Weekly News Roundup
For week ended June 30, 2024
Wild of Wonder! Wild of Wondra!
Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary Press Release Red Lodge Sculptor, Lee Kern, captured the likeness of one of Red Lodge’s most famous and adored residents. The Sanctuary will dedicate this sculpture of Speedy, the American Bison, on June 29, 2024, at Yellowstone Wildlife Sanctuary. The brief ceremony begins at 10:15 AM, just after the Sanctuary opens for Bison Birthday Bash.
Carbon County Man Dies in Single Vehicle Accident in Stillwater County
By Denise Rivette On Sunday, June 23, at 12:12 p.m. near Absarokee on Highway 78, a 53 year old Red Lodge man was having problems keeping his vehicle in his lane while driving a Ford Excursion pulling a camper-trailer on Highway 78. Near mile marker 34 the vehicle went off the right side of the road then re-entered the roadway crossing the center line and crashed into the guardrail on the left side of the road before coming to a rest. A 71 year old Carbon County man died at the scene. The driver and two other occupants of the car, a 52 year old man from Laurel and 75 year old man from Absarokee were uninjured. Alcohol is a suspected contributing factor in this accident. None of the occupants of the vehicle were wearing seat belts.
Traffic Accident on Highway 308 Kills One County Resident and Leaves Another Injured
By Denise Rivette On Friday, June 21, at 3:16 p.m., a Honda Pilot driven by an 81 year old man from Bearcreek was entering State Highway 308 to head northwest toward Red Lodge. His vehicle was crossing the southbound lane when it was struck by a southbound Ford Escape driven by a 72 year old Belfry man. The Honda Pilot driver sustained life threatening injuries and was pronounced deceased at the Beartooth Billings Clinic in Red Lodge. The driver of the Ford Escape, who was not wearing a seat belt, sustained major injuries and was transported to Billings Clinic in Billings. His condition is unreported at this time. There are no contributing factors (drugs, alcohol, speed) suspected. Montana Highway Patrol is the investigating agency.
Congress Passes Tester's Bipartisan Bill to Boost Resources for Montana’s Local Fire Departments
By Denise Rivette On June 18, Congress took a significant step in supporting local fire departments across the country by passing the Fire Grants and Safety Act (S. 870), which was co-sponsored by Senator Jon Tester. Senator Steve Daines voted in favor, as did Representatives Matt Rosendale and Ryan Zinke for the House version. It now awaits President Biden’s signature. Upon the president’s signature, the continuation of the
There’s More Common Ground Than You Think
By Steve Corbin for the Daily Montanan According to the most recent data from Pew Research Center, National Election Studies, Gallup, ABC/Washington Post, CBS/New York Times and CNN Polls, only 21% of Americans say they trust the government in Washington, D.C., to do what is right. The headline from Dante Chinni’s June 10 NBC News article sums it up: “Americans agree on one thing–DC isn’t getting the job done.”
Several Ballot Initiatives Fall Short on Signature Gathering
By Eric Dietrich for Montana Free Press The individual backers behind four initiatives that have been gathering signatures in an effort to qualify for the fall ballot said this week that they haven’t been able to gather the tens of thousands of required voter signatures.
Montana’s D.C. Delegation Reacts to Chaotic Presidential Debate
by Justin Franz for Montana Free Press Montana’s federal delegation in Washington D.C. reacted in predictable ways Friday following a chaotic June 27 presidential debate between President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump. The debate — the earliest presidential debate in history — was marked by a lackluster performance by Biden, leading to widespread discomfort among Democrats worried that the 81-year-old incumbent will struggle to succeed in November.
Fact-Checking Biden-Trump on the Health-Care Front
by KFF Health News and PolitiFact staffs President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Democratic and Republican presidential nominees, shared a debate stage June 27 for the first time since 2020, in a confrontation that — because of strict debate rules — managed to avoid the near-constant interruptions that marred their previous encounters.
Popularity of public charters in Montana is high, cost is high too
By Keila Szpaller for the Daily Montanan More public charter schools are opening in Montana than expected, and they’ll cost the state more money too — an estimated $2.8 million, or three times more than budgeted, for the year. In legislative meetings last week, lawmakers praised the new schools, but they also said their popularity calls for some sideboards around approvals for new schools in the future.
U.S. Supreme Court flips precedent that empowered federal agencies
By Jacob Fischler for States Newsroom The U.S. Supreme Court struck down a precedent Friday that had for decades limited judicial power to strike executive branch regulations, in a decision immediately criticized for potentially undermining decisions by scientists and agency experts.
‘Sacred Return’: Tribal Ceremony Honors Birth of Prophesied White Buffalo Calf
By Blair Miller for the Daily Montanan HEBGEN LAKE, Montana — The birth of a sacred white buffalo calf earlier this month in Yellowstone National Park’s Lamar Valley fulfills a tribal prophecy, according to Native American spiritual leaders. The prophecy means people need to take better care of Mother Earth and must come together to do so, leaders and elders told a group of about 500 people gathered Wednesday on the north shore of Hebgen Lake.
Biden Plan to Save Medicare Patients Money on Drugs Risks Empty Shelves, Pharmacists Say
By Susan Jaffe for KFF Health News Months into a new Biden administration policy intended to lower drug costs for Medicare patients, independent pharmacists say they’re struggling to afford to keep some prescription drugs in stock. “It would not matter if the governor himself walked in and said, ‘I need to get this prescription filled,’” said Clint Hopkins, a pharmacist and co-owner of Pucci’s Pharmacy in Sacramento, California. “If I’m losing money on it, it’s a no.”
Montana GOP, Busse File Campaign Finance Complaints
By Nicole Girten for the Daily Montanan The Montana GOP said the Democratic candidate for governor is illegally spending money on his wife’s communications company — but Democrat Ryan Busse, challenging the Republican incumbent, alleges Governor Greg Gianforte improperly funneled $1 million to his campaign manager’s companies.
U.S. Supreme Court Ruling on Obstruction Law Helps Cases of January 6 Defendants
By: Ashley Murray for States Newsroom WASHINGTON — A former Pennsylvania police officer who joined the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol that delayed the certification of the 2020 presidential election results cannot be charged with obstructing an official proceeding unless a lower court finds otherwise, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Friday.
Public Records Lawsuit Set for Oral Argument with Montana Supreme Court
By Keila Szpaller for the Daily Montanan The Montana Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on a lawsuit over whether Governor Greg Gianforte can claim “executive privilege” to withhold from the public internal records his office uses to track legislation.
Stabenow Says GOP Farm Bill is ‘Not Balanced’ and Won’t Pass Through the US Senate
By Lucy Valeski and Susan Demas for States Newsroom LANSING, Michigan —The U.S. House Agriculture Committee’s version of the farm bill will not get support from U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, D-Michigan, who leads the Senate committee responsible for handling the appropriations bill.
State Organizations Request Health Department Investment Following Medicaid Redetermination
By Nicole Girten for the Daily Montanan Thousands of Montanans lost Medicaid coverage, not because they weren’t eligible, but due to “unapproachable and unmanageable” administrative barriers at the state health department. That’s according to a letter signed by 66 national and state organizations sent to Governor Greg Gianforte last week asking him to include money to add additional staff to the Department of Public Health and Human Services and update outdated software, among other requests, in his budget proposal for the 2027 biennium.
Republican Legislative Leadership Files Amicus Brief in Housing Bill Lawsuit
By Nicole Girten for the Daily Montanan Republican legislative leadership filed a brief earlier this week with the Montana Supreme Court requesting the court overturn a temporary block placed on two housing bills by a lower court. In the amicus, or “friend of the court” brief, the lawmakers say the court should do away with the temporary hold on the bills passed through the 2023 legislature because the courts overstepped the legislature’s authority, “weighing in on policy choices using unsupported or contested factual assertions and speculative opinions.”
Biden and Trump Trade Insults, Accusations of Lying in Acrimonious Presidential Debate
By Jennifer Shutt and Jacob Fischler for States Newsroom President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump pitched to undecided voters Thursday night during the first debate of the presidential campaign — trading insults over their policy differences, immigration and who represents a threat to democracy.
Rosendale Takes Aim at IVF and The Military
By Darrell Ehrlick for the Daily Montanan In a video posted Tuesday afternoon, Representative Matt Rosendale, a Republican from Montana, said that taxpayers fund more “child deaths than Planned Parenthood.” The message is part of a series of social media posts and press releases that demonstrate the lame-duck, far-right politician’s hard-line on the subject of
Montana Offers $15.8M in One-Time Grants for Behavioral Health, Developmental Disabilities
By: Keila Szpaller for the Daily Montanan The state of Montana is offering more money to support capacity for community-based residential providers offering behavioral health care or developmental disability services — $15.8 million in one-time grants, the Governor’s Office announced Monday.
Rate of Young Women Getting Sterilized Doubled After ‘Roe’ Was Overturned
By Aaron Bolton, MTPR HELENA, Mont. — Sophia Ferst remembers her reaction to learning that the Supreme Court had overturned Roe v. Wade: She needed to get sterilized. Within a week, she asked her provider about getting the procedure done. Ferst, 28, said she has always known she doesn’t want kids. She also worries about getting pregnant as the result of a sexual assault then being unable to access abortion services. “That’s not a crazy concept anymore,” she said.
US Surgeon General Declares Gun Violence ‘a Public Health Crisis’
By Rachana Pradhan and Fred Clasen-Kelly for KFF Health News U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared firearm violence a public health crisis, as gun deaths and injuries punctuate daily life in America. On nearly every day of 2024 so far, a burst of gunfire has hit at least four people somewhere in the country. Some days, communities have endured four or five such shootings.
Therapists Learn How To Help Farmers Cope With Stress Before It’s Too Late
By Tony Leys for KFF Health News If you or someone you know may be experiencing a mental health crisis, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by dialing “988,” or the Crisis Text Line by texting “HOME” to 741741. GRINNELL, Iowa — The farmers’ co-op here is a center of hope every spring. It’s where farmers buy seed and fertilizer for the summer’s crops, and where they seek tips to maximize their harvest of corn and soybeans.
Montanans Securing Reproductive Rights Turns in ‘Record’ 117K Signatures for Abortion Petition
By Blair Miller for the Daily Montanan The group behind a proposed constitutional amendment to protect abortion access in Montana said Friday it had submitted 117,000 signatures from every county in the state – nearly double the number needed for the measure to make the ballot in November.