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legislature

Sen. Andrea Olsen: Freedom from fear — due process and the promise of America

As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of America’s founding, two of the country’s greatest accomplishments include establishing modern democracy and the Constitution which protects the freedoms and liberties of all citizens from government abuse. Today, Montanans benefit from these protections in many ways. Our homes cannot be searched

Empty chair ‘debate’ at state GOP event highlights property tax rift

GOP Chair Art Wittich, left, Rep. Terry Falk, center, and Sen. Greg Hertz discuss property tax legislation at the GOP Winter Kickoff event at the Heritage Inn on Feb. 7 in Great Falls, MT. (Jordan Hansen / Daily Montanan) GREAT FALLS — In a visual representation of a deep split among conservatives

State DOJ charges Sen. Ellsworth with criminal misconduct, seeks suspension from office

Montana Sen. Jason Ellsworth, a Hamilton Republican, was charged on Thursday by the state justice department after attempting to circumvent the proper contract procedure to arrange a $171,000 business deal for a longtime friend and business associate. The attorney general’s office charged the former Senate president with official

Inside Bozeman’s unconventional mayoral system

Inside Bozeman’s unconventional mayoral system

Bozeman is a unique city in many ways, one of which is its mayoral system. Newly elected Bozeman mayors first serve two years as the deputy mayor on the City Commission, which is a group of citizen-elected individuals who act as the legislative body for the city. Then, the

Nonpartisan courts: Montana campaign cleared to begin signature gathering ahead of 2026

One of the two campaigns to preserve Montana’s judicial races as nonpartisan contests has been greenlit for the signature gathering process. State officials approved the proposed constitutional amendment, now known as CI-131, on Sept. 26, giving the campaign by Montanans for Fair and Impartial Courts a nine-month

Tenants rally for ownership of two Bozeman mobile home parks

State and local leaders joined the residents of two Bozeman mobile home parks to urge the current owner to sell them the land they are currently renting. The land was listed for sale in July Tenants of these parks say that resident ownership is the only way to ensure long-

Robocalls, critics & pork: Montana’s budget fight still sizzling after contentious session

Robocalls are a hallmark abrasion of election season, so it seemed abnormal to Rep. Llew Jones, a longtime Republican legislator from Conrad, to hear them in an off-year. More unusual yet is that those automated voice messages target Jones for his role in engineering the state budget, a matter