Montana Senator Daines Says Democrats’ Choice to End Shutdown

Senator Steve Daines says the best thing to do to make sure furloughed government workers receive their pay and avoid layoffs is to end the shutdown of the federal government.

I asked Daines yesterday what he would like to say to federal workers, who are feeling stressed about not being able to pay their bills or even losing their jobs altogether.

"Well, as relates to getting paid, the fastest answer to solve that problem is oto pen up the government again," Daines says. "We need 5 more to join us, and we'll get it opened up again."

As far as layoffs, Daines remains supportive of the Trump Administration's efforts to trim government operations.

"I know it's something, the Trump administration takes seriously. They're looking for ways to, to reduce the size of the federal government." -Senator Daines

Senator Daines calls the shutdown "political theater", saying Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer wants to keep the closure going through the "No Kings" protest rallies this weekend.

Rallies all across Montana, even Polebridge

Speaking of those "No Kings" rallies, organizers in Missoula and other Montana towns are anticipating big turnouts on Saturday. Missoula is likely to have the largest crowds, based on the thousands of people who took part last spring. They have rallies planned in Bozeman, Great Falls, Helena, Butte, and even Billings. But smaller towns from Hamilton to Havre are also on the map. Remote Polebridge has a rally planned, starting at noon.

READ MORE: Massive Crowds in Missoula No Kings March

Montana airports push back on DHS video

Like facilities across the country, Montana airports are pushing back on a move by the Department of Homeland Security to air a video that thanks TSA inspectors for remaining on the job through the shutdown, but also blames Democrats for any delays.

The video with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was produced to be played back at the terminals. But airports nationwide are resisting, saying the clip contains a political message that may violate federal laws.

KULR 8 in Billings was reporting Tuesday that Billings, Missoula, and Bozeman Yellowstone airports were all refusing to air the clips, saying it violated policies for politics, and that monitors were for advertisements and other travel information.

Sheehy faces questions over shutdown, and Hydrogen Hub cuts

Lawmakers on the coast are demanding the Energy Department reverse a decision cutting a billion dollars to fund the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub, a fuel research project that would have created jobs not only in Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, but also extended into Western Montana.

Community and business leaders in St. Regis were excited when Mineral County was adopted into the project last year.

Like nearly everything now, the Hub cut is being folded into the debate over the government shutdown.

Appearing on CNN this week, Senator Tim Sheehy blamed Democrats for the shutdown, which he said is harming Montana like other states. Chief Political Correspondent Kaitlan Collins pressing him when he included the Hub cut in that assessment.

"Well, I think the reality is we wouldn't be here if the government was still open. And now we're going on a week 3 of a pretty unnecessary shutdown," Sheehy stated.

Collins noted the Hub cut came before the shutdown,

"Well, actually, Chris Wright, the Energy Secretary, I asked him about that project specifically, and he said they would have done that even if the government wasn't shut down, that that was months in the making even before the government shut down."

After an awkward pause, Sheehy responded.

"Well, it's unfortunate. We're still shut down. We shouldn't be."

Governor Gianforte had been supportive of the Hub when it was announced two years ago. He'd also signed a memorandum of understanding for the "Heartland Hydrogen Hub", which would extend from Montana to Minnesota and Wisconsin. That project was not named in the cuts.

Montana search warrant case before the Supreme Court

Montana State Attorney General Austin Knudsen and his deputies will wait now to see whether the U.S. Supreme Court will uphold a Montana Supreme Court decision that upheld a law involving searches.

Arguments were made before the high court on Wednesday in William Trevor Case v The State of Montana, stemming from an incident in Anaconda where Case was convicted of shooting an officer who had entered his home. Case is challenging the state law, which allows officers to enter a house without a warrant if they believe there's a life-threatening emergency, in his situation, a potential suicide.

Feral pigs are being rounded up

The Montana Department of Livestock is checking into reports that feral swine may have been spotted in Phillips County. USDA Wildlife services took the initial report that a bear may have gotten into a barn. But investigators discovered it was domestic swine that were running wild, which is against state law. They plan to trap the swine and donate healthy animals to be processed by Producer Partnership, a non-profit in Livingston.