Special Session

President of the Montana Senate, Mark Blasdel, spoke with KGVO News on Wednesday after Governor Greg Gianforte cleared the decks to prepare for a special session of the Montana Legislature.

Governor Greg Gianforte sent a letter to leaders of the state legislature on Tuesday ‘to reiterate my position on calling a special session of the Montana Legislature’.

Two prominent members of the Montana Legislature called into the KGVO Talk Back Show on Thursday to answer questions from listeners about various items of interest regarding Montana government.

Montana’s biennial legislative session gets underway on Monday, January 7, and Chair of the House Finance Committee Nancy Ballance provides a preview of the upcoming 90 day session.

Hamilton Republican legislator Nancy Ballance claims that the special session was unnecessary because Governor Steve Bullock would not trust Republican budget numbers.

Governor Steve Bullock on Wednesday said that $45 million cut from the Department of Public Health and Human Services would be restored now that accurate budget numbers have been released.

Arrest warrant issued for 17 year-old Dylan Conat as the suspect on the Sentinel High School shootings. He is still at large.

There are two initiatives proposed for the November ballot that are prompting state legislative leaders to poll their fellow members for a possible special session proposed for July.

The Clark Fork River has dropped below flood stage for the time being. The National Weather Service says the river has dropped to 9.7 feet, but is expected to rise again.

The Montana State Fund Justice Coalition, representing policyholders and injured workers, has filed suit against the State of Montana for breach of contract and violation of the U.S. and Montana Constitution.