Category: News Article

Lawmakers negotiating the next small-business rescue package are facing mounting pressure to direct more aid to minority employers who are hurting the most during the pandemic but have struggled to access hundreds of billions of federal dollars unleashed since March. Business groups and consumer advocates are lobbying Congress to rethink a model that has leaned heavily on distributing funds via private lenders because of concerns that the smallest businesses lack relationships with traditional banks. A bipartisan proposal by Sens. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) — backed by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce — would make $50 billion in

Yellowstone County officials asked Sen. Steve Daines to protect public health resources, especially in light of the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the county. On Sunday, 45 new confirmed coronavirus cases were reported, 16 of which were reported in Yellowstone County. The county has the highest number of active cases, topping at 149. Last Thursday, Montana added 67 new cases of coronavirus, the highest number recorded in one day in the state. “The truth of the matter is that as of today, Yellowstone County is the epicenter of the coronavirus in Montana,” Billings Mayor Bill Cole said in a

Amtrak is set to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2021. The celebration may be muted, however, due to the animosity Amtrak faces and, indeed, has faced throughout the 49 years since the agency took over most of the privately operated U.S. passenger train operation on May 1, 1971. Essentially, Amtrak was formed to relieve ailing railroads from the burden of operating unprofitable passenger trains. Sadly, Amtrak has been funded by annual Congressional appropriations since the beginning. No trust fund like the highways have. Throughout its history, the value of long-distance trains has been questioned. Members of Congress, though, want to

BILLINGS, Mont. – The number of active cases in Yellowstone County prompted Senator Steve Daines to host a virtual roundtable with county medical leaders. According to Mayor Bill Cole, Yellowstone County is the epicenter for coronavirus, with 16 out of the 45 new cases reported Sunday coming out of Yellowstone County. City health leaders met with Senator Steve Daines using Zoom, to discuss what this surge means for the county and hospitals. CEO for RiverStone Health, John Felton, says an increase of contact activities like weddings and barbecues may be contributing to the surge of cases. “I get a lot

U.S. Secretary of the Interior David L. Bernhardt announced more than 1,900 local governments around the country will receive more than $514 million in Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) funding for 2020. “This year’s distribution of $514.7 million to more than 1,900 counties will help small towns pay for critical needs like emergency response, public safety, public schools, housing, social services, and infrastructure,” said Secretary Bernhardt. Bernhardt in a separate press release announced that 55 local governments in Montana are receiving a total of $35.2 million under the 2020 PILT program. A full list of funding by State and

Sen. Elizabeth Warren is again pressing for a retirement account “lost and found” system that would help workers keep track of their savings in plans sponsored by former employers. Last week the Democratic senator from Massachusetts introduced the bill, the Bipartisan Retirement Savings Lost and Found Act of 2020, which is similar to legislation she and other members of Congress have co-sponsored in the past. The bill tasks the Treasury Department with building an online system to track accounts. “This means that with the click of a button, any worker can locate all of their former employer-sponsored retirement accounts,” a

A bipartisan group of senators is pushing for emergency funding for the financially-strapped U.S. Postal Service, which has cautioned the economic impact of the novel coronavirus pandemic has deeply exacerbated its ongoing fiscal crisis. The Postal Service Emergency Assistance Act (S. 4174), introduced by Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and cosponsored by Sens. Diane Fienstein, D-Calif., Steve Daines, R-Mt., Doug Jones, D-Ala., and Jon Tester, D-Mt., would provide $25 billion to the mailing agency on the condition the funds be used to cover COVID-19 related losses or expenses. It would require USPS to develop a “plan to ensure the long-term solvency”

Montana farmers selling grain into Canada made small gains in the U.S., Mexico, Canada trade agreement launched Wednesday. Canadian elevators starting Wednesday were to fairly grade a handful of U.S. wheat varieties planted in Montana. For years, U.S. wheat varieties unrecognized in Canada were downgraded to animal feed status and discounted in price, regardless of whether the grain was of high milling quality. “It allows Montana grains to be treated on an equal basis with Canadian grains when they’re shipped north. And that has been a sore spot,” said Mike Cuffe, Pacific NorthWest Economic Region president. Cuffe, who is also

The following are condensed from press releases and compiled by Sidney Herald staff: U.S. Sen. Steve Daines announced the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is distributing additional relief funds to assist vulnerable Montanans. Specifically, HHS will distribute approximately $15 billion to eligible providers that participate in state Medicaid and CHIP programs. HHS is also distributing $10 billion in Provider Relief Funds for safety net hospitals. “I’m glad to have helped secure these funds which are critical for our providers serving our most vulnerable patients in Montana. These funds will help assisted living facilities and home and community

A legal challenge that began in Northwest Montana was resolved in the country’s highest court on Tuesday, June 30, when a 5-4 decision restored a state law that allows donors to a private school scholarship fund to receive a tax credit even if those scholarships are awarded to students at religious schools. The ruling in Espinoza vs. Montana Department of Revenue had been highly anticipated by proponents of religious education and the decision, with the U.S. Supreme Court’s five conservative justices comprising the majority, has been cheered by those who believe the ruling could pave the way to more permissive