Montana News
Comprehensive coverage of Montana’s statewide news—politics, environment, communities, and culture—delivered with trusted reporting and a local lens.
Judge blocks Election Day voter registration changes
Late voter registration, allowing Montanans to sign up to vote so long as they’re in line before polls officially …
Bodnar will step down as UM president as rumors of Senate bid swirl
University of Montana President Seth Bodnar will resign after eight years of leading one of the state’s flagship universities, the school said Wednesday.
Montana lawmakers look to regulate kratom ahead of 2027 session
State lawmakers are seeking ways to regulate kratom ahead of the 2027 legislative session, arguing that synthetic concoctions of the drug are too dangerous to …
Bureau of Land Management revokes American Prairie bison leases
The U.S. Department of the Interior announced on Friday that it is revoking seven grazing permits in Phillips County that American Prairie had been using to su…
Supreme Court sides with Montana police on warrant requirements during emergencies
The Supreme Court sided with Montana police on Wednesday in a case over when officers can enter a home without a warrant if an emergency might be unfolding inside.
The fate of Montana's 67-year-old governor's mansion could be decided soon
Rotted ceilings, toilets that can't flush and a shoddy electrical system are just a few of the problems plaguing the former executive residence for Montana's governor. Oh, and it's also full of asbestos.
UM President Seth Bodnar to run for Senate as independent
University of Montana President Seth Bodnar is expected to run for U.S. Senate as an independent, part of an elaborate plan apparently backed by former U.S. Se…
Daines, Knudsen rally in support of transgender athletes ban
Montanans gathered on opposite sides of the barricades outside the U.S. Supreme Court in Washington D.C. as the court heard arguments Tuesday on state bans of …
Polson attorney, briefly a judge-elect, to serve three years on probation for drug use
Polson attorney Kenneth Britton "Britt" Cotter was on the cusp of taking his seat as newly elected District Court judge for Lake and Sanders counties, when he …
Initial review of state voter rolls IDs 23 potential noncitizens
The Montana Secretary of State’s Office has identified 23 potential noncitizens on Montana’s voter rolls, most of which appear to have made their way onto the …
Supreme Court seems likely to uphold state bans on transgender athletes in girls and women's sports
The Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared ready to deal another setback to transgender people and uphold state laws barring transgender girls and women from playin…
Montana Justice McKinnon pleads not guilty to ‘reckless endangerment’
Montana Supreme Court Justice Laurie McKinnon has pleaded not guilty to reckless endangerment of emergency personnel in Broadwater County.
Single nonpartisan court ballot initiative to move forward
The two groups that sought to enshrine nonpartisan court races are now united behind a single ballot initiative, CI-132, put forward by Montanans for Nonpartisan Courts.
Montana minimum wage increases to $10.85
With the start of the new year, Montanans on the lowest end of the pay scale will get a small boost as the state’s mandatory minimum wage increase goes into effect.
Ryan Busse joins race to challenge Zinke for House seat
Another Democratic hopeful, Kalispell-based former firearms executive Ryan Busse, has joined the primary race for the chance to unseat incumbent U.S. Rep. Ryan…
Montana Supreme Court upholds AG finding that ballot issue is legally insufficient
The Montana Supreme Court on Tuesday sided with Attorney General Austin Knudsen’s previous finding that a proposed ballot initiative aiming to end corporate spending in political campaigns is unconstitutional.