On Wednesday, March 19, the Fort Peck Tribes Department of Law and Justice officers responded to the area east of the Thundering Buffalo Wellness Center in Poplar for a report of a juvenile male that had been stabbed. The Fort Peck Tribes Criminal Investigation and Patrol Divisions were able to identify the two suspects of the stabbing. In coordination with the a deputy from Roosevelt County,

Former legislators could immediately become lobbyists under legislation from Sen. Greg Hertz, R-Polson. Under Montana law, state legislators, elected state officials, department directors, appointed state officials, and members of elected official’s personal staff are not allowed to be licensed as lobbyists if they’ve served in any of those positions over the previous two years. Senate Bill

A bill seeking to change automatic classification of large tracts of land as agricultural land failed in the House on Thursday, March 20. House Bill 27, brought by Rep. Sherry Essmann, R-Billings, would have introduced an application process for agricultural classification and a review process for properties already considered agricultural land. The bill targeted properties that claim

Paddlefish anglers will see a host of new changes in the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks 2025 fishing regulations targeted at maximizing paddlefishing opportunities, while also looking to sustain the fishery for years to come. Among the major changes to this year’s paddlefish regulations are that hooks must be barbless or pinched and only one treble hook per line is allowed for snagging. In

The state Department of Corrections confirmed to Montana Free Press Wednesday that Montana State Prison Warden Jim Salmonsen, who was on leave from his position for 47 days starting Jan. 14, reassumed his role on March 3. The department has not released a public announcement of Salmonsen’s return. Department spokesperson Carolynn Stocker declined to comment on the reasons for Salmonsen’s leave

Opinion State Needs New Government Claims Court Senate Republicans have been focused this session on reforming Montana’s courts for the better. We are in the process of passing bills to bolster transparency, accountability, and efficiency in our judicial branch. A critical part of improving our state’s court system is easing the workload on judges and ensuring important cases are heard

A bill protecting landowners from state seizure of private water rights on state lands has begun debate in the Senate, but not without concerns about school funding, water rights cases and public land access. On Friday, March 21, Speaker of the House Brandon Ler, R-Savage, brought his House Bill 676 to the Senate Judiciary Committee after a series of tight votes in the House. Ler’s bill

The Montana Senate on Thursday, March 20, advanced a proposal that seeks to reallocate tens of millions of dollars of recreational marijuana taxes the state collects annually. Senate Bill 307, proposed by Sen. Majority Leader Tom McGillvray, R-Billings, would rejigger where roughly $63 million in marijuana taxes are directed, stripping allocations for wildlife habitat, state parks and youth

A fight over a beef promotion program saw boisterous debate in a Senate Agricultural Committee meeting last week. House Bill 119, brought by House Speaker Rep. Brandon Ler, would create the Montana Cattle Committee, which would run what’s called a “checkoff program,” or promotion program for a specific product, in this case Montana beef. Perhaps the most famous checkoff program was

Montana farmers are worried about being whipsawed in a trade war as the United States trades tariffs on farm products with China, Canada and Mexico. Wheat and lentil exports are likely to face tougher markets in the coming year as tariffs erode favorable trade terms in Canada and China, producers told Montana Free Press in mid-March. The current trade war is in some ways similar to a 2018