Victoria Traxler

1 week ago | mtpr.org | Victoria Traxler

A group of Montana politicians is backing a ballot proposal to rein in campaign spending. The proposal would restrict corporations from donating to political campaigns. It would amend Montana’s Constitution and limit the power granted to corporations doing business in the state. Former Commissioner of Political Practices Jeff Mangan founded the nonprofit behind the proposal – the Transparent Election Initiative. Supporters hope to collect enough signatures to put the question before voters in 2026.

1 week ago | mtpr.org | Victoria Traxler |Austin Amestoy |Elinor Smith

Heat and drought trigger unusually early fishing restrictionsVictoria TraxlerMontana Fish Wildlife and Parks and Yellowstone National Park implemented the first "hoot-owl" restrictions of the summer Thursday. These restrictions go into effect to protect fish populations when rivers are warm and water levels are low. Officials say this is unusually early.

1 week ago | mtpr.org | Victoria Traxler

Pesticides threaten the health of Montana’s wildlife and people when they’re disposed of incorrectly. When people don’t know where to bring them, they tend to dump them in waterways, down a sink drain or in ditches. Carli Davis is the state’s Pesticide Waste Program Director. “Those are all methods that people default to because Montana doesn’t have a lot of options to get rid of this stuff,” Davis says.

1 week ago | mtpr.org | Victoria Traxler

In 2023, a state audit found a culture of retaliation among Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks’ leadership. Last week, legislators were told the agency has made progress, but there’s more work ahead. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks officials disagreed with a Legislative Audit Division follow-up report on its workplace culture. This began after a 2023 audit found game wardens’ expressed culture of retaliation and intimidation among leadership.

2 weeks ago | mtpr.org | Victoria Traxler

Lawmakers pass study bills during the session, and then prioritize which bills they’ll focus on during the interim. This year had 36 study resolutions. That’s an above-average number, says Legislative Services Executive Director Jerry Howe. "I think as we look back over the study resolutions, we pass on average about 15-25 study resolutions on average, at least over the last five or six sessions," Howe says. This week, lawmakers finalized which interim committees would carry out the work.