Article Summary – The Montana Supreme Court heard arguments regarding parental consent for minors seeking abortions. The case was brought forth by Planned Parenthood of Montana and is based on two laws from 2012 and 2013 that require parental notification and consent for abortions in minors under 18. The court
Article Summary – The Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) is expected to change how Medicare negotiates drug prices, projecting savings of around $300 billion in Medicare drug costs over the next decade. However, this may cause a reduction in revenues for the biopharma industry, totaling about $75 billion due to strict
Article Summary – Daylight saving time begins on March 10, 2024, when most Americans will need to adjust their clocks forward by one hour to account for the shift in daylight hours. Several states and territories, including Arizona, Hawaii, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands, and
Article Summary – The Montana Legislature has allocated about $1.2 million in state funding for charter schools, with $817,000 earmarked for public charter schools and $425,000 for community choice schools. However, lawmakers underestimated the appeal of charter schools, leading to more applications than anticipated, which may strain the budget. The
Article Summary – Forty-one climate organizations, conservation nonprofits, and businesses have petitioned Montana’s utility board to consider the impacts of climate change in its regulation of monopoly power companies. The petitioners suggest that the Public Service Commission should adopt a framework to estimate the “social cost” of greenhouse gas emissions
Article Summary – The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has extended the elimination of the “subsidy cliff” in Obamacare through 2025, enabling middle-income Americans to afford health insurance more easily. The act has restructured the system, allowing those with incomes at or above 400% of the Federal Poverty Level to
Article Summary – President Joe Biden has signed a stopgap funding measure to keep the federal government open while lawmakers debate a series of appropriations bills. This temporary measure has divided Montana’s federal delegation, with Montana’s Republican representative Matt Rosendale being one of 97 who voted against the continuing budget
Article Summary – Montana Department of Transportation Director Mack Long is retiring, with Deputy Director Larry Flynn set to replace him on an interim basis. Long was appointed by Governor Greg Gianforte in January 2021 and has since emphasized customer service and streamlined permitting to improve the state’s transportation infrastructure.
Article Summary – The New York Public Service Commission is considering recommendations by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) to use existing NY-Sun Program funding to exceed the state’s current 10-gigawatt solar generation goal. NYSERDA’s report suggests using $75 million of a projected $421 million budget
Article Summary – Montana Congressman Matt Rosendale dropped out of his U.S. Senate race, prompting rampant speculation about the reason, with former Democratic U.S. North Dakota Sen. Heidi Heitkamp suggesting a rumor that he impregnated a 20-year-old congressional staffer. Rosendale denied the rumor and threatened legal action against Heitkamp. The
Article Summary – The US House of Representatives has passed the Inflation Reduction Act, poised to reshape American economy and environmental policy, and now awaits President Joe Biden’s signature. Designed to generate $737 billion in new revenue through tax and health care savings, the Act plans to invest $437 billion
Article Summary – A state district court judge in Yellowstone County has deemed three Republican-backed abortion restrictions passed in 2021 as unconstitutional. The laws aimed to limit abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, widely prohibit medication abortions provided via telemedicine, and mandate that providers offer patients an ultrasound and the
