Montana
New Montana law requires government boards to record public meetings
A new law went into effect on July 1, requiring government boards to record public meetings by video or audio.
The goal is to encourage public participation and provide greater transparency.
House Bill 890 drew some opposition at the state legislature last year, but it looks like boards around Montana have found reasonably priced equipment and are ready to post those meetings online.
Some boards such as the Yellowstone County Commission have already been posting recordings of regular meetings and discussions.
“It’s a right for everybody to be able to see what happened,” said Commissioner Don Jones, R- Yellowstone County. “And you know what we were talking about and our thought process.”
Jones supports the idea of HB 890 which states in its title that it provides for increased transparency and accountability.
“Our constitution has made it very clear that the Sunshine Laws need to be there to let the public have that opportunity, see what we’re doing,” Jones said.
The Montana Association of Counties (MACO) wanted the requirement to be optional.
“We want to follow the law,” said Commissioner Ross Butcher, Fergus County. “We want to do it appropriately. But when it’s ambiguous, that’s difficult.
Butcher is the MACO president and says it’s not clear what constitutes a meeting.
As chair in Fergus County, he says commissioners have figured out what meetings to record.
“I do think it’s easy enough to just look at it and say, listen, any meeting that you’re going to agenda-dize and follow the steps of an open meeting, then you probably should record it,” Butcher said.
The law applies to the Board of Investments, the public employees retirement board, teachers retirement board, the board of Regents, county commissions, city councils, school boards and county boards of health.
“Concern about the level of distrust and the lack of civility in our public discourse, first off,” said Rep. Brad Barker, R-Carbon County. “Second thing is it supports Montana’s constitutional right to know. And the third is we have the technological means.”
The Canyon Creek school board and the County Water Board of Billings Heights board are among those ready to record meetings.
“I don’t think any of us have a problem with transparency,” Butcher said. “I think it’s a good thing.”
“It should be beneficial if people want to get engaged and I encourage everybody to get engaged in their local government,” Jones said.
Montana
Half a million absentee ballots sent to Montana voters for primary election • Daily Montanan
Ballots for Montana’s June 2 primary began to hit voters’ mailboxes this weekend.
According to the Secretary of State’s website, 509,399 absentee ballots were mailed to voters. As of Monday morning, 358 voters had already returned their ballots.
“Montana’s 2026 Primary Election is well underway, and the Montana Election Team is honored to serve our voters,” Secretary of state Christi Jacobsen said in a press release. “As a reminder, Montanans can view their sample ballot, track their absentee ballot, confirm their voter registration information, and much more at VoteMT.gov.”
Voted ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Tuesday, June 2nd.
The Montana Election Team reminds absentee voters to sign, date, and add their birth year when returning their absentee ballot. County election officials provide instructions in the ballot packet, and more information is also available online at https://votemt.gov/absentee-ballot/.
The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big.
Here’s a look at May 10, 2026, results for each game:
Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from May 10 drawing
06-22-28-31, Bonus: 08
Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.
Winning Millionaire for Life numbers from May 10 drawing
01-03-20-35-46, 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.
The Socorro Independent School District honored and celebrated its top two educators at the 2026 Teacher of the Year Gala on Friday, May 8 at the El Paso Convention Center.
Cristina Garcia, a fifth-grade teacher at Mission Ridge Elementary School, was recognized as the 2026 SISD Elementary Teacher of the Year. Javier Esparza, an audio and video broadcast teacher at Socorro High School, was named the 2026 SISD Secondary Teacher of the Year.
https://www.ktsm.com/news/socorro-isd-honors-top-2-teachers-at-gala-celebration/
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