Wednesday, March 3, marks the middle of the 67th Legislative session and a key deadline for general bills. Lawmakers held committee hearings on more than 360 bills between Feb. 22 and 26. Many will not become law. Some like House Bill 455, were tabled in committee. That bill would have made getting and voting with an absentee ballot more difficult. It was tabled unanimously. Rep. Geraldine Custer,

A trial date was scheduled for Kai Irwin Leigh Underdahl during a hearing in district court on Tuesday, Feb. 23. Underdahl is facing three counts of assault with a weapon and two charges of criminal endangerment. District Court Judge David Cybulski scheduled the trial for April 15. During Tuesday’s hearing, Roosevelt County Attorney Frank Piocos and defense attorney Terrence Toavs each

Jeff Wivholm of Medicine Lake has been appointed to Montana’s Board of Oil and Gas Conservation. “I’m honored to be on it,” Wivholm said. He noted that he has worked with oilfield activity for most of his life. His experience includes being president of the Montana Association of Conservation Districts for four years and he is an agricultural producer of small grains. “I thought

The trial for Richard Lamar Rutledge, 47, Culbertson, has been rescheduled for July. Rutledge is facing two counts of sexual intercourse without consent and two counts of incest. The trial was scheduled to start March 15. “I think there’s a good chance we will have a normal trial if we wait that long,” Defense attorney Matthew Claus said of changing the dates to July. With social

Clifford Evan Briscoe of Poplar changed his plea to guilty for the charge of criminal possession of dangerous drugs during a hearing in district court on Tuesday, Feb. 23. He had made not guilty pleas for the charge and for criminal possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor, during his initial appearance on Jan. 26. On Tuesday, Briscoe testified that on Jan. 14, law enforcement

A bill being sponsored by Rep. Frank Smith, D-Poplar, regarding product labeling hasn’t received enough support. House Bill 324 aimed to require a placard of Country of Origin on beef or pork products. The proposal was voted down in the House by a 65-34 margin. During a hearing on Feb. 11, Smith noted similar bills have been heard during other sessions. “This one is definitely different,”

The Montana Legislature has considered nearly a dozen bills this session aimed at changing how Montana’s judicial branch is formed and how it works. One controversial bill that would allow the governor to directly appoint judges for vacancies in district courts and the Supreme Court passed the House on Monday, March 1. Senate Bill 140, sponsored by Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, passed on a 67-32