Montana

Anaconda family heartbroken after Montana legislature fails to pass Chloe's Law

Published

10 months ago

May 3, 2025

Anaconda family heartbroken after Montana legislature fails to pass Chloe's Law

BUTTE — Montana’s 2025 Legislative session wrapped up earlier this week, passing several bills, but one bill, Chloe’s Law, didn’t pass which has left an Anaconda family heartbroken.

“It’s political for them, it’s emotional for us. It’s something we fully believe in. You know, all you can do is sit back and go I hope a tragedy like ours doesn’t have to affect you,” says Keith Worl, Chloe’s father.

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Anaconda family heartbroken after Montana legislature fails to pass Chloe’s Law

While on her way to work on a March morning nearly four years ago, 25-year-old Chloe Worl was struck head-on and was killed instantly by a distracted driver in Dillon. During the legislative session, Keith and Connie Worl stood before legislators pleading for safer roads in Montana.

“You know, Montana still remains the only state that does not restrict cell phone use in vehicles, and again, this wasn’t a ban,” Connie says.

Connie says Senate Bill 359 would have restricted hand-held devices while driving in order to eliminate distractions like texting or scrolling on a phone. Also, the bill would have allowed victims and their families to seek justice in accidents involving distracted driving.

“We don’t feel that Chloe received justice from the judicial system, and, really, the way we were received during the legislative committee—the House legislative committee—you know, I don’t think her tragedy was even validated. Or our loss was validated,” says Connie.

While the legislature was in session, Connie says almost 50 people died on Montana roads. She says because there is no law in place, it’s difficult to know if those deaths are connected to distracted driving. Despite the legislature’s failure to pass Chloe’s Law, a bill did pass that increases penalties for drunken driving.

“The House and the Senate did some really good work with passing Bobby’s Bill. We were thrilled with that. Why not this bill? Why stop there?” says Connie.

The Worls say they will bring Chole’s Law before the legislature again. They also host an ATV fun run in July to raise money for scholarships in Chloe’s honor.

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Montana

Missoula and Western Montana neighbors: Obituaries for March 12

Published

1 hour ago

March 12, 2026

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Missoula and Western Montana neighbors: Obituaries for March 12

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Montana

Wind damage highlights insurance challenges for Montana homeowners

Published

14 hours ago

March 11, 2026

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Wind damage highlights insurance challenges for Montana homeowners

It’s the talk of the town this week — powerful winds ripped the roof off Lincoln Elementary School on Sunday, leaving students, teachers, and residents in shock.

The incident has sparked concern among homeowners who are now worried about how such weather damage could impact their own homes—and what their insurance would cover.

According to Tauna Locatelli, owner of Advantage Insurance, most insurance policies have a set deductible for things like fire or theft, but wind and hail damage deductibles are often much higher, or even based on a percentage of a property’s value.

Quentin Shores reports – watch the video here:

Wind damage highlights insurance challenges for Montana homeowners

“Right now our industry is going through a really challenging time, especially when it comes to wind and hail in Montana. Several carriers are going to a standard ‘all peril’ deductible for everything other than wind and hail. So, it could be $1,000 for all but wind and hail, $2,500 wind and hail,” Locatelli explained.

A deductible is the amount homeowners must pay before insurance covers the rest. For wind and hail, that deductible can be steep.

“Some companies are going 1 or 2% of a coverage value, so that’s the building value. If it’s insured for $500,000 and you have a 1% deductible, you’re looking at a $5,000 deductible for wind and hail, which is what we get in Montana,” Locatelli said.

It’s important for homeowners to know their deductible—if repairs cost less than the deductible, insurance won’t pay anything.

Filing small claims can also impact your rates; Locatelli said, “Because if you have a $3,000 patch job claim and you have a $5,000 deductible, you really don’t want to file that because you’re not going to get anything in. That claim is going to follow your insurance record for five years.”

Age of property factors in as well. If you have an older roof, insurance may not fully cover its replacement.

“You’ve now lived half the roof life. Well, insurance is about indemnity and putting you back in the same condition you were in before the loss. You can’t put a 16-year-old roof on a home, so at 16 years, they’ll now pay 50% of that roof instead of 100% because it’s already lived half of its life. And then it drops each year as it goes by,” Locatelli added.

The bottom line: Keep your property maintained, review your insurance policy, and think carefully before filing a claim—especially as Montana faces more intense weather.

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