Montana lawmakers push for census deadline extension, urge completion
MISSOULA, Mont. — Montana politicians are urging the U.S. Census Bureau to reconsider a new deadline to end data collection, which is one month earlier than planned. The announcement came Monday, with the bureau saying field data collection will stop Sept. 30 to meet an end-of-year deadline. Gov. Steve Bullock and Lt. Gov. Mike Cooney sent a letter to the U.S. commerce secretary urging the Census Bureau to stick with the original extended October deadline. They say 525,000 Montanans haven’t yet been counted. Montana has one of the lowest response rates in the country. Cooney, the chairman of the Montana
Bureau of Indian Affairs Cold Case Team Office opens in Billings
BILLINGS- A Bureau of Indian Affairs Cold Case Team Office was opened in Billings that will be dedicated to reanalyzing and investigating cases of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons. This office is the third of seven offices established under the Operation Lady Justice Task Force to investigate cold cases involving missing and murdered American Indians and Alaska Natives. The cold case teams will be staffed with law enforcement personnel and newly appointed special agents from the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Justice Services. According to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, they and the Department of the Interior have undertaken
Feds open Billings office to solve missing Indigenous people cold cases
A federal task force to investigate cold cases involving missing and murdered Indigenous people opened an office Thursday in Billings. This was the third of seven offices of Operation Lady Justice Task Force, Tara Katuk Sweeney, assistant secretary of Indian Affairs, said. President Donald Trump established the Operation Lady Justice Task Force on Nov. 26, a multi-agency effort co-chaired by U.S. Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt and U.S. Attorney General William P. Barr. It will focus on missing and murdered American Indian and Alaska Natives in tribal communities and staffed with law enforcement and newly appointed special agents from
Congress urges Postal Service to undo changes slowing mail
WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers from both parties are calling on the U.S. Postal Service to immediately reverse operational changes that are causing delays in deliveries across the country just as big volume increases are expected for mail-in election voting. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said Thursday that changes imposed by the new, Republican postmaster general “threaten the timely delivery of mail — including medicines for seniors, paychecks for workers and absentee ballots for voters — that is essential to millions of Americans.” In separate letters, two Montana Republicans, Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Greg Gianforte,
What They Are Saying: Daines Receives Significant Praise for Work on the Great American Outdoors Act
U.S. SENATE – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Steve Daines’ bipartisan conservation bill, the “Great American Outdoors Act,” which provides full, mandatory funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and addresses the national park and public lands maintenance backlog was signed into law by President Trump. Following the signing ceremony, Daines received significant praise for his work on getting the greatest conservation bill in 50 years signed into law from the Trump administration, public lands advocates, sportsmen groups, local commissioners and more. “Senator Steve Daines, he’s a fantastic man, a fantastic Senator, he’s done a wonderful job. He loves his
Daines Introduces Major Bipartisan Forest Management Reform Bill
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines and Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) today introduced major, bipartisan forest management reform legislation. The bipartisan bill increases active management of federal forests, cuts red tape, reduced frivolous litigation and gives the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) the tools to protect communities from deadly wildfires. “I am very happy to join Senator Feinstein in introducing this strong, commonsense forest management legislation,” Daines said. “This bill will speed up urgently needed projects to reduce wildfire risks, create good paying jobs in the forestry sector, and protect public health and safety. I look forward to working closely with
Daines, Feinstein introduce wildfire protection bill
Montana Republican Sen. Steve Daines and California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein introduced a bipartisan bill Tuesday aimed at protecting communities by increasing forest management and reducing environmental litigation. The Emergency Wildfire and Public Safety Act of 2020 would grant broad authority to federal agencies to push fuels reduction projects, create a new center providing training on prescribed fire and allow projects to proceed while agencies consult over species listed under the Endangered Species Act. The senators first announced their intention to introduce the bill last year following a record 2017 wildfire season in Montana and fires near Paradise, California, that
Daines Works with Dianne Feinstein on new Forest Safety Act
Fresh off his success in passing the Great American Outdoors Act which was signed by President Trump on Tuesday, Senator Steve Daines resumed work on yet another Forest Management bill along with California Democrat Dianne Feinstein. The bill is called the Emergency Wildfire and Public Safety Act of 2020, and with the fatal fires that have occurred in California and that have destroyed millions of acres of Montana forests, Daines explained the bill. “It’s about addressing the four ‘W’s’, wildfires, wildlife, watersheds and workers,” said Daines. “That’s an easy way to remember it with the four W’s. And I also
President Trump Signs Daines’ Bipartisan Great American Outdoors Act Into Law
U.S. SENATE – U.S. Senator Steve Daines today joined President Trump at the White House for the official signing ceremony of his bipartisan bill, the “Great American Outdoors Act.” Daines’ conservation bill provides full, mandatory funding of the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) and addresses the maintenance backlog facing national parks and public lands. To download the full video, click HERE. “This is a great day for Montana, this is a great day for America and this is a great day for conservation and for all of us who love the great outdoors,” Daines said. “The Great American Outdoors Act is a big win