Montana

House bill aims to expand childcare access to daycare and preschool employees in Montana

Published

12 months ago

April 19, 2025

House bill aims to expand childcare access to daycare and preschool employees in Montana

BILLINGS — A bill that would increase access to childcare for daycare and preschool employees is in the works at the Montana Legislature.

House Bill 456 would grant employees of childcare facilities access to the Best Beginnings Scholarship. It’s a federal and state funded program that helps cover the costs of childcare. The scholarship is awarded to families earning less than 185 percent of the Federal Poverty Level.

Employees from Little Seeds Early Childhood Center, a Billings daycare and preschool, are in support of HB 456.

See the video for this story below:

House bill aims to expand childcare access to daycare and preschool employees in Montana

Little Seeds is located in Downtown Billings below the First United Methodist Church. The childcare facility has been around for more than 30 years, and accepts children from six-weeks-old to five-years-old.

“You don’t get into the business of daycare for the money. You get into the business of daycare for the kids and helping them,” said Shelby Scharen, the executive director of Little Seeds.

Mack Carmack, MTN News

Scharen has worked at the daycare since she was a teenager, and before then volunteered at daycares with her mom.

“It’s a hard job to do, but it’s the most rewarding job to do,” she said Friday.

Scharen told MTN that the daycare currently has 70 children. She says while it’s a rewarding job, it’s also stressful and overwhelming at times.

“We’ve lost a few staff, because it’s just easier for them to stay at home and have their spouses work, then it is for them to work here, and have their check go to the daycare that they have to pay,” Scharen said.

Scharen said employees get discounted rates for their child’s daycare tuition, however it still comes out to about $200 a month. She said low wages don’t make the job any easier.

“We have four staff members here who are parents, who would greatly benefit from being able to be on Best Beginnings,” Scharen said.

Scharen is in support of HB 456, as she says it would benefit the hard working employees at Little Seeds.

While Scharen doesn’t have children herself, she has seen the impact of Best Beginnings, as Little Seeds accepts recipients of the scholarship.

“It’s great because it gives these kids an opportunity that they would not normally have,” said Scharen.

Sponsor of HB 456, Representative Jonathan Karlen (D-Missoula), says daycare workers are underpaid and under-appreciated. Karlen told MTN Friday that the average childcare worker makes $23,000 a year, so he wanted to expand Best Beginnings, to allow them to work without the financial burden.

“Childcare (has) become unaffordable, and there’s a real shortage of skilled people to work in childcare. Part of that is the low pay,” he said on a virtual interview.

HB 456 passed in the House, but was tabled in committee. However, Karlen is still optimistic the bill will pass in the short time the Legislature has left.

“The social skills, the kind of foundational educational skills kids learn in a childcare-type setting, really help prepare them for K-12,” he said.

Karlen told MTN that the bill had no opponents testify in the House and had enormous support from teachers, childcare workers, and businesses. The biggest criticism while in the House was the fiscal impact of the bill.

“There’s people that say it’s too expensive. My response to that is, each childcare worker represents more parents who want to work, being able to work,” said Karlen.

According to Karlen, the bill would create positive long-term impacts, eventually expanding spots in daycares and preschools for more children, as less staff turnover is expected.

“This is one of those issues that transcends both urban and rural Montana,” said Karlen.

The Legislature has less than two weeks of their session left. Until then, Scharen and her employees at Little Seeds are hopeful it passes, so they can continue to provide high quality care without the monetary stress.

“I don’t see any problems with this. I only see it helping us,” she said.

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Related Topics:billings Daycare education Featured House Montana News Montana State Legislature preschool Senate

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Montana

Kalshi sues Montana AG to prevent gambling enforcement

Published

9 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

Kalshi sues Montana AG to prevent gambling enforcement

Jonathan Ambarian

HELENA (KPAX) — An increasingly popular online prediction market has filed suit against Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, seeking to stop his office from enforcing state gambling laws against them.

The company Kalshi has filed a case in federal court, arguing that the state has no authority to regulate their operations.

Kalshi offers “event contracts,” where users buy a contract based on whether a predicted future event will or will not happen by a set time. If it does happen, users who bought “yes” contracts are paid out, and if it doesn’t, those who bought “no” contracts are paid out. Before the final resolution, the value of the contracts can vary based on the market, and users can sell them early based on that value.

Kalshi’s contracts cover everything from business and economic indicators to election results and other news events to sports. As the company has received more attention, it has also faced scrutiny from some states that consider its model too close to gambling. Kalshi has maintained it’s not the same because users’ contracts are financial “swaps” with other traders, rather than a bet against the market itself.

“Because traders do not take a position against the exchange itself, traders’ ability to hedge risk requires counterparties willing to assume risk in the hope of seeing a return,” the company’s attorneys said in their complaint.

Last year, an attorney representing the Montana Department of Justice’s Gambling Control Division sent Kalshi a cease-and-desist letter, saying that they had found probable cause that the company’s operations were gambling, “because participants risk money or other things of value for a gain that is contingent in whole or in part upon lot, chance, or the operation of a gambling enterprise.” They asked the company to stop offering event contracts in the state, saying they were seeking “voluntary compliance.”

Kalshi argues their operations are regulated by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission, like other financial markets, and that federal law overrides any attempts by states to implement additional restrictions.

“One of Congress’s avowed goals in creating the CFTC was to avoid the ‘chaos’ that would result from subjecting exchanges to a patchwork of 50 different—and potentially conflicting—state law,” the company’s attorneys wrote in their federal complaint.

In the complaint, attorneys said Kalshi believed it had reached an agreement with the state to delay any enforcement while a federal appeals court hears arguments in a similar case centered on Kalshi’s operations in Nevada. However, they said the state sent another cease-and-desist letter last week, so they filed this action seeking to prevent Montana regulators from taking any enforcement action.

In the Nevada case, a judge barred Kalshi from offering contracts on sports. However, an appeals court ruled in a separate case last week that New Jersey did not have the authority to regulate Kalshi.

In addition, the CFTC has announced lawsuits of its own against states that sought to regulate prediction markets.

MTN reached out to Kalshi’s media contact, but as of Tuesday evening had not received a response.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Mega Millions, Big Sky Bonus results for April 14, 2026

Published

21 hours ago

April 15, 2026

Press Room

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

Here’s a look at April 14, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Mega Millions numbers from April 14 drawing

17-21-24-57-69, Mega Ball: 12

Check Mega Millions payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from April 14 drawing

02-04-30-31, Bonus: 16

Check Big Sky Bonus 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

This Weekend is Huge for Music Lovers in Montana

Published

1 day ago

April 14, 2026

Press Room

This Weekend is Huge for Music Lovers in Montana

There’s something special about a record or CD that feels nostalgic, and if you need another reason to support locally owned record stores in Montana, this is it.

This Saturday, April 18, is Record Store Day 2026, and independent record stores in Montana and across the country are gearing up for one of the biggest days of the year. It’s a one-day event where customers can find exclusive in-store only releases.

For record collectors, it’s a chance to find special releases that are in limited supply. I’m planning to get in line in hopes of scoring a copy of the Billy Strings NPR Tiny Desk concert on vinyl.

That’s just one of over 300 limited-edition releases that will be available on Record Store Day. You can find a complete list of 2026 releases on the Record Store Day website.

Records

Photo by Peixuan Yu

Record stores in Montana aren’t just a place to buy music. They’re a part of the fabric of the communities they serve. Cactus Records in Bozeman is considered a local landmark and the go-to spot for music lovers in town.

Sure, it’s much easier to stream music digitally, but it isn’t the same as holding a physical copy in your hands.

Record Store Day is about showing up and supporting local. Keeping these independent shops alive and thriving in a world that’s increasingly digital. Every purchase you make this Saturday goes directly back into those stores, and helps make sure they’re still here the next time you’re looking for something new.

If you plan on heading to a local record store on Saturday, don’t be surprised if you see people getting in line early. It’s a big day for vinyl lovers and music fans in Montana. I hope you find what you’re looking for.