Montana

Montana redistricting commission ready to put together state legislative map

Published

2 years ago

November 23, 2022

Montana redistricting commission ready to put together state legislative map

HELENA — Montana simply elected lawmakers to serve within the 2023 state legislative session. Earlier than that session begins in January, Montana’s Districting and Apportionment Fee will probably be attending to the center of their work, reshaping the legislative districts for the following election and past.

The fee has put aside 4 days subsequent week for work periods. There, they hope to hammer out an preliminary tentative model of the legislative map that will probably be utilized in elections from 2024 to 2032.

The work is rather more complicated than their preliminary job: drawing a single line to separate Montana’s two new congressional districts. Step one is to carve the state into 100 Home districts, every with about 10,800 residents. As soon as the commissioners end a Home map, they’ll be part of pairs of neighboring seats to kind 50 Senate districts.

MTN Information

“What we noticed through the congressional conferences was possibly a bit of extra dramatic, however quite a bit much less detailed than what we’re making an attempt to do now,” mentioned Dan Stusek. Stusek is considered one of two Republicans on the five-member fee.

“It’s much more difficult; it’s much more technical,” mentioned Kendra Miller, one of many two Democratic commissioners.

In August, the 4 bipartisan commissioners launched their preliminary proposals. Republicans Stusek and Jeff Essmann mentioned the maps they produced would prioritize comparatively geographically compact districts. Democrats Miller and Joe Lamson mentioned they drew maps that will emphasize competitiveness and create a legislature that was nearer to Montana’s general partisan make-up.

Nonetheless, the fee has taken vital public remark since then, and it’s clear no matter map strikes ahead will probably be considerably modified.

“I really feel fairly assured saying none of these 4 are going to be the ultimate map,” mentioned Maylinn Smith, the fee’s chair.

Initial Redistricting Maps — Maylinn Smith, chair of Montana’s Districting and Apportionment Fee, says not one of the state legislative proposals provided to date would be the closing map.

As an formally nonpartisan commissioner, appointed by the Montana Supreme Court docket, Smith will seemingly be referred to as on to interrupt ties if the 2 events stay break up on a map. She informed MTN she’s going to be targeted on the standards the fee has adopted. They embody each necessities – relative inhabitants equality, safety of minority voting energy, and compact and contiguous districts – and objectives – connecting “communities of curiosity,” minimizing splits of cities and counties, contemplating aggressive elections and stopping a plan from “unduly favoring” one political occasion.

All through the method, Smith has mentioned she desires the 4 partisan commissioners to achieve consensus each time attainable.

“I’m keen to be the tiebreaker as soon as, however I’m solely going to do one vote, so we’ll should get fairly shut on that closing map if they’ll’t attain consensus,” she mentioned.

Stusek and Miller informed MTN they imagine there are areas the place they’ll attain settlement – however they’re nonetheless far aside in some methods.

Stusek mentioned Republicans noticed district compactness – which is required by the state structure – as a essential goal, together with linking communities with shared pursuits and geographic ties. In response to Democrats’ objections that their maps created too many Republican-leaning districts in comparison with statewide partisan breakdown, he mentioned that mirrored Democratic voting energy being concentrated in particular areas.

Stusek mentioned they’re keen to have discussions about emphasizing aggressive districts, a topic he says they heard quite a bit about in public remark.

“We didn’t need it to be a compulsory standards, or a standards in any respect, as a result of we thought it obtained abused a bit of bit, but it surely’s actually one thing that we’re open to, and we’ve heard from those who they worth and recognize,” he mentioned.

Miller mentioned Democrats’ maps met a minimal requirement for compactness, however they needed to stability it with the entire different standards the fee has thought of. She mentioned Republicans agreed to simply accept a competitiveness metric based mostly on ten latest statewide elections, and that the preliminary proposals would have favored Republicans in lots of extra districts than their statewide vote share in these elections.

Miller mentioned, even when a map might look geographically neater, it could nonetheless be biased towards one occasion.

“What issues on the finish of the day to the individuals of Montana for the following ten years within the Legislature?” she requested. “Are individuals going to say ‘I appreciated the form of my legislative district?’ Or are individuals going to have a look at the Legislature and ask if it really displays the desire of Montana voters?”

The 2 events’ preliminary maps additionally differed in how they dealt with tribal areas. For the final 20 years, Montana has had six majority-Native American Home districts, paired into three majority-Native Senate districts. In each Republican maps, two Home districts centered on reservations would now not share a border, in order that they couldn’t be joined right into a single Senate district.

Miller mentioned making that change would go towards the fee’s duty to protect Native voters’ voice underneath the Voting Rights Act.

“If we had been to undertake one thing that broke aside reservation communities, in order that they couldn’t have a voice within the Senate, it might be a fast ticket to courtroom,” she mentioned.

Stusek informed MTN Republicans’ maps had been supposed to offer the general public a full view of attainable redistricting choices.

“By way of this course of, we’ve got heard that folk actually have indicated a need to maintain Voting Rights Act-compliant districts, and as Republicans on the fee, we totally intend to take action,” he mentioned.

When the fee meets Nov. 28 for its first work session, they are going to have a brand new member. In October, Lamson – who beforehand served as a commissioner within the 2000 and 2010 cycles – stepped down for well being causes. He was changed as Democratic commissioner by former Montana Superintendent of Public Instruction Denise Juneau.

Smith informed MTN she’s hopeful the fee will end their work on a tentative Home district map by the top of subsequent week, however they could should have some further time to research proposals earlier than placing one out for public remark.

The general public is about to have an opportunity to weigh in on the tentative map on the State Capitol in Helena and over Zoom, throughout a listening to on Saturday, Dec. 10. Later in December, the fee will meet once more to pair Senate districts and assign present senators who will probably be “held over” through the 2024 elections to characterize

It’s also possible to proceed to submit written public touch upon the fee’s web site. They’ve a contact kind for basic responses. As well as, you possibly can view the proposed maps, click on on an interactive instrument and supply particular responses about specific areas.

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Montana

Iconic Hollywood actress reveals she now lives in ‘modest’ Montana home

Published

4 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

Iconic Hollywood actress reveals she now lives in ‘modest’ Montana home

Award-winning actress Glenn Close has traded the glitz and glam of New York City for a ‘modest’ Montana home.

The ‘Back in Action’ star, 77, shared she moved out West in 2019 to be closer to her family.

‘Today, my home is in Bozeman, Montana. All of my siblings live here. My modest, 1892 brick house has a porch where I can see the mountains and say hi to neighbors,’ Close told The Wall Street Journal.

Her three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 2,316 square-foot home is just steps from downtown.

The humble abode features several brick walls, an open floor plan, a sunny backyard, a kitchen with stainless steel appliances and an island.

Close revealed she is expanding her Bozeman real estate portfolio with a new property.

‘I’m building a larger house about a half-hour outside of town. It’s going to be my Zen farmhouse and our family sanctuary,’ she said.

‘In the back will be a stone cottage, reminding me of the best years of my childhood.’

Glenn Close’s Montana three-bedroom, three-bathroom, 2,316-square-foot home is just steps away from downtown Bozeman

The humble abode features several brick walls, an open floor plan, a sunny backyard, a kitchen with stainless steel appliances and an island

Award-winning actress Glenn Close has traded the glitz and glam of New York City for a ‘modest’ Montana home

Close left the Big Apple for Big Sky Country a full year before the coronavirus pandemic prompted thousands of Americans to reevaluate their living situations.

‘I shot a film in Canada during the winter. It was fun and lovely, but I was homesick, and I never used to get homesick,’ she told Mountain Outlaw in 2021.

‘Not only is Bozeman my home, but I couldn’t wait to get back here. When I left to go to that job, Jessie and Tina [her sisters] were there to see me off at the airport. It was so great. I’ve come to realize how much I dread going away.’

The Hollywood legend wanted to reconnect with her roots and get in touch with nature.

‘When I was little, I got solace in nature, and that has never changed,’ Close said. ‘I always tried to create that same potential for my family, especially now to come back here and be with my siblings and have a piece of land outside of town that will always be here for my daughter and her children.

‘That’s my legacy. I just feel incredibly lucky. I do think these will be the best years of my life.’

Close stars in the newly released Netflix film ‘Back in Action,’ alongside Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx.

The actress is set to star in Kim Kardashian and Ryan Murphy’s upcoming Hulu series All’s Fair.

Close left the Big Apple for Big Sky Country a full year before the coronavirus pandemic

She is part of a star-studded cast that includes Kim, Naomi Watts, Niecy Nash, Teyana Taylor and Sarah Paulson,

The show will follow Kim, playing a powerful Los Angeles-based attorney who runs a successful women-led law firm.

Last week, Close got candid about her love life and explained why she has refused to pursue a relationship in nearly a decade during an appearance on The Drew Barrymore Show.

When Drew asked the actress if she had entertained another relationship since her September 2015 split from the biotech engineer, Glenn bluntly replied ‘no.’

‘I don’t know. I mean, I’m always up for anything, but I’m very happy right now,’ the three-time Golden Globe Award winner added.

‘I’m not searching. Because I’m actually — I’m not a hugely comfortably social person, so I don’t leap to go to a party at all. So yeah, I’m okay.’

Close said she is embracing a life focused on personal fulfillment and professional success.

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Montana

'Back in Action' star Glenn Close enjoying 'modest' life in Montana, hasn't looked back

Published

11 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

'Back in Action' star Glenn Close enjoying 'modest' life in Montana, hasn't looked back

“Back in Action” star Glenn Close is enjoying life in Bozeman, Montana.

During an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Close explained that since moving to Montana in 2019, she has adapted to the lifestyle.

“Today, my home is in Bozeman, Mont. All of my siblings live here. My modest, 1892 brick house has a porch where I can see the mountains and say hi to neighbors,” she told the outlet.

GLENN CLOSE CONFESSES BIGGEST REGRET ABOUT ON-SCREEN KISS WITH ROBERT REDFORD

Glenn Close left New York City for Montana in 2019. (Getty Images)

After several years in Big Sky Country, Close is looking to expand her property portfolio.

“I’m building a larger house about a half-hour outside of town,” she said.

“Today, my home is in Bozeman, Mont. All of my siblings live here. My modest, 1892 brick house has a porch where I can see the mountains and say hi to neighbors.”
— Glenn Close

“It’s going to be my Zen farmhouse and our family sanctuary. In back will be a stone cottage, reminding me of the best years of my childhood.”

In 2021, Close spoke to Mountain Outlaw about leaving New York City for Montana a year before the world paused because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“I shot a film in Canada during the winter. It was fun and lovely, but I was homesick, and I never used to get homesick.

Glenn Close is in the process of building her family’s “sanctuary” in Montana. (Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)

CULT SURVIVORS COME TOGETHER TO REVEAL STORIES OF RESILIENCE: ‘PEOPLE CAN THRIVE AFTER THIS’

“Not only is Bozeman my home, but I couldn’t wait to get back here. When I left to go to that job, Jessie and Tina were there to see me off at the airport. It was so great. I’ve come to realize how much I dread going away,” Close told the outlet at the time.

Close’s sister, Jessie, lives in the home next-door, and her sister, Tina, lives in a property nearby. Close’s two brothers, Alexander and Tambu Misoki, also live in Montana.

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“When I was little, I got solace in nature, and that has never changed,” Close said. “I always tried to create that same potential for my family, especially now to come back here and be with my siblings and have a piece of land outside of town that will always be here for my daughter and her children.”

“That’s my legacy,” she added.

At the time, Close explained that her years living in Montana have been the “best” years of her life.

“You can wake up at four in the morning and think you’ve made every wrong decision in your life, and then you stay awake until dawn, which is an incredibly deadly place to be,” the award-winning actress said. “I just feel incredibly lucky. I do think these will be the best years of my life.”

Close calls the last six years living in Montana the “best” years of her life. (Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)

Close’s life has not always been so peaceful. The “Hillbilly Elegy” star was infamously known to be a member of the Moral Re-Armament cult.

GLENN CLOSE SAYS CULT UPBRINGING LEFT HER PSYCHOLOGICALLY TRAUMATIZED

During Close’s interview with WSJ, she explained that her “world changed” when she was seven, and her family joined the cult. It wasn’t until 1970, when Close was 22, that she broke away from the cult.

Moral Re-Armament, also known as MRA, was a religious movement that began in the 1920s when a man named Frank Buchman began evangelizing and became successful with it. Some of the beliefs he touted were the importance of surrendering oneself to a higher power and the practice of solitary silence. Over the years, he attracted thousands of followers from a number of countries.

Glenn Close was a member of the Moral Re-Armament cult from seven to 22. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello, Pool)

When World War II loomed over the planet, Buchman made the decision to name the group Moral Re-Armament, explaining that he planned to use spirituality to unite the world and bring peace. The group’s critics scoffed at his simplistic vision, but others became enamored with it. One of those people was Glenn Close’s father.

After he joined the group, he left to work in Africa, while Close and her siblings were placed in Switzerland at the MRA headquarters. In a 2014 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the actress detailed the strict rules and manipulation that took place behind the scenes.

“You basically weren’t allowed to do anything, or you were made to feel guilty about any unnatural desire,” she explained. “If you talk to anybody who was in a group that basically dictates how you’re supposed to live and what you’re supposed to say and how you’re supposed to feel, from the time you’re seven till the time you’re 22, it has a profound impact on you. It’s something you have to [consciously overcome] because all of your trigger points are.”

Frank Buckman discusses Moral Re-Armament with legendary actress Mae West in 1939. (Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone)

In a 2021 interview with Prince Harry and Oprah Winfrey, she elaborated, saying, “It was really awful. We were so broken up. It’s astounding that something you went through at such an early stage in your life still has such a potential to be destructive. I think that’s childhood trauma.

“Everybody spouted the same things, and there was a lot of rules — a lot of control. Because of how we were raised, anything that you thought you would do for yourself was considered selfish,” she explained.

In 1970, when Close was 22, she left the group but still struggled.

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“I would have dreams, because I didn’t go to any psychiatrist or anything,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “I had these dreams, and they started with betrayal, a sense of betrayal, and then they developed into me being able to look at these people and say, ‘You’re wrong. You’re wrong.’ And then the final incarnation of those dreams was my being able to calmly get up and walk away. And then I didn’t have them anymore.”

Close continues to act. Her latest project, “Back in Action,” includes Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz and Kyle Chandler. The Netflix film debuts on the platform on Jan. 17.

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Fox News Digital’s Emily Trainham contributed to this report.

Janelle Ash is an entertainment writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to janelle.ash@fox.com.

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Montana

Montana Lottery Lucky For Life, Big Sky Bonus results for Jan. 19, 2025

Published

19 hours ago

January 20, 2025

Press Room

The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 19, 2025, results for each game:

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 19 drawing

08-24-35-43-46, Lucky Ball: 04

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Jan. 19 drawing

06-07-10-12, Bonus: 08

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.

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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