The Biden Administration is seeking a five-year extension of the New START nuclear arms control treaty with Russia, which is set to expire on Feb. 5. New START, ratified by Congress in 2010 and entered into force in February 2011, limits strategic nuclear weapons in the U.S. and Russia, including the intercontinental ballistic missiles at Malmstrom Air Force Base and
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By Alex Sakariassen | Montana Free Press Debate at the Legislature turned to the issue of voter rights Thursday morning, as members of the House State Administration Committee heard testimony on a proposal to end same-day voter registration in Montana. Proponents said the change would calm Election Day chaos for local election administrators and reduce the likelihood of voter fraud.
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By Chris Aadland | Montana Free Press This story originally appeared here on Montana Free Press. Wading into a public debate that has grown heated on social media, the House Local Government Committee held a hearing Thursday afternoon for House Bill 121, which would limit the authority of public health officers and health boards, and give elected bodies more power
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Gov. Greg Gianforte has activated 165 Montana Army National Guard troops to support the presidential inauguration in Washington, D.C. next week. The activation is in response to a request from the National Guard Bureau and federal authorities, according to a release from Gianforte’s office. “The Montana National Guard has a long, proud history of supporting our state and nation. I’m
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The Cascade County City-County Board of Health voted today to adopt the Nov. 20 local health order, which incorporates the board’s COVID-19 restrictions that went into effect Nov. 1 and former Gov. Steve Bullock’s directives, to include the mask mandate and requiring bars, restaurants and others to close at 10 p.m. That means that all of those restrictions will remain
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Maj. Gen. Pete Hronek has been selected to serve as the Montana Adjutant General and lead the Department of Military Affairs under Governor-elect Greg Gianforte. Hronek previously served as commander of the 120th Airlift Wing of the Montana Air National Guard in Great Falls. He’s been the assistant adjutant general from 2018 to 2019 and chief of staff for the
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County Commissioners voted 2-1 during their Dec. 8 meeting to adopt a resolution in opposition to the creation of a National Heritage Area that encompasses Cascade County, as currently proposed. A local group has been working to establish a National Heritage Area in the region since 2015 and are in the final stages of developing their feasibility study that will be submitted to the National Park
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On Dec. 1, Cascade County added 218 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the total to 5,166, according to the state map. The steep increase was due in part to the holiday backlog, according to the Cascade County City-County Health Department. Of those, 2,156 are currently active according to the state. Cascade County adds 3 COVID-19 deaths; city commission meetings going virtual
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Gov. Steve Bullock said that “the alarm is undoubtedly ringing loud” regarding the increase of COVID-19 cases in Montana and asked that all Montanans stay home as much as possible and follow the existing health protocols such as wearing a mask, distancing and avoiding gatherings. During a Nov. 12 press briefing, Bullock said “there’s no doubt that we have along
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This story was updated at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 29. Brenden Rollins, 20, was found deceased in the bottom of a ravine in Sluice Boxes State Park, according to Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter. The Cascade County Search and Rescue and other agencies had been searching for Rollins since Oct. 24. Slaughter said Oct. 26 that Rollins’ remains were recovered from
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