Government

U.S. SENATE — U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.), ranking member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and Gary Peters (D-MI), ranking member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, are demanding immediate action following reports of significant delays in veterans’ prescription medications through the U.S. Postal Service. In a letter to Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, Tester and Peters led 29 Senate colleagues in urging USPS to correct operational changes that are needlessly delaying veterans’ access to life-saving prescriptions. “Veterans and the VA should be able to count on USPS for the ti...

News from the Office of the Governor   MONTANA - Governor Steve Bullock announced on Aug. 11 he will direct $50 million to increase childcare options for Montana families and bolster the state’s childcare infrastructure in response to COVID-19. “As more Montanans return to work and f...

News from the Office of Greg Gianforte WASHINGTON – Congressman Greg Gianforte (R-Mont.) led a bipartisan effort to eliminate barriers to health data for Native Americans last week. Gianforte’s bill reaffirms that tribal public health authorities are entitled access to public health data....

News from the office of Senator Jon Tester U.S. Senate – A bill was introduced by Senator Tester that would enhance the ability of state and federal law enforcement officials to stop scammers from taking advantage of Montanans during the COVID-19 outbreak, and to better hold bad actors accountable...

News from the office of the Governor MONTANA — Governor Steve Bullock issued a directive to ensure all eligible Montanans can safely vote in the 2020 November general election by allowing counties to expand voting by mail and early voting. Whether or not they provide mail ballots, all counties wil...

News from the Office of Indian Affairs MONTANA — Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs Tara Katuk Sweeney announced the opening of the third of seven offices established under the Operation Lady Justice Task Force to investigate cold cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska...

MONTANA — Montana Department of Agriculture announced that over $7.5 million in grant funding has been awarded through the Montana Meat Processing Infrastructure Grant programs. The grants are designed to aid small and medium-sized meat processors in responding to the COVID-19 crisis through the adapta...

 MONTANA — Governor Steve Bullock and Lt. Governor Mike Cooney sent a letter urging the U.S. Census Bureau to continue 2020 Census operations through its extended deadline of Oct. 31 to get an accurate count for Montana while allowing for continued health and safety measures to slow the spread of ...

FLATHEAD RESERVATION – A Montana water rights bill that would end a years-long debate was passed by a congressional committee on July 29, the next step in ensuring irrigators and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes can avoid lengthy and costly adjudication of irrigation rights.  Members...

News from the Office of Senator Steve Daines  U.S. SENATE – On July 28, U.S. Senator Steve Daines secured passage of his bipartisan bill, the Montana Water Rights Protection Act, out of the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, clearing the way for a Senate vote on the bill. “For decad...