In The News

The 26 states suing over the Obama administration’s greenhouse gas-cutting Clean Power Plan may essentially get their wish, as President Donald Trump directed the Environmental Protection Agency to review the rule last week. But the likely rollback of the plan might not make a big difference for these states, many of which were already on track to shift away from coal-fired electricity. Instead, opponents say they are more concerned about further emissions cuts  if the U.S. keeps the promises it made in the Paris climate agreement. The Clean Power Plan set an ambitious goal of cutting 32 percent of greenhouse gas emissions between 2005

A wide-ranging “Sportsmen’s Bill” introduced Thursday in Congress would expand hunting opportunities on federal land but doesn’t include a reauthorization of the Land and Water Conservation Fund. U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., noted the absence of LWCF in his comments at S.B. 733’s mark-up before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Daines co-sponsored the measure authored by committee Chairwoman Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, along with four other Republicans and three Democrats. “Although absent from today’s discussion, I will continue efforts to permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund,” Daines said Thursday. The program may collect up to $900

Almost one year ago to the day, I held an energy summit in Billings with over 600 Montanans talking about the future of Montana energy. This week I stood with President Trump, Vice President Pence, Energy Secretary Perry, Interior Secretary Zinke, EPA Administrator Pruitt as well as 20 coal miners to mark the start of a new era in energy production and job creation. On Tuesday, President Trump took decisive action directing the EPA to suspend, revise, or rescind the EPA Power Plan that is stifling jobs. Then on Wednesday, Secretary Zinke reversed harmful regulations and instilledcommonsense policies to ensure

Even before President Donald Trump declared the Clean Power Plan dead, the autopsy in Montana was underway. Coal advocates hailed the repeal as the break coal needs to rebound from several years of bad economic news. Groups concerned about climate change said, unfortunately, the repeal would undo little. Challenged in court by 24 states, including Montana, the plan to reduce carbon dioxide emissions was never put to use. The Clean Power Plan, crafted under former President Barack Obama, called on states to cut greenhouse gas emissions from coal-fired power plants and other sources by 2030. Those emissions are said by

High school students interested in attending a military academy after graduation may attend an upcoming information day.   Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines have announced the dates and times of their annual Academy Days this year. The free events will take place in Missoula, Great Falls and Billings and are open to Montana students interested in attending a military academy or pursuing a career in the military, according to a news release from Tester’s office. 

Austin Taylor is your typical high school senior in many ways. He’s a multi-sport athlete, attends school events, rides his dirt bike and contributes to the everyday grind a kid his age experiences. What sets him apart is that fact he takes on a different role when he’s at home.  Austin is what many would consider a “good old-fashioned farm kid.” In the age of unlimited technology and so many distractions an average kid will face from day to day, Austin chooses to help out at his family’s farm aside from being a busy high school student. His family entrusts

The Interior Department on Wednesday officially rolled back a major Obama administration coal initiative.  Secretary Ryan Zinke formally lifted the ban on new coal leasing on federal land, a policy shift that was one of the cornerstones of the climate and energy executive order that President Trump signed on Tuesday.  Interior also suspended a review of federal coal-leasing rates that the Obama administration and environmental activists had touted as a win-win for the climate and for taxpayers. But Zinke said he is still committed to one of the basic goals of that review, which was establishing an Interior Department task force to consider

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has ended the federal government’s Obama-era moratorium on coal-mining leases on federal land. Zinke signed an order repealing the pause in leases Wednesday in his Washington, D.C., office, surrounded by Republican lawmakers, lobbyists and staffers. The action implements parts of an executive order that President Trump signed Tuesday — focused on repealing environmental policies and restrictions on energy production — under the goal of increasing energy independence. That means the Bureau of Land Management can now resume the process of allowing new coal-mining leases on its land. Zinke signed two other directives Wednesday to implement Trump’s policy. One kicks off a two-year

Snapchat was initially established in 2011 and within the last year or so, a few senators have jumped on the social messaging app popular with millennials. The lawmakers usually send multimedia messages, or snaps, themselves — as opposed to having their staffers do it — and they get pretty creative with what they send to followers. We asked a few avid senatorial Snapchatters about how they use the service. Montana Republican Steve Daines@stevedaines Established: Early 2016. Is it you Snapchatting? Yes. Why do you like having a Snapchat account? “The best part of Snapchat is that it is spontaneous, genuine, and it’s real. When I meet with young