Will Warasila

1 month ago | nytimes.com | Kellen Browning |Will Warasila

Derided by critics as the "Nasty Nine" and censured by the state party, a group of Republican state senators said they were simply advancing common-sense legislation and supporting the governor's agenda. State Senator Wendy McKamey, one of nine Republicans who worked with Democrats, keeps notes sent by Montanans thanking the group for its courage. "Give 'Em Hell," a recent one read. Credit...

2 months ago | nytimes.com | David Chen |Will Warasila

Even before the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, Montana lawmakers were determined to outlaw abortion, passing three laws restricting access. But a district judge in Yellowstone County later ruled that the laws were unconstitutional. In April 2023, Montana lawmakers banned gender-affirming care for minors, only to have the law blocked by a Missoula County district judge.

Dec 26, 2024 | nytimes.com | David Chen |Will Warasila

As state legislatures around the country prepare to convene next month, Wyoming is wading into uncharted political waters: For the first time anywhere in the country, the hard-right Freedom Caucus has won control of a State House.

Sep 22, 2024 | nytimes.com | Mike Baker |Will Warasila

For much of his life, Randy Gray knew his hometown in northern Montana, Great Falls, as a stronghold for Democrats. On the banks of the cascading Missouri River, a local smelter purified the copper wire that electrified America, produced by union laborers who were reliable Democrats. So too were the Catholics, committed to issues of social justice, who had followed early missionaries to the area.

Sep 13, 2024 | nytimes.com | Travis Diehl |Will Warasila

An acre of wheat designed by the artist Agnes Denes has cropped up at a new exhibition space in Montana, where agriculture is rapidly giving way to development.