Students at Capital High School in Helena had their schedule interrupted by a moose Friday morning after it wandered onto the campus, resulting in a shelter-in-place order as school and city officials responded. Around 9 a.m., the school’s principal, Brett Zanto, alerted students that a moose, which had been sighted near or on the school campus the past three days, was on the loose and for students to remain in their classrooms. “I think Fish and Game and law enforcement tried to push it over the fairgrounds a couple days ago,” Zanto told Montana Free Press. “Well, now it’s back again today a ..read more

This story is adapted from Capitolized, a weekly newsletter featuring expert reporting, analysis and insight from the reporters and editors of Montana Free Press. Want to see Capitolized in your inbox every Thursday? Sign up here. Candidates for federal office in Montana have reported their fundraising numbers for the first quarter of 2024, providing a picture of the state of several campaigns ahead of closely watched elections in Montana this year.  By far the highest-profile race in the state is the U.S. Senate contest between Republican businessman Tim Sheehy and incumbent Democrat Jo ..read more

A state court in Helena on Thursday partially barred the Montana Office of Public Instruction and its elected leader, Superintendent Elsie Arntzen, from requiring a new wave of public charter schools to comply with school opening laws that were in effect prior to the 2023 legislative session. The injunction, issued by Lewis and Clark County District Court Judge Michael McMahon, temporarily resolves a dispute between Arntzen’s office and other Montana education leaders over the implementation of House Bill 549. The law, passed with bipartisan support, established a system of charter schools go ..read more

Get an insider’s look into what’s happening in and around the halls of power with expert reporting, analysis and insight from the editors and reporters of Montana Free Press. Sign up to get the free Capitolized newsletter delivered to your inbox every Thursday. April 18, 2024 Candidates for federal office in Montana have reported their fundraising numbers for the first quarter of 2024, providing a picture of the state of several campaigns ahead of closely watched elections in Montana this year.  By far the highest-profile race in the state is the U.S. Senate contest b ..read more

Republican lawmakers on Thursday convened a hearing to discuss the constitutional abortion rights initiative that could appear on the November ballot, despite an April court order finding that the Legislature’s consideration would have no bearing on CI-128’s signature-gathering campaign. The hearing before the Law and Justice Interim Committee was not attended by any Democratic lawmakers and hardly any supporters of the constitutional initiative to explicitly protect abortion rights in Montana. But Republicans and members of the public used the opportunity to oppose the proposal and criticize ..read more

Two transgender women with Montana ties are challenging the state’s near-total ban on residents updating their birth certificates and driver’s licenses to reflect their gender identity. The lawsuit marks the second challenge to the state’s birth certificate policy since 2021.  The lawsuit, filed in Lewis and Clark County District Court on Thursday, specifically challenges three elements of Montana law as unconstitutional: a Department of Public Health and Human Services administrative rule restricting birth certificate changes, a similar policy within the state’s Motor Vehicle Division ..read more

As Montana Free Press recently reported, medical practitioners and other staff at the state psychiatric hospital in Warm Springs are raising alarms about new leadership and policy changes at the public facility — with one employee describing current working conditions as “like being stuck in a recurring bad dream.” The complaints come nearly two years after federal regulators pulled certification from the Montana State Hospital as a result of patient deaths and safety concerns. The administration of Gov. Greg Gianforte has pledged to regain that certification from the Centers for Medicare and ..read more

A team of Montana researchers is playing a key role in the development of a more effective vaccine against tuberculosis, an infectious disease that has killed more people than any other. This story also appeared in KFF Health News The BCG (Bacille Calmette-Guérin) vaccine, created in 1921, remains the sole TB vaccine. While it is 40% to 80% effective in young children, its efficacy is very low in adolescents and adults, leading to a worldwide push to create a more powerful vaccine. One effort is underway at the University of Montana Center for Translational Medicine. The center specializes i ..read more

In late March, a group of nurses at Montana State Hospital received a rare dose of good news. Local labor advocates had filed a petition to create a union for advanced practice registered nurses, among the most highly trained medical providers at the state’s sole adult psychiatric facility, in Warm Springs. But the nurses spent little time celebrating. In emails obtained by Montana Free Press, members of the group instead tried to explain the scope and seriousness of their workplace concerns to union representatives of the Montana Nurses Association.  “Our wages are incidental to somethi ..read more

A national progressive media organization with ties to a Democratic Party-aligned super PAC has launched a self-described news outlet in Montana ahead of the state’s slate of high-profile elections, most prominently the race for incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Tester’s seat in the U.S. Senate.  Veteran political journalist Joe Conason, who oversees editorial operations for the nonprofit American Independent Foundation, told Montana Free Press via email that the Montana Independent, one of four state-level affiliates of the American Independent, was launched earlier this year. News out ..read more