In The News

A group of senators are making a last-ditch effort to delay proposed changes to a federal rule that would greatly expand the government current hacking powers. The Review the Rule Act would delay the proposed changes to Rule 41, officially known as the Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 41, from going into effect until July 1, 2017. Earlier this year, the Supreme Court approved proposed changes to Rule 41, giving Congress until Dec. 1 to modify, reject, or postpone the changes established by the court before they become law. Broadly speaking, Rule 41 deals with circumstances in which the government is allowed to tap

In a unanimous vote Wednesday, the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee passed the Blackfeet Water Rights Settlement Act, moving one step closer toward full congressional approval of the historic compact, which has been awaiting ratification since 2010. Negotiations between the Blackfeet Tribe, local communities and state and federal governments began more than 30 years ago to establish water rights in and around the reservation. The compact will also help rehabilitate the Four Horns Dam and long-neglected, century-old Blackfeet Irrigation Project; give the tribe the ability to use, lease or exchange water on tribal land; and protect the rights of non-Indian

On Tuesday, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced the final Methane and Waste Prevention Rule drafted by the Bureau of Land Management. The final rule will become effective Jan. 17, 2017. The rule is intended to conserve the nation’s natural gas produced on public and tribal lands and prevent the harmful and wasteful release of natural gas into the atmosphere. Though technology for oil and gas management has progressed, the rules against waste as a result of venting, flaring and leaks have not been updated since 1979. A report conducted in 2010 by the Government Accountability Office suggested

Montana businesses are turning to U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., to repeal, or at least delay, a federal tax on health insurance. Daines met with representatives of the Montana Auto Dealers Association and local Billings businesses in Billings on Wednesday. Insurance premiums are going up, Daines said. But on the horizon is a tax on top of those premiums that is going to work against employees. “The discussion we’re seeing nationally today is primarily focused on premium increases, deductible increases,” Daines said. “We’re here today to talk about a tax increase on top of all this, which will flow through

After the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals blocked a pair of logging projects near Bozeman on Tuesday, Sen. Steve Daines has increased his effort to make Congress overturn the legal decision. Daines, R-Montana, sent a memorandum on Wednesday asking the Senate and House of Representatives to “promptly reverse” the Cottonwood Environmental Law Center vs. U.S. Forest Service ruling. Known as a “Dear Colleague” letter, Daines’ message asked for a statutory amendment codifying a different court’s decision. “Today’s disastrous ruling against a commonsense project to reduce wildfire risk and protect Bozeman’s watershed makes it even more urgent that we enact meaningful

HELENA — The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs named Kathy Berger permanent director of VA Montana, saying she will oversee delivery of health care to nearly 35,000 veterans and a budget of $226 million. “We are excited to bring Dr. Berger on board in a permanent capacity as director of VA Montana Health Care System,” said Ralph Gigliotti, Veterans Integrated Service Network 19 director. “She has served exceptionally well as acting director for the past four months and we look forward to great things for Montana in the future under her direction. The announcement brought comment from both of Montana’s

U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., raised the issue Friday of a secret plan to shut down Colstrip’s oldest units in 2017, much earlier than has been disclosed to the public. In a letter to Talen Energy CEO Paul Farr, the Republican senator said he’s heard from constituents that the decision has already been made to shut down Colstrip Units 1 and 2 next year, but that the company is delaying the announcement. Daines asked Farr to disclose whether the state of Montana is also in the loop on quiet plans to close the units. “It’s imperative for Units 1 and

Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines said Tuesday they are pushing the Obama administration to take steps to update the ICBM fleet at Malmstrom Air Force Base. In a letter to President Barack Obama, they reiterated their support for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent program, which is scheduled to replace the Minuteman III fleet and provide a next-generation land component of the U.S. nuclear triad. They said modernizing Malmstrom’s ICBM fleet is the best way to ensure that the United States maintains a safe, reliable and cost-effective deterrent that aids national security. “Given the wide array of strategic challenges facing

WASHINGTON (AP) – The Obama administration is confirming that premiums will go up sharply next year for health insurance sold to millions of consumers through HealthCare.gov.    Before taxpayer-provided subsidies, premiums for a midlevel benchmark plan will increase an average of 25 percent across states served by the federally run online market.    The number of insurers serving the federal market will drop from 232 to 167, a loss of about 28 percent.    Administration officials say that despite the sobering numbers, subsidies designed to rise alongside premiums will insulate most customers from sticker shock. And they add that consumers who are willing