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Western Native Voice and We Are Montana announce $15,000 in healthcare scholarships Montana grassroots organizations will award $15,000 in healthcare scholarships to Native American students Author: News Release Western Native Voice  Western Native Voice (WNV) in partnership with We Are Montana (WAM) are pleased to announce they are expanding their COVID-19 Relief Fund to include a new Native American healthcare scholarship program. The program will provide financial support to Native American Montanans pursuing education in a healthcare-related field and who are determined to improve the ...

A Kalispell lawmaker is reviving a proposal he brought four years earlier to eliminate Montana’s Commissioner of Political Practices, the state’s enforcer of campaign finance and lobbying laws. The bill, brought by Republican Rep. Derek Skees, got its first hearing Thursday in the House State Administration Committee. Similar to legislation that passed the House in the 2017 session before stalling out in the Senate, House Bill 535 proposes shifting much of the COPP office’s duties to the Secretary of State, including receiving campaign statements and reports for candidates and ...

   By Susan Montoya Bryan, Associated Press New Mexico is revising its color-coded risk system by adding a new color that signifies when counties can ease even more pandemic-related restrictions. The red-yellow-green system now includes turquoise. State health officials said Wednesday that counties reach that category by meeting certain health criteria for four consecutive weeks. It allows for expanded indoor dining and the operation of entertainment venues like theaters, bars and clubs. All but four of the state's 33 counties already have seen test positivity and new case rates decline an...

Lawmakers Advance Bill To Limit Ballot Collection In Montana Montana lawmakers are considering several bills this session that aim to regulate election practices, including one that’s nearly identical to a policy that’s currently tied up in court. Lawmakers on the House Judiciary Committee voted along party lines Tuesday evening to advance House Bill 406. It would prohibit people or organizations from dropping off ballots for other people. There are some exceptions, like for postal carriers or relatives.  Republican Rep. Mark Noland is carrying the bill. "We know where we’re supposed ...

   By Matthew Daly, Associated Press President Joe Biden's nominee to head the Interior Department  faced sharp questions from Republicans Tuesday over what several called her "radical" ideas that include opposition to fracking and the Keystone XL oil pipeline. Deb Haaland, a New Mexico congresswoman named to lead the Interior Department, tried to reassure GOP lawmakers, saying she is committed to "strike the right balance" as Interior manages oil drilling and other energy development while seeking to conserve public lands and address climate change. If confirmed, Haaland, 60, would be th...