Montana

Montana Chamber of Commerce endorsements can't be trusted

Published

2 years ago

August 18, 2024

Montana Chamber of Commerce endorsements can't be trusted

The Montana Chamber cannot be trusted when it comes to Montana Supreme Court candidate endorsements.

The Montana Chamber of Commerce board of directors will formally endorse candidates in the 2024 Montana Supreme Court elections. Sadly, they have a penchant for endorsing extremely partisan, unqualified candidates over highly qualified Justices. Lucky for us the Chamber’s Supreme Court picks haven’t been winning.

This year may be no different. There are two important elections for the Montana Supreme Court on the ballot in November – one for chief justice and one for a justice seat, both open due to retirements. Judge Jerry Lynch and Cory Swanson are running to succeed the chief justice, and Judge Katherine Bidegaray and Dan Wilson are running for the justice seat.

What the Montana Chamber doesn’t tell their membership or you about their supposedly fair endorsement process is they have already spent thousands of dollars advocating for the extreme politically partisan candidates – Swanson and Wilson – even before making their endorsements official. Swanson and Wilson both share the same extreme partisan leanings and are professionally and personally connected to last election cycle’s unqualified losing hyper-partisan candidate James Brown.

Voters are already seeing Chamber-backed advertising filled with lies, half-truths, and obfuscations. These ads are expensive. Out-of-state corporate and special interest-funded political action committees with fake names pour money into them to mislead voters.

For example, Montanans for Fair Taxes is funded by out-of-state pharmaceutical companies, tobacco companies, uber-wealthy political extremists and Montana Chamber money. The same is true for another shady group hypocritically called Montanans for Judicial Accountability.

It’s a scheme cooked up by a group of partisan political hacks.

Here’s how it works. A partisan hack creates a generically named PAC that accepts money from a special interest account filled with tens of thousands from out-of-state corporations, wealthy political extremists and the Montana Chamber. Then, the partisan hack creates more misleadingly named PACs and fills them with the tainted Montana Chamber money.

Next, negative and misleading text and email messages, direct mail pieces and Facebook ads barrage you and our fellow Montana voters, maligning and denigrating very well-qualified non-partisan judges with lies, half-truths and nasty pictures. It’s disgusting and should be questioned. Voters have seen through this smoke screen in the past. And, you should see through it again in this election.

Only you decide who to support in the upcoming Montana Supreme Court elections. Let’s choose the most qualified candidates with decades of Montana legal experience as attorneys and jurists, like Judge Lynch and Judge Bidegaray.

We need experienced Supreme Court justices who are impartial, can’t be bought off, adhere to the Constitution, back the blue and eschew politics and partisanship. And let’s be very clear, Montana voters and Chamber members are being misled by dishonest partisan endorsements from the unethical Montana Chamber of Commerce.

Jayson O’Neill is former director of the Western Values Project and previously worked with the Gov. Brian Schweitzer administration. He lives in Helena.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Powerball, Lotto America results for June 27, 2026

Published

3 hours ago

June 28, 2026

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.

Here’s a look at June 27, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from June 27 drawing

03-16-28-30-59, Powerball: 11, Power Play: 2

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from June 27 drawing

03-08-18-22-39, Star Ball: 06, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from June 27 drawing

05-16-19-27, Bonus: 08

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from June 27 drawing

02-26-34-43-45, Powerball: 15

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from June 27 drawing

05-09-10-15-35

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from June 27 drawing

26-32-38-51-52, Bonus: 05

Check Millionaire for Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

When are the Montana Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 9 p.m. MT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky For Life: 8:38 p.m. MT daily.
Lotto America: 9 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Big Sky Bonus: 7:30 p.m. MT daily.
Powerball Double Play: 8:59 p.m. MT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Montana Cash: 8 p.m. MT on Wednesday and Saturday.
Millionaire for Life: 9:15 p.m. MT daily.

Missed a draw? Peek at the past week’s winning numbers.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Great Falls Tribune editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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Montana

Iron (MN) HS ATH Isaiah Asuma Commits to Montana State

Published

13 hours ago

June 27, 2026

Press Room

Iron (MN) HS ATH Isaiah Asuma Commits to Montana State

Iron (MN) Cherry High School athlete Isaiah Asuma announced his commitment to Montana State on Monday, adding to an already impressive recruiting class for the reigning FCS national champions.

“I committed to Montana State because I love what the football program has been and has to offer,” Asuma said. “I love Bozeman, and I really fell in love with the coaching staff and what they had for future plans for me. I really think they can develop me for the next level.”

The 5-foot-11, 180-pounder, who is also a standout basketball player for the Tigers, received an offer from the Bobcats on April 17, after speaking with head coach Brent Vigen when he was in Bozeman for a Junior Day.

“My family and I had a conversation with Coach Vigen in his office, and he was just telling me that he really liked my game and really thought I could make an impact for them! That was when he offered me. Being around him a couple of times now, we have developed a good relationship, and I love who he is as a person and a coach. He’s always gonna shoot you straight, and he’s never gonna lie to you.”

Let’s do it, Cat Nation. 💙💛🤍#AGTG #COMMITTED pic.twitter.com/20f54Xvmrz
— isaiahasuma (@AsumaIsaiah) June 22, 2026
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Asuma has yet to take his official visit with the Bobcats, but even after just a few visits to Bozeman, he saw enough and decided to announce his commitment.

“I have not taken my official visit yet, but I have been out there two times, and I love Bozeman. The first time I went out there, I fell in love with it. I come from a small town in Minnesota, so that’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before out there. It is pretty amazing!”

Last season, the Tigers finished 4-5, but Asuma had a great season, finishing with 1,233 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, 1,044 rushing yards, and 12 rushing touchdowns, while adding 58 tackles and four interceptions.

“Last season was solid, but we were a .500 team. I had a good individual year, and since I go to a smaller school, I played both quarterback and free safety.”

This season, he is hoping to lead the Tigers to a winning record, as well as have another big season, which could be a challenge as they will have a young squad.

“The offseason has been good. I just started summer practice and weights again with the team, in addition to training with my trainer, Dre Sherril, with explosive agility stuff and weightlifting. My goals for this upcoming season are to try to rush for 1,000 yards again and be a .500 team. Our team is super young this year, so I’m just hoping to have a solid year again.”

Asuma adds to a Bobcats recruiting class that includes three-star wide receiver Kase Betz, defensive lineman Dax Yeager, offensive lineman Kade Leibrand, EDGE Dominick Webb, defensive back Kei’Dryn Edmond, offensive lineman Maciah Keene, tight end Carter Zollar, running back DaKari Releford, among others.