensified over the past couple of years following some high-profile deaths and a promise from policymakers to do something about it. House and Senate committees meeting Wednesday and Thursday were looking over 17 proposals that included everything from tougher penalties to more t...
HELENA — Montana lawmakers tackled illegal immigration Friday, pushing forward a bill to ban illegal immigrants from receiving workers' compensation insurance benefits and hearing initial debate on a plan to turn to a federal immigration database before issuing Montana driver's licenses. Staunch opponents to illegal immigration want the state to use that federal database to verify legal immigration status before issuing a driver's license. Opponents of House Bill 178 argue the state would be subjecting its residents — and con...
HELENA — Republicans running the Montana Legislature who have launched bills aimed at undermining a federal health care law they believe is unconstitutional may themselves be running up against the state Constitution by trying to order the attorney general to take action. The first GOP proposal on the issue to get a hearing Wednesday would direct the state attorney general to join about 20 other states suing the federal government over the health care plan. But the Legislature's top lawyer said in an analysis that ordering t...
HELENA — Montana Republicans running the Legislature are analyzing the federal health care law and may consider getting out of Medicaid altogether as one of the options. Sen. Dave Lewis chairs the Senate Finance Committee and is among those that want to cut state spending by more than $300 million. The Helena Republican says bucking mandates under the federal health care law will be a big part of the conversation. Lewis says it is probably not politically feasible to get out of Medicaid this legislative session. But he says i...
HELENA — An ambitious list of priorities for new House Republican leaders is topped by a plan to boost the natural resource industry by limiting lawsuits filed against development projects, along with plans to spur business growth in several other ways. New House Speaker Mike Milburn, a former Air Force pilot and rancher from Cascade, told The Associated Press that the goals will provide a roadmap for the new GOP majority. The list crystalizes and improves upon ideas conservatives have favored for years, and leaders think t...
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Lawmaker heard familiar complaints from business leaders taking part Saturday in what was billed as a "jobs listening session," but agreed many of the comments will help reinforce goals for the legislative session. Republican legislative leaders are hoping to polish ideas for legislation that could spur job growth by talking to the owners of about 100 businesses. Farmers and ranchers were worried about property taxes, wolves, and regulations. Mining companies pushed for an easier permitting system and a...
HELENA — The commissioner of political practices is asking a judge to penalize a group that was behind the effort to undo Montana's ban on corporate political money as part of an ongoing dispute over campaign finance law. Western Tradition Partnership first filed a lawsuit early last year to undo Montana's century-old restriction on corporate political spending. The organization was later accused by the commissioner of political practices of failing to report expenditures. Western Tradition Partnership subsequently filed a l...
HELENA — Republicans in control of the Montana Legislature are planning early votes next week in opposition to the new federal health care law, putting the spotlight on a major campaign theme for many in the GOP. Both the state Senate and House will take up bills next Wednesday that in some way oppose state implementation of the federal law, Republican leaders said. Their action is intended to coincide with a scheduled U.S. House vote on repealing the law. President Barack Obama's signature expansion of health insurance relie...
HELENA — Montana's Democratic secretary of state said Wednesday she's working with a Republican lawmaker to switch the state over to mail ballots for all elections. Secretary of State Linda McCulloch said counties that run polling places and elections could save more than $2 million each election cycle under a plan that she expects would dramatically increase voter turnout. Many voters currently mail ballots in through the absentee ballot process. But election officials must still staff and open polling places for others. P...
HELENA — A fractured Republican majority at the Public Service Commission has elected firebrand Brad Molnar as the body's vice chairman to break a deadlock over leadership. Freshman Republican commissioner Bill Gallagher of Helena was picked Tuesday morning to lead the body after fellow freshman Travis Kavulla of Great Falls refused to vote for the veteran Molnar. Kavulla says Molnar lacks the temperament and credibility to lead the PSC. The wrangling over the selection took nearly two days and came amid charges of backroom d...
MATT GOURAS,Associated Press HELENA Mon,t. (APThe Montana Legislature opened Monday the way it is likely to finish: with Republican lawmakers sparring with a strong-willed governor's office over budget priorities. Republicans coming off huge election wins in November made it clear that they are eager to put forward ambitious plans to put their imprint on state government now that they hold firm control of both chambers. But Gov. Brian Schweitzer, an independently minded Democrat made it clear to the GOP that he thinks there i...
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — The Montana Public Service Commission's first meeting stalled Monday over the new Republican majority's attempt to pick one of their own as a chairman — leaving the panel without a leader and the GOP with a very public internal fight on its hands. New Republican commissioner Travis Kavulla of Great Falls said he won't vote for veteran GOP commissioner Brad Molnar unless the sometimes confrontational Molnar signs a code of conduct. Molnar rejected the offer — and called Kavulla "extremely arrogant" for m...
HELENA — Montana Republicans in dominant control of the Legislature start work this week on an ambitious plan to tackle everything from medical marijuana to the way the state takes federal money to run its programs. The Legislature's sole constitutional duty is to adopt a balanced budget. Democratic Gov. Brian Schweitzer has proposed a plan that meets that bar — but Republicans want to go further and cut spending to match what they perceive as an austerity mandate from voters. And there will be no shortage of issues bey...
HELENA — Citing alcohol sales data, Gov. Brian Schweitzer has called state lawmakers some of "the biggest boozers," just as the legislature is preparing to arrive in Helena to start what already promised to be a tough session. Schweitzer's comments, predictably, are not sitting well with legislators. The governor, who for years has lampooned the lawmakers for eating "thick steaks and old whiskey" bought by lobbyists, upped the ante recently at a press conference discussing tax revenue. He pointed out Department of Revenue d...
HELENA (AP) — Gov. Brian Schweitzer announced Friday he has picked Jennifer Hensley of Butte over other candidates sent to him by the Legislature to serve as the state's arbiter of campaign and ethics complaints. Hensley is the wife of state Sen. Steve Gallus, a Butte Democrat. She replaces current Commissioner of Political Practices Dennis Unsworth, whose six-year term expires at the end of the year. Hensley told Schweitzer during an interview earlier this week that her marriage won't cause a conflict because the t...
HELENA (AP) — Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau says she will be asking lawmakers to increase the compulsory attendance age from 16 to 18 years of age. Juneau laid out her legislative plans to Gov. Brian Schweitzer in a meeting Tuesday. Juneau says she thinks it is important to raise the expectation of school attendance. The schools chief says many students who drop out at 16 years of age do so because they know they can. Juneau, a Democrat, says a Republican state senator has agreed to sponsor the p...
