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Articles written by Phil Drake


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  • Supreme Court candidates meet in Great Falls forum, debate experience

    Phil Drake|Updated Oct 24, 2016

    GREAT FALLS (AP) — Most of the contenders attending Thursday’s judicial candidates’ forum at the Meadow Lark Country Club gave friendly, gentle pitches about why people should vote for them Nov. 8. Dirk Sandefur wasn’t one of them. Sandefur, a candidate for Supreme Court seat No. 3, tore into opponent Kristen Juras, saying she did not have the expertise to be a judge on the high court. Juras and Sandefur, as well as Supreme Court Judges Mike McGrath and James Shea, who are up for re-election and unopposed, along with Distric...

  • State's largest workers' comp insurer cuts rates 20 percent

    PHIL DRAKE, Montana Watchdog

    HELENA — The board of the state's largest workers' compensation insurer cut its rates by 20 percent on Friday, a move that some hope will help the business community and encourage more job creation and higher wages. The 7-0 vote by the Montana State Fund board (MSF) comes on the heels of House Bill 334, a massive workers' compensation reform package passed in the 2011 legislative session. Although it's workers' compensation costs are going down, Montana has the highest workers' compensation rates in the country. And l...

  • Bill funding Northern auto tech. center hits 11th-hour roadblock

    PHIL DRAKE, Montana Watchdog 

    HELENA — A House bill that would fund $7.9 million for a massive overhaul to the automitve technology center at Montana State University-Northern is now in the fight of its life. On Monday, the House majority leader asked that the $100 million bond program be reconsidered. Rep. Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, said given the scope of House Bill 439, which uses about $100 million in bonds, he thought it should be reviewed again. His motion passed 52-42. Reps. Kris Hansen, R-Havre, and Wendy Warburton, R-Havre, voted to r...

  • Is Montana transparency a matter of money?

    PHIL DRAKE

    (Editor's note: This is the first of two stories looking at transparency in Montana. This story looks at what some believe are the obstacles from getting information put online. On Thursday, we will have a story on what happens when the wrong information gets posted.) It's a mixed bag at best for Montana when it comes to transparency and it's not likely to get better any time soon, at least according to bills vetoed in the last legislative session and other recent attempts to get information posted online that would make it...