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Articles with the Tag: Montana Free Press

Climate scientist: MT should expect climate-driven water, wildfire woes Climate scientist: MT should expect climate-driven water, wildfire woes

BILLINGS — Montanans should expect longer, more intense wildfire seasons and declining streamflows, the state’s most decorated climate scientist said during the keynote address of Billings’ inaugural Climate Week, an event that aims to raise awareness about climate change and explore respon...

Ken Burns’ latest chronicles the slaughter and revival of ‘The American Buffalo’ Ken Burns’ latest chronicles the slaughter and revival of ‘The American Buffalo’

FLATHEAD RESERVATION — “The American Buffalo,” Ken Burns’ upcoming documentary, took four years to produce, but the idea behind it can be traced back more than 30 years. Burns recently found an earlier version of a proposal for a film about bison in his files. It had been written i...

What exactly does Montana’s new obscenity law do?

News from Alex Sakariassen / Montana Free Press HELENA — Last week, Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill that was among the most talked about and contentious of the 2023 session: Montana’s “obscenity bill.” And while the proposal underwent substantial changes to address the concerns...

House joins Senate in endorsing Montana TikTok ban House joins Senate in endorsing Montana TikTok ban

HELENA — The Montana House followed the lead of the state Senate Thursday to endorse a statewide ban on the social media platform TikTok. Senate Bill 419, sponsored by Rep. Shelly Vance, R-Belgrade, would bar the platform’s China-based parent company, ByteDance, from allowing “the operat...

Montana Indian Child Welfare Act gets a Senate hearing Montana Indian Child Welfare Act gets a Senate hearing

MONTANA — Roberta Duckhead Kittson Nyomo said she and her brother were among the last Native American children adopted out of Thompson Falls before the federal Indian Child Welfare Act was passed in 1978. The siblings were sent to live with a non-Native family. Nyomo remembers them lacking empathy.&nbs...

As ski area celebrates 75 years, Whitefish looks to future amid changing climate As ski area celebrates 75 years, Whitefish looks to future amid changing climate

WHITEFISH — This weekend, skiers and riders on Whitefish’s Big Mountain were whooping and hollering as they plowed through deep powder during one of the rare instances where a significant winter storm overlapped with a long weekend when lots of people were planning to hit the slopes anyway. As Wh...

Lawmakers narrowly reject prohibition on medical aid in dying Lawmakers narrowly reject prohibition on medical aid in dying

HELENA — A bill that would have allowed criminal penalties for Montana physicians who provide terminally ill patients with medical aid in dying narrowly failed to pass a final vote in the Senate chamber Wednesday, spelling the likely fate of the bill this session. Senate Bill 210, sponsored by Sen. ...

Bill would let cities tax Airbnbs to subsidize long-term rentals

HELENA — A bill under consideration at the Montana Legislature would give cities, counties and resort districts the option of levying a tax on Airbnb-style, short-term rentals if they use the money to give rebates to landlords who rent to local workers on a long-term basis. Sponsored by Rep. Jane Gi...

Indian Child Welfare Act would protect future generations, advocates say Indian Child Welfare Act would protect future generations, advocates say

News from Mara Silvers / MFP and JoVonne Wagner / ICT HELENA — A bill to cement existing federal protections in state law for Native American children, families and tribal nations navigating child welfare proceedings received broad support from Indigenous child welfare advocates during a packed he...

Abortion privacy bill clears major vote on Senate floor

MONTANA — A bill to statutorily define Montana’s constitutional right to privacy as not protecting the right to abortion passed a key vote in the Senate chamber Wednesday, leaving one more hurdle before it can continue its trajectory to a House committee.  Senate Bill 154, sponsored by Se...


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