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government & politics

Ravalli County jail diversion program bilks defendants, upends due process, plaintiffs allege

MISSOULA — A jail diversion program in Ravalli County upends important values of the justice system by forcing defendants to pay hundreds of dollars a month in fees before they’re ever found guilty, lawyers alleged Monday in federal court. In the class action lawsuit, lawyer Phil Telfeyan of Equal Justice

Montana Democrats rally at Mansfield Metcalf dinner

Montana Democrats gathered in Helena during the weekend for their annual Mansfield Metcalf Dinner — somewhat ironically referred to as “Democratic Prom” and replete with a balloon arch photo opp — to rally enthusiasm for the long slate of candidates who filed to run for office under the party banner. On the

No, it wasn’t term limits that ended Daines’ Senate run

According to the Montana Secretary of State’s website, incumbent U.S. Sen. Steve Daines withdrew from his re-election bid three minutes before filing deadline last Wednesday, five minutes after his hand-picked successor, Kurt Alme, filed to run. Lots of people claimed victory because of the news, including

State, U.S. Forest Service use new agreement to target 400,000 acres of forest for management

Montana and the U.S. Forest Service announced last week they were moving ahead on a shared agreement between the two to do forestry work in large swathes of the state. Last summer, the state and Forest Service signed an agreement formalizing closer cooperation between federal forest management operations and

Rep. Downing appointed to House Natural Resources Committee

Montana Rep. Troy Downing is the newest member of the House Committee on Natural Resources. The bipartisan committee oversees myriad subjects including American energy production, mineral lands and mining, fisheries and wildlife, public lands, oceans, Native Americans, irrigation and reclamation. “Montana is defined by its wealth of natural resources,” Downing

Civil liberties groups say state Supreme Court wrongly decided free speech case

The American Civil Liberties Union of Montana and the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression are asking the Montana Supreme Court to reconsider a 2003 decision as it relates to a current free speech case because they said it sets a dangerous precedent by placing addition hurdles for speech to

Ellsworth files for reelection — in Eastern Montana against Schillinger

State Sen. Jason Ellsworth, a Hamilton Republican who has been charged with official misconduct, has filed for election in House District 34, which is in southeastern Montana. That seat is currently held by Rep. Jerry Schillinger, a Republican who is chairperson of the Freedom Caucus. Schillinger has been in the