House rejects Senate budget
Posted on April 16
MATT GOURAS of the Associated Press

Analyst: No change in revenue estimates - Forecast ends 5 months of recommended drops
Posted on April 16
HELENA - For the first time in five months, chief legislative revenue forecaster Terry Johnson has not recommended another drop in the state’s projected state general fund revenues over three years.

Revenue estimate up, budget negotiations pending
Posted on April 15
HELENA - Lawmakers heading into tense negotiations over spending plans for the main state budget and federal stimulus money have a little more money to play with and say they believe a compromise can be reached.

Senate rejects gov's horse amendments
Posted on April 16
HELENA - The Montana Legislature has rejected the governor's amendments to the horse slaughter bill and returned it to him unchanged.

Pair of timber-industry bills advance through Senate
Posted on April 15
HELENA - Two measures designed to help Montana’s struggling timber industry survived a Senate vote Wednesday, putting them close to final passage - although one made it without a single vote to spare.

Committee OKs Insure Montana expansion
Posted on April 9
HELENA - A bill enabling another 450 small businesses and their employee state subsidies for private, group-health insurance won approval Wednesday from a Senate committee.

Governor, universities remain at odds
Posted on April 11
The ongoing verbal jousting match between Montana’s universities and Gov. Brian Schweitzer over funding for higher education in the next two years intensified Friday, with the governor cautioning administrators that their push for more state funding is unwelcome in the waning days of the Legislature.

Schweitzer: Everyone is cutting back
Posted on March 21
HELENA - Everyone in state government is cutting back on spending - and everyone includes Montana’s colleges and universities.

Colleges push back against mandate
Posted on March 12
HELENA - University system leaders say the governor's proposed mandate for a tuition freeze may be unconstitutional.

Changes to rules on green energy draw ire - NorthWestern Energy pushing most proposals
Posted on April 11
HELENA - The 2009 Legislature has been changing Montana’s landmark laws that encourage production of renewable power, such as wind, solar and geothermal - and some of those changes are under fire by green power advocates or producers.

Last of carbon storage bills dies
Posted on April 10
HELENA - The last remaining bill to encourage carbon-dioxide storage and “clean coal” development in Montana has died at the Legislature, prompting a hail of political finger-pointing Thursday from both sides.

Senate votes not to confirm Rossbach - Montana Board of Environmental Review
Posted on April 10
Missoula attorney Bill Rossbach no longer will be on the Montana Board of Environmental Review, the state Senate has decided.

Schweitzer proposes limit on property tax increases
Posted on April 15
HELENA - Frustrated by legislative efforts to mitigate property reappraisal, Gov. Brian Schweitzer called Tuesday for a simple solution: Limit residential property tax increases to no more than 5 percent yearly for the next two years and take up reappraisal again in 2011.

Admin. calls budget, stimulus plan 'unacceptable'
Posted on April 14
MATT GOURAS of the Associated Press

Governor signs stream access bill
Posted on April 13
MATTHEW BROWN of the Associated Press

Montana sovereignty bills have national scope
Posted on April 15
KAHRIN DEINES of the Associated Press

Legislature unlikely to adjourn early
Posted on April 15
HELENA - Prospects appeared dim Tuesday that the 2009 Legislature will conclude its work early and adjourn this weekend as some lawmakers had hoped, its leaders said Tuesday.

GOP considering 4 for redistricting panel
Posted on April 10
HELENA - Republican legislative leaders said they are considering four GOP activists for their two seats on the commission that will redraw legislative district lines after the 2010 census.

Showdown looms over GOP’s CHIP funding plan
Posted on April 16
HELENA - Within the next week, the Legislature must settle a partisan battle over funding Healthy Montana Kids, the expansion of children’s health insurance approved by voters

Senate endorses health inspection bill
Posted on April 15
HELENA - A hotly contested bill to increase health inspection fees paid by restaurants, coffee shops and other food-selling establishments in Montana won endorsement from the state Senate on Tuesday, but it may not be the last word on the subject.

Noah's legacy: Bill on Schweitzer's desk would give families help to pay for expensive prescriptions
It took an entire community to pay the health care costs of one sick, insured, middle-class person named Noah Ginnings.

Bills honor fallen troopers
Posted on April 9
KALISPELL - Gov. Brian Schweitzer has signed into law two bills that name stretches of U.S. Highway 2 in the Kalispell area after two Montana Highway Patrol troopers killed in the line of duty.

Governor signs stream access bill
Posted on April 13
MATTHEW BROWN of the Associated Press

Plum Creek land bills move forward
Posted on April 8
HELENA - Two bills to help transfer 26,000 acres of Plum Creek Timber Co. timberland to state ownership and create a loan fund for the struggling timber industry cleared another legislative hurdle this week, but not without some changes to the loan-fund bill.

Access bill clears last vote - Schweitzer expected to sign stream measure
Posted on April 7
HELENA - A bill clarifying state law on public access to certain rivers and streams from county roads and bridges is headed to Gov. Brian Schweitzer for his expected signature.

Senate to debate property tax bill
Posted on April 16
HELENA - Split along party lines, a Senate committee Wednesday approved and sent to the Senate floor for debate a much-amended bill to mitigate homeowners’ potential property tax increases from the new statewide property reappraisal.

Schweitzer proposes limit on property tax increases
Posted on April 15
HELENA - Frustrated by legislative efforts to mitigate property reappraisal, Gov. Brian Schweitzer called Tuesday for a simple solution: Limit residential property tax increases to no more than 5 percent yearly for the next two years and take up reappraisal again in 2011.

Property tax increases finally get attention
Posted on April 12
HELENA - Property reappraisal mitigation has been a sleeper of an issue at the Montana Legislature so far, but not for long.

Montana lawmakers endorse ban on wolf hybrids
Posted on Feb. 17
HELENA - The Montana Senate is endorsing a plan to ban wolf hybrids in the state.

Landowners challenge limits on hunting permits
Posted on Jan. 28
HELENA - Some Montana landowners appeared before lawmakers Tuesday, urging them to pass two bills that would curb the state wildlife commission's authority to control the number of hunting permits issued.

Senate committee considers fish bills
Posted on Jan. 23
HELENA - A Montana Senate committee is weighing several bills to strengthen funding of the Fort Peck fish hatchery, which opened in 2006 and faces a looming shortage of money for operations.

Senate endorses stimulus measure
Posted on April 15
HELENA - The bill authorizing Montana’s $880 million share of federal economic stimulus money squeezed through the state Senate Tuesday, overcoming strident criticism that it’s wasteful spending - or spending in the wrong place.

Lawmakers clash on stimulus spending
Posted on April 9
HELENA - Critics said Republican changes on Wednesday to stimulus spending plans shortchange Montana schools, while supporters said they are necessary to make sure the state doesn’t spend too much money.

Montana gov. last to request stimulus bucks
Posted on April 2
HELENA - Montana's governor became the nation's last to accept stimulus funds Thursday as he set aside earlier efforts to use the money as leverage to push state lawmakers.