Daines Works to Secure Broadband for Rural Montanans
Senator Steve Daines today pressed U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development and Rural Utilities Service officials on the need for swift action to provide broadband for thousands of rural Montanans who currently are without service. During an Agriculture Appropriations hearing earlier this morning on “A review of Rural Development in 21st Century America,” Daines reaffirmed his commitment to the deployment of broadband to Montana’s rural and tribal communities and called on USDA leaders to take steps to ensure investments are actually being made in rural communities still lacking broadband service. “Not only does access to broadband connect rural Americans
Flathead Beacon: The Rise of the Conservative Conservationist
It’s late August in Montana and the North Fork of the Flathead River is running low and slow, snaking through a chalky corridor of wildfire smoke, its steep banks inscribed with the tracks of deer and grizzly bears, wallpapered with a mix of blackened snags and young lodgepole pine, and scored with clusters of radiant fireweed. The smoke blotting the sky overhead hangs in contrast against the transparency of the water below, magnifying the burnished bottom-stones and the shimmering flashes of bull trout, rainbows and cutties. Somewhere downstream from the Glacier Rim river access, about 10 miles north of Columbia
Daines Condemns Senate Dems’ Refusal to Allow Consideration of Sanctuary Cities Legislation
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today expressed his disappointment after Senate Democrats failed to allow consideration of commonsense legislation that would withhold certain federal funding from cities who deliberately protect illegal immigrants by refusing to cooperate with immigration services: “It is infuriating that Senate Democrats blocked thoughtful and meaningful debate on legislation that goes after real criminals who are not only in the United States illegally, but continuously violate the laws of our nation or repeatedly reenter the country after being deported. Allowing a city to ignore federal immigration statutes while providing a safe haven for criminals who violate
Daines, Zinke Call on Missoula City Council to Withdraw Proposed Gun Control Ordinance
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines and Representative Ryan Zinke today called on the Missoula City Council to withdraw a proposed ordinance that would intrude upon the Constitutional rights of law-abiding firearm owners in Missoula. In a letter sent today to Missoula Mayor John Engen and the Missoula City Council, Daines and Zinke conveyed their concerns that the proposal would violate Montanans’ Second Amendment rights and place additional burdens on law-abiding Montanans, while doing little to prevent violent crime. “We write to express our strong concerns with the Missoula City Council Public Safety and Health Committee’s substantial intrusion into the
Missoulian: Daines, Zinke, Fox Rally to Stop Missoula Gun Ordinance Requiring Background Checks
Montana Attorney General Tim Fox on Thursday said he disagrees with the Missoula city attorney over the legality of a proposed ordinance requiring background checks for firearms sold or transferred within the city. Fox released his opinion via a one-sentence news release. Two hours later, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and Rep. Ryan Zinke, both Republicans, also released a joint statement urging the city to withdraw the ordinance. While they support local control, they said, the ordinance presented a “rare occasion” to express their opposition to what they described as “misguided” legislation. City officials vowed the public hearing set for Monday
NBC: Gun Ordinance Proposed in Missoula Garners GOP Attention
Missoula’s proposed gun ordinance restricting sales hit a possible snag Thursday. The state’s attorney general thinks it’s unconstitutional. The ordinance aims to require background checks for all private gun sales. There are a few exceptions — antique firearms, guns sold within a family and for temporary use while hunting. People will have to meet with a federally licensed dealer for the background check and to finalize the deal. Sen. Steve Daines, Rep. Ryan Zinke and Montana Attorney General Tim Fox are three of the top Republican officials putting pressure on the Missoula City Council over the ordinance. “Contrary to the
Great Falls Tribune: Tester, Daines and FCC Chairmen Push for More Broadband
With laptops and tablets for all elementary students and the support of local Internet providers, the students at Fairfield Elementary School are fairing pretty well when it comes to Internet accessibility. But as Federal Communications Chairman Tom Wheeler, Montana’s senators, school officials and providers discussed Tuesday, only 49 percent of Montana’s public schools have access to high-speed Internet. “Fairfield was a school that was an early adopter (of technology) and worked diligently,” said Kirk Miller, executive director of School Administrators of Montana. “That isn’t the case with much of the rest of Montana.” According to a report given to the Montana
Daines: Nationwide WOTUS Stay is a Victory for States’ Rights
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today applauded the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeal’s decision to issue a nationwide stay on Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) misguided Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule: “The Sixth Circuit Court’s nationwide stay on the EPA’s misguided WOTUS rule is a victory for states’ rights, local governments, farmers, ranchers and landowners. This ruling pushes back on the extreme overreach of the Obama administration, which threatened Montana agriculture and natural resources, Montana jobs and Montanans’ property rights. While this is welcome news, it is not the end of the Obama administration’s egregious power grabs. I will continue