Government

News from the Office of Senator Tester   U.S. SENATE — Critical mental health resources will be more accessible than ever for folks in crisis following the signing of U.S. Senator Jon Tester’s bipartisan National Suicide Hotline Designation Act of 2020 into law.  “Nobody should have to go far for help during a mental health crisis,” Tester said. “Just like those reaching out to 9-1-1 in an emergency, anyone who finds themselves or a loved one in need of immediate access to mental health and suicide prevention resources will be able to dial 9-8-8 and quickly connect to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Trimming the number to an easy-to-r...

 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 Tes...

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...