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Price of persuasion: Groups spent more than $9 million influencing Montana legislators, with mixed results

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Price of persuasion: Groups spent more than  million influencing Montana legislators, with mixed results


Ron Marshall knew that he was beat. The vape shop owner-turned-state lawmaker had been in plenty of political scrapes over nicotine products during his tenure at the Montana Legislature, but this time was different. 

As chair of the House Human Services Committee in the 2025 session, he’d heard from both Big Nicotine and what the Republican from Hamilton categorically refers to as the “organ lobby” — the heart and lung associations — pushing hard against products that are harmful to users’ health.

But Marshall wasn’t ready for the tidal wave of spending by tobacco companies advocating for House Bill 525, legislation that winnowed the list of vape products sold in Montana, in what was one of the more high-dollar lobbying efforts of that legislative session.

All told, 474 groups spent more than $9.3 million to influence lawmakers as they decided the fates of hundreds of pieces of legislation during the first four months of the year. The data comes from principal spending reports filed with the Montana Commissioner of Political Practices. Total spending was similar for the 2023 legislative session.

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Combined, tobacco companies spent $219,151. Spending by Altria, the largest tobacco company in the United States with Philip Morris brands like Marlboro in its portfolio, had more than doubled since the 2023 session. 

“They have this PMTA list of approved products, 26 approved,” said Marshall in a recent interview with Montana Free Press. PMTA is shorthand for Premarket Tobacco Product Application. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s PMTA list consists of new nicotine products that can be sold while the government weighs permanent approval. Big Nicotine is very effective at muscling its products onto the list, Marshall said.

Not quite halfway through the 2025 legislative session, Marshall quit, insisting that his adversaries’ lobbying reach was too great. HB 525, which died in process after Marshall resigned, would have put refillable vapes in the loss column by clearing shelves to make space for Big Nicotine’s PMTA-approved products.

Nicotine, labor issues and the politicization of judicial races and elections were top spending issues for principals attempting to influence the Montana Legislature. The top spenders from 2025 are a mix of in-state stakeholders and nonprofit issue advocacy groups tied to Republican influencers. Occasionally, these groups clashed over the same policy matters. 

The Montana Federation of Public Employees, the state’s largest union of public employees, was the top spender of the session with $179,079 in total expenditures. 

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The number of bills MFPE lobbied numbered 262. Their success rate — when a bill’s fate matched the organization’s support or opposition — was about 65%, according to state lobbying reports and the Montana Free Press Capitol Tracker. For perspective, the Montana Chamber of Commerce, which spent $122,000 lobbying on 164 bills including everything from Medicaid expansion (which it supported) to the version of residential and small business property tax relief that lawmakers passed (which it opposed) had a 75% success rate. 

MFPE President Amanda Curtis said in an early July email that union members write and vote to select subjects to lobby, or as Curtis calls it a “member-driven and member-approved” process. The list ranged from support for Medicaid expansion and public lands to increasing pay for public school teachers and opposition to partisan judicial elections.

The Service Employees International Union 775 was third in total spending at $138,045. The bills lobbied by SEIU went the way of its position about half the time.

Sandwiched between the two unions at No. 2 was Montana Citizens for Right to Work, which reported total spending of $139,541, while listing work on just one bill, Senate Bill 376, which would have ended requirements that employees pay union dues as a term of employment in organized businesses.

The right-to-work bill was voted down twice in the same day in February, first in committee and second on the Senate floor, where sponsor Sen. Mark Noland, R-Bigfork, couldn’t persuade 26 lawmakers to blast the bill out of committee for a vote.

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Before the bill was heard in the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee, union advocates lined the path from the Capitol’s second-floor rotunda to where the committee was meeting one floor above.

Noland recognized the union backers’ strength in numbers, granting them the majority of the time during the SB 376 hearing. More than 200 people signed up to speak against the bill. The only supporters of the bill were two right-to-work organization reps.

“We’re going to give you a little more time, because there’s more of you. And you know, I’m all about fairness,” Noland said at the hearing’s start. Spending reports for Western States Right to Work, lobbying as Montana Citizens for Right to Work, show they spent more than $100,000 on printing and postage, on-brand for an organization whose national parent, National Right to Work, is known for mail campaigns to pressure lawmakers and voters, including a secretive campaign in Montana’s 2010 Republican primaries.

A voicemail placed to Montana Citizens for Right to Work President Randy Pope wasn’t returned before the publication of this story.

Other single-issue big spenders include Americans for Citizen Voting, a Missouri-based group that’s proposed amending several state constitutions to say that only citizens vote in local elections. Voting is already restricted to citizens in state and federal elections.

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ACV was once a nonprofit but the IRS revoked that tax status in 2022, citing several years of not reporting their finances. When it was a nonprofit, the group was funded by Liberty Initiative Fund, which in turn received money from Restoration of America, an organization that has funded the use of discredited techniques for finding voter fraud, according to a 2022 report by ProPublica. Richard Uihlein, a large Republican donor and shipping supplies magnate, is the primary contributor to Restoration’s efforts.    

ACV Director Jack Tomczak traveled to Montana twice to testify for Senate Bill 185, the citizen vote bill sponsored by Sen. Theresa Manzella, R-Hamilton. ACV’s total spending was $111,881. The bill died in the House. Afterward, ACV ran attack ads against Billings Republican Sherry Essmann for voting against the bill. 

Essmann told Montana Free Press in June that Montana already limits voting to citizens, which is why she voted against it. 

A slate of bills to weaken the political firewall between Montana courts, the Legislature and the executive branch drew top spenders. Combined, the American Civil Liberties Union and ACLU of Montana spent nearly $250,0000. The two groups opposed a bill to make Montana judicial races partisan, while also opposing bills that they said violate constitutional rights like freedom of religion. Likewise, the Montana State Bar and Montana Trial Lawyers spent a combined $103,000 opposing bills to change the judiciary. 

Seven of 27 bills to change the judicial system passed. Registered principals supporting the bills were few in number, but Senate Bill 42, which called for partisan judicial races, did draw support from Montana Family Foundation, a Christian policy and advocacy group that mostly steered clear of bills challenging the judiciary. MFF reported spending $78,000 lobbying the Legislature in 2025.

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Montana Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life results for Jan. 10, 2026

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The Montana Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 10, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

05-19-21-28-64, Powerball: 14, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

17-24-36-38-43, Lucky Ball: 17

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Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

06-15-20-22-25, Star Ball: 10, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Big Sky Bonus numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

03-07-20-23, Bonus: 13

Check Big Sky Bonus payouts and previous drawings here.

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Winning Powerball Double Play numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

10-19-39-47-67, Powerball: 18

Check Powerball Double Play payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Montana Cash numbers from Jan. 10 drawing

06-12-17-18-25

Check Montana Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

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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 York, Ohio, Oregon, Puerto Rico, 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.

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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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Service door of Crans-Montana bar where 40 died in fire was locked from inside, owner says

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Service door of Crans-Montana bar where 40 died in fire was locked from inside, owner says


The French owner of the Swiss bar where 40 people died in a fire during new year celebrations has told investigators a service door had been locked from the inside.

Jacques Moretti, co-owner of the Constellation bar in the Swiss resort of Crans-Montana, was taken into custody on Friday, as prosecutors investigated the tragedy.

Most of the 40 people who died were teenagers, and another 116 people were injured.

Moretti told the Valais public prosecutor’s office that he had found out about the locked door just after the deadly fire.

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When he arrived at the scene, he forced open the door, according to excerpts from police reports published by several French and Swiss media outlets confirmed to AFP by a source close to the case.

Moretti said he had found several people lying behind the door after opening it.

Initial findings suggest the fire was caused by sparklers coming into contact with soundproofing foam installed on the ceiling of the establishment’s basement.

Questions are also being raised regarding the presence and accessibility of fire extinguishers, and whether the bar’s exits were in compliance with regulations.

No safety inspections at site of Swiss bar fire for past five years, mayor says

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“We always add a sparkler candle when we serve a bottle of wine in the dining room,” said his wife and co-owner, Jessica, who was released after Friday’s hearing.

Moretti told investigators he had carried out tests and the candles were not powerful enough to ignite the acoustic foam.

He said he bought the foam in a DIY store and installed it himself during renovations carried out after buying the establishment in 2015.

Regarding the presence of numerous underage kids in the bar at the time of the tragedy, Moretti said the establishment prohibited anyone under the age of 16 and that customers aged 16 to 18 had to be accompanied by an adult.

He said he had given these “instructions” to the security staff, but acknowledged that “it is possible that there was a lapse in protocol”.

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The couple is suspected of “negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm, and negligent arson”.



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‘It was apocalyptic’, woman tells Crans-Montana memorial service, as bar owner detained

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‘It was apocalyptic’, woman tells Crans-Montana memorial service, as bar owner detained


‘In this shared grief we stand united’: Day of mourning for New Year’s Eve fire victims in Switzerland

Tragedy brought people together in Crans-Montana and brought the country to a standstill.

On Friday, just down the road from the bar where 40 young people were killed by fire on New Year’s Eve, church bells rang in their memory.

They tolled right across Switzerland, to mark a national day of mourning.

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Then, moments after the last notes of a special memorial service had faded, came the news that one of the bar’s owners had been detained.

Swiss prosecutors said Jacques Moretti, a French national, was a potential flight risk. He and his wife Jessica, who is also French, are suspected of manslaughter by negligence, bodily harm by negligence and arson by negligence.

Many of the victims’ families had demanded action like this from the start: more than a week after the fire, the anger in this community has been increasing.

At the main ceremony in Martigny, down in the valley, relatives of the dead were joined by survivors. Some had come from hospital for the memorial. People held white roses in their laps and gripped each other’s hands for support.

“The images we faced were unbearable. A scene worse than a nightmare. Screams ringing out in the icy cold, the smell of burning. It was apocalyptic,” a young woman called Marie told the audience.

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She had been in a bar opposite Le Constellation when the fire broke out and suddenly found herself helping the injured as they ran from the flames.

She said she would never forget what she’d seen.

Listening in the front row were the presidents of France and Italy, whose citizens were among those killed and injured in the fire. Both countries have opened their own investigations.

Back in Rome, Italy’s prime minister vowed to make sure all those responsible were identified.

“This was no accident. It was the result of too many people who did not do their jobs,” Giorgia Meloni said.

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She wants to know why the music wasn’t cut as soon as the fire started.

“Why did no-one tell the young people to get out? Why did the council not make the proper checks? There are too many whys.”

In Crans-Montana people have the same questions and many more.

For now, the only two formal suspects are the co-owners of Le Constellation, Jacques and Jessica Moretti. Early on Friday, the pair were called in by prosecutors. They are being investigated for causing death and injury through negligence but have not been charged.

Now Jacques Moretti has been remanded in custody. In a statement, the public ministry said the move followed a “new assessment of the flight risk.”

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“I constantly think of the victims and of the people who are struggling,” his wife told a crush of TV cameras after several hours of questioning at the ministry.

It was her first public comment since the fire.

“It is an unimaginable tragedy. It happened in our establishment, and I would like to apologise.”

Nine days on, Le Constellation is still obscured from view behind white plastic sheets. A lone policeman stands guard, his face covered against the relentless snow.

What unfolded inside the building’s basement has gradually become clearer – and it’s the story of a disaster that should never have happened.

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Mobile phone footage shows a sparkler tied to a champagne bottle apparently starting the fire as it brushes the ceiling. Covered with soundproofing foam that was never safety tested, it ignites quickly.

When the crowd eventually rush for the exit in panic, there is a crush on the stairs. It seems the emergency doors were blocked.

But another video, from six years ago, suggests the risk was well known. On the footage, a waiter can be heard warning that the material on the ceiling is flammable.

“Be careful with the foam,” the voice shouts, as people wave the same sparklers.

But the questions here are not just for the owners.

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This week the local authorities in Crans made the shocking admission that they hadn’t carried out mandatory safety checks of the bar for five years.

They offered no explanation.

“It was a hell inside that bar. More than 1,000 degrees of temperature. There was no way to escape,” Italy’s ambassador to Switzerland, Gian Lorenzo Cornado, told the BBC, citing a long list of safety violations.

Six Italians were killed as a result.

“Italy wants justice, the Italian government wants justice and the Italian people want justice, for sure. The families want justice,” the ambassador stressed.

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That includes for those with life-changing injuries.

The regional hospital in Sion took the first major influx of patients. The stress was compounded by the fact that many doctors’ own children were partying in Crans for the New Year.

“They were all scared the next stretcher to arrive would be carrying their own child,” hospital director Eric Bonvin remembers.

But he’s proud of how his team coped.

Some casualties were unconscious and so badly burned, it took time to identify them.

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The most serious cases were moved to specialist burns centres elsewhere in Switzerland and in Europe where some are still in a critical condition.

All face a long, tough path to recovery which the doctor likens to a “rebirth” because many of his young patients have severe burns to the face.

“First the body needs to be protected, like the foetus in a mother’s womb. That’s what’s happening for many now. Then they will have to re-enter the world and find their identity,” Professor Bonvin says.

“It will take a lot of work and resilience.”

Add to that the anguish of surviving.

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“They came round and at first they felt lucky to be alive. But some now feel this guilt, wondering why they are here, but not their friend or brother,” Bonvin explains.

“It is a delicate moment.”

In central Crans, the heap of tributes for the dead is still growing, protected from the elements by a canvas.

After leaving their own fresh flowers on Friday, many people then stood in front of the ruins of the bar itself for a moment. Remembering, in silence.



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