Government

 News from the office of Senator Tester U.S. SENATE — Following more than a year of efforts to get the United States Department of Agriculture to drop a proposed rule that would have kicked 700,000 low-income Americans off of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, U.S. Senator Jon Tester released the following statement on a recent U.S. District Court ruling striking down the proposal:  “I’ve said it from the beginning, the Trump Administration’s proposal to drastically cut SNAP benefits for low-income Montanans is cruel and unnecessary. Instead of trying to strip away what little help folks get to keep food on the table, USDA should be work...

News from the office of Governor Bullock MONTANA — Montana’s unemployment rate returned to a near-normal level of 5.3 percent in September after dropping from 5.6 percent in August. Economists typically consider normal unemployment levels to be between 4 percent to 5 percent.  The na...

News from the office of Senator Tester U.S. SENATE – Following years of efforts to provide Montana Tribal communities with more opportunities to develop reliable broadband infrastructure, U.S. Senator Jon Tester announced that seven Montana Tribes have received approval from the Federal Communicat...

News from the Montana Department of Commerce MONTANA — Montanans who have lost income due to the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible for rent and mortgage payment assistance, but time is running out to apply for the monthly assistance. The Montana Department of Commerce announced Wednesday all appli...

News from the Lake County Election Office Voters are reminded that they cannot campaign for a candidate within 100 feet of the courthouse on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 3. Individuals will not be able to buy, sell, give, wear or display any badge, button, shirt, hat or mask within 100 feet of the courth...

With Election Day less than two weeks away, the Valley Journal wraps up its coverage with brief profiles of three uncontested local races: District Judge James Manley, who is running unopposed for another six-year term; Republican Greg Hertz, who is running unopposed for Senate District 6, the seat currently...

MONTANA — As Montanans stirred in the early hours of Nov. 9, 2016, one of the state’s marquee races was still too close to call. An early Democratic lead from the night before had already dissolved, and when the election dust finally settled, five-term state legislator and retired Billings school...

News from the Montana Commerce Department  MONTANA — Montana Commerce Department Director Tara Rice announced the Department will begin accepting applications for the Tourism Grant Program until Nov. 30 for the 2021 grant cycle. The Tourism Grant Program funds projects that strengthen Mont...

News from the Office of the Governor MONTANA — Governor Steve Bullock and Lt. Governor Mike Cooney released the following statements after the U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision allowing the U.S. Census Bureau to suspend its 2020 Census counting operations before Oct. 31 until further court acti...

News from the office of Senator Tester BIG SANDY — As the crisis of farmer suicide continues to rise in rural America amid poor economic conditions, ongoing trade wars, severe weather, and now the coronavirus pandemic, U.S. Senator Jon Tester today demanded that the House and Senate Armed Services...