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Montana election officials report physical threats ahead of primary

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Montana election officials report physical threats ahead of primary


Escalating rhetoric associated to voter-fraud conspiracy theories is crossing the road into what election officers say are threats towards their bodily security, with lower than two weeks left earlier than Montana’s main election.

Addressing the state Legislature’s oversight committee for election processes Wednesday, Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Jeff Mangan stated he’s been working with different organizations to encourage native election directors and legislation enforcement to develop plans “for the security of their employees, polling areas and gear.”

“Election misinformation, disinformation, the stuff that’s taking place throughout the state, is harming and placing in danger our election officers, our election judges, our election volunteers and poll-watchers within the coming elections,” he stated, including, “Somebody wants to face up and say Montanans should be proud and be ok with the election practices we’ve in place and may really feel assured about their vote.”

Mangan cited latest incidents of threats directed at election officers in Carbon and Cascade counties, and requested the State Administration and Veterans Affairs Interim Committee to contemplate laws that might improve protections for election officers and judges towards security threats.

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He additionally requested that lawmakers play an even bigger position in pushing again on election misinformation.

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“I haven’t needed to take care of one thing like this within the earlier 5 years. That is all new due to the fixed disinformation and it’s coming from individuals who ought to know higher,” Mangan stated. “Respectfully, it’s coming from a few of your colleagues.”

Carbon county’s election administrator, Crystal Roascio, wrote in an electronic mail Wednesday that she has been in touch with native legislation enforcement following allegations by right-wing activists that the machines the county makes use of to course of ballots are compromised.

Carbon County Sheriff Josh McQuillan stated Wednesday that his workplace had not obtained an official criticism relating to threats to election employees, however confirmed further deputies could be staffed for the election as a consequence of safety considerations introduced by the election administrator.

Mark Prepare dinner, a self-described cyber safety knowledgeable who has sought to forged doubt on the state’s election know-how, gave a presentation in Purple Lodge Monday as a part of a tour all through the state this week. Roascio wrote that she attended the presentation, and was approached by native activists demanding a hand-count of ballots.

“I’ve election judges terrified for his or her security and have even had some resign from being a decide over this,” Roascio wrote within the electronic mail to Mangan. “I’ve been in touch with our sheriff about deputies/reserves in all polling areas. He agrees we do want this, however we aren’t certain if we’ve sufficient to try this.”

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Roascio has been embroiled in a latest controversy over allegations that her poll tabulators have been probably tampered with. In an interview final week, she stated the problem is predicated on a misunderstanding of safety protocols for the ballot-processing machines.

All counties that use tabulators in Montana are required to conduct a “public check” inside 30 days of every election they use the machines for. The general public assessments contain scanning batches of check ballots by means of the tabulators, checking for various combos of votes and potential errors, and evaluating these outcomes to the bodily check ballots that have been used.

Throughout Carbon County’s Could 12 public check, an observer seen the guarantee labels on the machine had been broken, Roascio stated. She emphasised they weren’t the safety seals, which she stated stay intact. Safety seals should be damaged with the intention to entry the inner workings of the machines, and are in place to protect towards potential tampering.

“After talking with the Secretary of State’s workplace, ES&S and the licensed tech for ES&S and it was present in February 2020, proper in the course of the pandemic, they needed to are available in and upgraded the scanner boards inside our DS200s,” Roascio stated. Election Techniques & Software program is the seller that manufactures and companies all tabulators utilized in Montana, together with the DS200 mannequin.

She famous that the corporate supplied to exchange the machines, however wouldn’t have been in a position to get them ready and licensed in time for the June 7 main election.

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Since that assembly, Roascio stated she’s fielded quite a few inquiries in regards to the subject, particularly after a right-wing weblog printed a publish repeatedly referring to the labels as “seals” and suggesting the machines’ safety had been breached.

Elsewhere within the state, election officers in Missoula and Cascade counties have stated they’ve obtained threatening messages from native activists, whereas others have described potential threats to election machines and tense confrontations with activists spreading election fraud theories.

In his feedback to the State Affairs and Veterans Administration Interim Committee, Mangan additionally expressed disappointment within the state’s prime elections official, Secretary of State Christi Jacobsen, for staying largely silent on election-fraud misinformation and security threats.

“The Secretary of State’s workplace needs to be telling people who they should really feel assured in our election processes, day by day,” he stated. “As an alternative we’ve teams going round, simply within the final three days, telling folks their votes gained’t be counted, that there are modems within the machines, that their votes are going to Spain after which coming again … It has to cease.”

Jacobsen has maintained that Montana’s elections are safe, and that the machines don’t connect with the web. However she’s stayed largely silent whereas Republican secretaries of state elsewhere within the nation have in some circumstances taken an energetic position in pushing again towards conspiracy theories.

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Requested repeatedly in a December interview whether or not she believes there’s any concrete proof to help allegations of coordinated voter fraud in Montana, she declined to reply.

“I’m going to help any effort that improves the integrity of the elections, interval,” Jacobsen responded on the time, including that she would work with the Legislature to take action.

She additionally declined to say whether or not she feels that allegations of election “irregularities” in Missoula County maintain any advantage.

Requested to touch upon Jacobsen’s reluctance to handle election conspiracy theories, spokesperson Richie Melby issued the next assertion Wednesday:

“The Secretary and Workplace work with a servant’s coronary heart in direction of secure, safe, and accessible elections day by day. State and native election officers are a key part of these elections and the Secretary has persistently said one of many biggest strengths of Montana’s elections are our election officers. State and native election officers are the trusted supply of election data in Montana. Ought to any election official be threatened whereas performing the vital duties of their job, they need to contact native legislation enforcement.”

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Educators, parents get behind bill to boost starting teacher pay in Montana | Explore Big Sky

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Educators, parents get behind bill to boost starting teacher pay in Montana | Explore Big Sky


Legislation also offers incentives for student achievement, housing help for costly districts 

By Keila Szpaller DAILY MONTANAN 

Molly Blakely has taught teachers in Montana, the “best and brightest,” and they’ve asked her what they can earn in the Treasure State. 

Blakely, who has been an adjunct instructor at the University of Montana for 18 years, said when she offers an honest answer to their questions in an interview prep class, the future teachers ask one question: “How do I get certified (to teach) in another state?” 

State institutions are doing great work training teachers, Blakely said, but Montana is losing them, and a bill to increase starting teacher pay would help. 

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Blakely and other educators testified Wednesday before the House Education committee in favor of House Bill 252, the Student and Teacher Advancement for Results and Success, or STARS Act, intended to boost teacher pay. 

“Those teachers are leaving for one reason, and one reason only, and it’s for finances,” said Blakely, also superintendent of Hellgate Elementary School District in Missoula. 

In Lolo, Superintendent Dale Olinger said recruiting and retaining teachers is harder than it has ever been. Olinger said staff share housing to make ends meet, and many teachers work second jobs. 

“I have many staff with a side hustle,” Olinger said. “It used to be a joke. Now, it’s not.” 

In Montana, 26% of teachers work second jobs and earn an extra $4,700 on average, according to a Department of Labor and Industry Report from December 2024. The report said average earnings increase their pay by roughly 8%. 

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Olinger said the STARS Act could mean another $185,000 for the moderately sized district, and it would also help special education cooperatives, which support multiple districts, and district clerks. 

Montana has struggled to offer starting teachers competitive pay. Legislation from 2023 tried to help, but just half of the school districts in Montana were able to tap into it last school year after the Office of Public Instruction bungled the data collection. 

(From Department of Labor and Industry report from December 2024.)

According to the DLI report, Montana’s full-time entry-level teachers earned an average salary of $38,800 in the 2022-2023 school year. It’s less than the national average of $44,530 and ranks Montana 46th among states. 

Montana is also the lowest for starting teachers compared to surrounding states, the report said; Idaho is closest at $41,179, and Wyoming is highest, at $48,622. 

At the meeting, STARS Act sponsor and Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad, outlined the bill’s provisions to help teachers and students. 

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The comprehensive legislation aims to not only boost new teacher pay, but close an inflation gap in public education, help districts in high-cost housing areas, and provide incentives to help students advance, among other provisions. 

The Coalition of Advocates for Montana Public Schools described the bill as a “pivotal advancement” in school funding, increasing base salaries for teachers, offering incentives to recruit and retain educators, and expanding learning opportunities for students. 

Teachers, parents, trustees, and other members of the public spilled into the hall in a room at the Capitol and testified remotely to support the bill. No one opposed it, although some said it could do more for veteran teachers and worried that a mechanism that ties funding to salary benchmarks could be a barrier for districts. 

Rep. Llew Jones, R-Conrad. (Provided by the Montana Legislature) 

Melissa Smith, representing the Kalispell Education Association, said her district has seen school levies fail, it faces a reduction in force, and recent contract negotiations hinge on approval of the bill. 

“We fought for months to raise teacher salaries, particularly for new educators,” said Smith, a teacher with Glacier High School. 

However, Smith said the district still faces a reduction in force, and she worries that if struggling districts can’t push up salaries the way the bill requires, they’ll miss out on funding. 

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A voluntary incentive in the bill offers districts more money if they incrementally bump up starting teacher pay from 62% to 70% of their average pay, a tool designed to decrease the wide salary spread between newer and experienced teachers in Montana. 

According to Lance Melton, the executive director of the Montana School Boards Association, other states that rank similarly in both starting teacher salaries and average teacher salaries typically compensate beginning teachers at approximately 70% of the average salary for teachers overall. Melton testified on behalf of the Coalition of Advocates for Montana’s Public Schools. 

Although Smith raised a concern about the bill, she said the association supports the legislation. 

“The Kalispell Education Association believes House Bill 252 has the potential to uplift Montana schools and provide increased opportunity for our students and their learning,” Smith said. 

The Montana Federation of Public Employees also spoke for it. 

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Supporters came from schools and government agencies, a nonprofit group that supports public education, and one focused on limited government. They included newly sworn Superintendent of Public Instruction Susie Hedalen, Commissioner of Labor Sarah Swanson, and the Governor’s Office. 

Dylan Klapmeier, education and workforce policy advisor for Gov. Greg Gianforte, said the Governor’s Office committed $100 million to increase teacher pay and raise student outcomes as reflected in the bill. In particular, Klapmeier praised the focus on helping students get a jump start on college and careers. 

A fiscal analysis of the bill has been requested but is not yet available. 

The bill also aims to decrease disparities between educators in urban and rural areas. It offers tools such as stipends to help teachers with housing in costly districts; creates a school funding data dashboard for transparency; and offers incentives for districts to share resources, along with other proposals. 

Jacob Warner, a math teacher at Capital High School in Helena and recipient of a presidential award for excellence in teaching from the White House, said the STARS Act is a good first step to improving education. 

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Warner said teachers have not had it easy lately. He said class sizes have gone up, teachers are being asked to teach extra, and inflation is eating at the budget. 

“Every spring, phenomenal teachers in my building get pink slips, causing uncertainty, stress for them, their families and their students,” Warner said. 

Although Warner said recruiting teachers is important, he said retaining veterans is critical too, and salaries for all teachers should be increased — but the money is not there. 

Warner said districts need dollars for other essentials, and his children’s school had to hold a fundraiser to fix a boiler. 

“A boiler is not a want. A boiler is a need,” Warner said. 

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In response to questions from Rep. Melissa Romano, D-Helena, Jane Shawn, a union president in Helena, estimated one-third or so of teachers hold second jobs. She said it’s not just the younger ones, but teachers with as many as 35 years of experience who have “side hustles.” 

The DLI report said the rate of teachers who work other jobs is consistent across district size, and teachers who leave the profession earn higher wages in other industries. It also said teachers are more likely than other workers to hold more than one job. 

In Eureka, Superintendent Joel Graves said the district interviewed a teacher for construction in CTE, career and technical education, one who would have been a great fit for the community, but they couldn’t agree on a salary or find the candidate a place to live. 

The district started building tiny houses for teachers, but school districts can’t afford to stay in that business, and he said the bill will help. 

Steve Thennis, with MOFE, Montanans Organized for Education, praised the support for educational costs such as advanced placement exams and incentives for housing. 

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“In my time as an administrator, I lost countless candidates for open positions due to their inability to find affordable housing,” said Thennis, who worked in Helena. 

Keaton Sunchild, with Western Native Voice, said the bill will help rural schools and many on reservations. He said it supports language immersion and Montana Indian Education for All, “programs that in the past have been neglected or left behind.” 

Charlie Snellman, a student and member of the Helena Public Schools Board of Trustees, said he will attend Johns Hopkins University next year for a double major in violin and cello performance and molecular biology, with a goal to attend medical school. 

Snellman said his opportunities have been “phenomenal.” However, he also said struggling teachers hurt student morale and have a detrimental effect on their educational experience, and high turnover makes it difficult to develop relationships with them. 

“I’ve had the pleasure of maintaining great relationships with my teachers throughout my high school career, and have been given excellent opportunities, and I only hope that students after me will be given the same opportunities,” Snellman said. 

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In Havre, Tim Scheele said he’s a trustee and parent, and he said if teachers have to get second jobs just to afford to feed themselves, they will be less focused on students. Scheele also said turnover means teachers don’t get to know a community. 

“The more turnover you have, the less dynamic your teaching staff can be,” Scheele said. 

The Frontier Institute’s Kendall Cotton said his organization is conservative but supports the bill because it puts money where it should go, to teachers, and not just to things like facilities. Cotton said he hopes student achievement increases as a result. 

In response to questions about the lack of funds for more experienced teachers in the bill, Jones said resources are scarce, and the bill is targeted, designed to improve a persistent problem in Montana of low pay for starting teachers. 

Jones said school boards have local control, and they are free to increase pay for teachers at the higher end as they wish. However, he said those who want money from the legislation will bring the bottom up. 

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“We’ve been cannibalizing young teachers for a long time. It’s time we stop,” Jones said. 

The committee didn’t take immediate action on the bill. 



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Montana Lottery Lucky For Life, Big Sky Bonus results for Jan. 30, 2025

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The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 30, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 30 drawing

09-13-18-23-40, Lucky Ball: 04

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Jan. 30 drawing

11-14-24-28, Bonus: 06

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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.

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

Winning lottery numbers are sponsored by Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network.

Where can you buy lottery tickets?

Tickets can be purchased in person at gas stations, convenience stores and grocery stores. Some airport terminals may also sell lottery tickets.

You can also order tickets online through Jackpocket, the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network, in these U.S. states and territories: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Texas, Washington, D.C., and West Virginia. The Jackpocket app allows you to pick your lottery game and numbers, place your order, see your ticket and collect your winnings all using your phone or home computer.

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Jackpocket is the official digital lottery courier of the USA TODAY Network. Gannett may earn revenue for audience referrals to Jackpocket services. GAMBLING PROBLEM? CALL 1-800-GAMBLER, Call 877-8-HOPENY/text HOPENY (467369) (NY). 18+ (19+ in NE, 21+ in AZ). Physically present where Jackpocket operates. Jackpocket is not affiliated with any State Lottery. Eligibility Restrictions apply. Void where prohibited. Terms: jackpocket.com/tos.

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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Whitefish senator introduces revisions to Montana resort tax • Daily Montanan

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Whitefish senator introduces revisions to Montana resort tax • Daily Montanan


Tourism is a double-edged sword, says Sen. Dave Fern. 

The Whitefish Democrat has decades of experience living in one of the state’s top tourism destinations to back up that statement. 

More than half the economy of towns such as Whitefish, a gateway community to Glacier National Park and home to Whitefish Mountain Resort, stands on the backs of tourism and recreation-based businesses. 

The town of roughly 9,000 people welcomes around 1 million visitors each year, according to the University of Montana Institute of Tourism and Recreation Research, and those visitors have an impact on local infrastructures, trails, and rising property values — all things a local resort tax helps address. 

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Fern, a Whitefish Democrat, said that West Yellowstone was the first community in the state to implement a local-option sales tax in the 1980s. Now, 13 communities in the state have a “resort” designation and leverage the resort tax.   

“As tourism and visitation became more and more an essential part of the economy, lots of smaller communities — both unincorporated areas and municipalities — were adversely impacted by the effects of tourism and visitation,” Fern told the Senate Taxation committee on Wednesday. “You take some communities with a limited tax base and increasing infrastructure needs because of tourism, and you come into a collision.”

Fern is sponsoring Senate Bill 172, which would amend the current resort tax law to increase the population threshold for communities that can obtain a “resort” designation from the state, and allow an additional 1% tax to be collected and used for workforce housing. 

“I think what is important is that the state recognizes that resort communities and areas face an extra hardship caused by tourism, and they need assistance,” he said. 

Currently, cities with less than 5,500 residents and unincorporated areas with fewer than 2,500 residents that derive at least half their economy from visitor-based businesses can opt to enact a resort tax with voter approval — and can extend the tax even if the population grows past the initial limits. 

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Fern’s bill would raise the cap for cities to enact the tax to 10,000 residents, and for unincorporated areas to 3,500, saying he had Whitefish in mind as an example town. 

“Over the years, Whitefish, in particular, has doubled, or nearly doubled in population,” Fern said. “And yet we haven’t grown ourselves out of the problem, the problem being increased visitation that has a continued impact on the need for infrastructure.” 

The tax, capped at 3%, applies to sales of non-essential “luxury” goods and services sold by food, lodging and destination-recreation businesses within a resort area, while exempting a long list of “necessities of life,” with the goal of maximizing tourism dollars and minimizing impacts on local residents.

At least 5% of resort tax revenue must be used to alleviate local property taxes, with the rest determined by the local governing body. 

Communities can also leverage an additional 1% to be used exclusively for infrastructure, but that addition is capped for cities below the population limits. 

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Residents of Whitefish first passed the resort tax in 1995, and reauthorized it for 20 more years in 2021, when city officials said that annual tax revenue was around $4 million. Currently, the city of Whitefish allocates 25% of revenue to property tax relief, 48% to infrastructure projects, 10% to bike paths and parks, 10% to affordable housing projects and 2% to the local Whitefish Trail System. 

Fern’s bill also focuses on workforce housing by removing the population cap for leveraging the additional 1% tax and allowing it to be used for infrastructure or affordable housing projects. 

While new taxes are often perceived as unpopular, Fern pointed out to committee members that each time the Whitefish tax was put to voters, it gained support. The 2021 vote to extend the tax passed with 89% of the vote, while a recent vote to add a tax to the Big Mountain Resort District — comprising Whitefish Mountain Resort, which sits outside city limits — also passed with more than 80% support. 

“I think that is because you can see progress. You see infrastructure changes, you see significant improvements in roads, side walks, shared use paths, that sort of thing,” Fern said. “And you get property tax relief, so that’s why it’s been very very popular.”

No one opposed SB 172 during the committee hearing, while a representative from Shelter Whitefish, a nonprofit focused on housing inequality, testified in support.

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