Montana News
Comprehensive coverage of Montana’s statewide news—politics, environment, communities, and culture—delivered with trusted reporting and a local lens.
Montana voters will be able to register to vote on Election Day, judge rules
A Montana judge has blocked the state from limiting voter registration on Election Day, concluding the move would …
Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission moves closer to statewide wolf quota
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission has adopted wolf hunting and trapping regulations that move closer to a statewide quota as part of lawmakers’ ongoing …
NorthWestern Energy to merge with Black Hills Corp
NorthWestern Energy announced Tuesday it plans to merge with Black Hills Corp “to create a premier regional regulated electric and natural gas utility company” in a process expected to take 12 to 15 months and resu…
Initiatives seek to keep Montana judicial races nonpartisan
A second attempt to keep Montana judicial races nonpartisan has been launched.
Medicaid cuts are likely to worsen mental health care in rural America
Across the nation, Medicaid is the single largest payer for mental health care, and in rural America, residents disproportionately rely on the public insurance program.
Outdoor sporting groups appeal ruling on gray wolf protections
A coalition of outdoor sporting groups intend to appeal the decision of a federal judge in Montana made last week that directed the federal government to recon…
Disenfranchised at convention, Republican lawmakers sue state party
Republican legislators disenfranchised at the June Montana GOP officers’ convention are asking a judge to restore their voting privileges and force a new election for party leadership.
Groups file suit to declare Montana’s right to abortion is unconstitutional
Two groups, which were shot down unanimously by the Montana Supreme Court when they tried to halt a provision to protect the right to an abortion hours before it became part of the state’s constitution, have kept a…
Court vacates decision to deny protections for wolves in US West
Federal wildlife officials erred in a recent decision to deny federal protections for gray wolves in the western U.S., according to a ruling issued by a distri…
Federal government authorizes expansion of Colstrip mine
The federal government has authorized a nearly 1,900-acre expansion of the mine that supplies Montana's largest power plant with coal.
Federal court overturns decision denying Endangered Species protections to wolves
A federal judge in Missoula on Tuesday vacated the federal government’s determination that gray wolves in the Western United States do not need increased feder…
Anaconda searches for words and ways to process shooting that left four of its residents dead
Kyle White thought the noises outside his downtown Anaconda home last Friday morning were the sounds of routine construction. Then his police scanner started c…
Search for the bar shooter who killed 4 is Montana's highest priority, governor says
Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte on Tuesday signed an executive order freeing up more resources for local law enforcement as they searched a mountainous area for a …
Montana health insurers propose double-digit rate increase for 2026
Montanans who purchase individual health insurance through the federal Marketplace could see the cost of their plans spike by double digits in 2026.
State, National Republican groups join lawsuit over Montana election laws
The Republican National Committee and the Montana Republican Party last month filed a motion to intervene in a lawsuit challenging two “commonsense” election laws passed during the 2025 Legislature.
Lightning Creek Fire in North Idaho grows to 1,600 acres
A fire in the Lightning Creek drainage of Northern Idaho more than doubled in size Sunday, reaching almost 1,600 acres by 6 p.m., U.S. Forest Service officials…