Montana

The biggest public secret in Montana is one that has no easy answer • Daily Montanan

Published

4 months ago

October 3, 2024

The biggest public secret in Montana is one that has no easy answer • Daily Montanan

I’ll let you in on a little media secret: One of the most asked questions we get is exactly the one we can’t answer.

Here’s the question we get a lot, and we’re not alone in our inability to get answers: How much does the state of Montana spend on attorneys defending itself in court?

I get the question. The number of jobs the state has single-handedly created for attorneys should help boost the state’s monthly jobs and unemployment rate statistics. For four years of Republican control in almost all aspects of government, no bad idea has been denied the opportunity of legislation.

A lot of nonsense flew through the Legislature to the open arms of Gov. Greg Gianforte, who seemed only too happy to add his signature for the sake of furthering the alleged Republican mandate. For example, the Montana Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed its decision to keep abortion legal through the 1999 case Armstrong vs. State of Montana, which hasn’t seemed to dampen the Republican enthusiasm to pass bills to restrict the practice, and thereby re-test the resolve of the courts. That has literally cost the taxpayers of Montana millions by re-litigating that which was already well established.

The logic, if you’ll excuse the abuse of that word, is that even the lawmakers know much of what they’re passing runs contrary to case law and the Constitution. That doesn’t matter. Their own legal staff have expressed concerns through legal notes. That doesn’t matter either.

These are show-bills that demonstrate how committed Republicans are to their own policies and satisfying a riled-up base. What happens after that truly becomes a matter for the courts and the state’s treasury.

The danger and fallacy of a supermajority is the belief that just because Montanans have generally supported Republicans, they support every single position that Republicans coalesce around. There are notable exceptions, for example, support for public lands even though the GOP has tried to curtail our natural resources and access. And, of course, Montanans seemed repeatedly enthusiastic about marijuana, leading to a tug-of-war where the people won the right to weed and the state’s coffers filled with a different type of green, despite the GOP’s attempts at paternalism.

But the challenge with all these challenges is that the taxpaying Montana public is supporting a cottage industry centering on state litigation, but no one — and I mean no one — can say what that means for certain. In other words, how much is bad legislation costing us?

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen can hold onto his cowboy hat at this point: As much as he continues to add his name to any lawsuit that would seem to antagonize the Biden administration throughout the country, he’s got plenty of work here at home. And he doesn’t necessarily have a choice.

The Attorney General, by definition, is forced to defend the state, and by extension, the lawmakers who author and support some of these legally dubious bills, as well as the poor bureaucrats who are tasked with implementing them.

There have been so many lawsuits, it’s hard to track them all. Two years ago, after the contentious 2021 Legislature, we were tracking more than 40 lawsuits dealing with the state, the Gianforte administration and the courts.

One may think the exercise should be as easy as looking toward the state’s budget for the Montana Department of Justice and finding the literal bottom line. But that ignores how most people think the Montana Attorney General’s Office works and how it actually works in practice.

We get asked: How many lawsuits is the state fighting? How much has Montana spent on outside counsel? How much have these struck-down bills cost us?

We don’t know. We have asked repeatedly, and by “we,” I mean multiple members of the media.

The problem is one of budgets and categories. When asking the Legislative Auditor about it, they said the answer is not clear, and that Austin Amestoy of Montana Public Radio wrote a story about it a couple of years ago where the best he could do was estimate.

I have been and continue to be critical of the way Knudsen handles the Attorney General’s Office, but this time, he probably has a point.

Lawsuits come to his office in a variety of ways — from direct challenges to other officials getting sued in their official capacity, which then obligates the state’s legion of attorneys, housed under the Attorney General, to defend them. Which department specifically pays the bills depends on how the lawsuit is filed.

The other complicating factor, of course, is that sometimes the costs are borne by in-house counsel — that is, attorneys who work for Knudsen. Some other times, the counsel comes from the private sector.

And as anyone who has ever covered a lawsuit knows, the courts have their own pace, which can grind along for years, but the attorneys submit bills every month. Those attorney billing cycles may not overlap with budget years neatly. Now, compound that by dozens of cases and getting any sort of answer about how much we’re spending becomes nearly impossible.

So, this isn’t the case of government officials trying to “hide the ball” so as not to cause sticker-shock at the amount of taxpayer money we’re spending on attorneys.

Yet maybe the “how much” question, though, isn’t quite as important as the question: Why have we seen such a dramatic rise in challenged legislation? Or, what do Montanans have to show for all this legislation besides mounting legal costs?

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Montana

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

Published

5 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

12 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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Bobcats Drop Weber State, Logie Notches 300th Career Win – Montana State University Athletics

Published

20 hours ago

January 19, 2025

Press Room

Bobcats Drop Weber State, Logie Notches 300th Career Win – Montana State University Athletics

OGDEN, Utah – Desperately needing a win, Montana State men’s basketball went on the road and earned one in one of the toughest places to play in the Big Sky Conference, defeating Weber State 70-61 at the Dee Events Center in Ogden, Utah, on Saturday night.

Montana State (7-12, 2-4) had won just ten times in 66 previous trips to see the Wildcats dating back to 1964, but threw the history aside to secure a crucial conference victory.

The result earned head coach Matt Logie his 300th career victory.

“I’m just so happy for these kids, man,” Logie said. “They’ve been through a lot and they’ve stayed together.”

Jed Miller scored a career-high 20 points, going a perfect 12 for 12 at the free throw line and adding six rebounds, two assists, two steals, and no turnovers in 24 minutes off the bench.

“Jed’s earned this,” Logie said. “He’s the epitome of ‘Attitude.’ When he wasn’t playing and getting DNP’s, he had a great attitude, supported his teammates, and learned. He’s a very bright kid in terms of his basketball knowledge, he’s very self-aware, and he works at it. He’s so easy to root for that when the success in practice started to come, you just saw it every day. His assist-to-turnover ratio is always 3-to-1, he understands what we’re trying to accomplish, he makes people around him better, and so I’m really happy for him.”

Miller spearheaded a second-half charge for Montana State as they scored 52 points after halftime on 57.1% shooting from the floor. MSU had struggled in Big Sky play holding onto late leads, but turned it over just twice in the final twenty minutes while going 14 of 16 at the line in the second half.

A big part of that was the play of the junior point guard from Agoura Hills, California, who scored 15 in the second half alone—including a perfect ten of ten at the charity stripe to help ice the game.

“It feels amazing,” Miller told sideline reporter Meghan Robinson postgame. “It’s not just me, it’s our team—this was a great game for us, a great win that hopefully allows us to get some momentum going. When our team plays together, we’re the best offensive team and the best overall team in the conference. Our record does not show what we are capable of right now, and all of us that play for Montana State believe that.”

Miller’s 12 makes at the free throw line tie him with former teammate RaeQuan Battle for the most in a single game without a miss in Bobcat history. Battle also went 12 for 12 against Sacramento State on Jan. 28, 2023.

Entering Saturday having lost seven of their last eight—suffering five defeats by five or fewer points–Montana State changed the starting lineup for the first time this season and shifted a few rotations to try to create a spark.

“I think the best thing that came out of us tweaking the lineup and rotation was the confirmation of our team’s attitude and togetherness,” Logie said. “They really don’t care who starts. We’re trying to find how the puzzle fits the best, and I thought we saw a really good version of Pat McMahon in the second half. That was terrific and we were able to go to him down the stretch. Brandon Walker has continued to make really good decisions with the basketball. He’s growing every game. Max Agbonkpolo has been growing.”

Walker continued his strong stretch of play with 18 points and seven rebounds on 7 of 12 shooting from the floor. Agbonkpolo added 15 points and six rebounds, knocking down three triples and scoring ten in the second half alone.

McMahon also scored ten after halftime, finishing with 12 for the game.

“Despite the fact that we haven’t had results lately, we’ve seen the growth,” Logie said. “The results have been frustrating for sure, but this was a step that we thought could maybe give us a spark. I thought everyone stepped up and made good plays today.”

A physical first half ended with Weber State clinging to a 29-28 lead thanks to a late bucket on the final possession of the frame.

Out of the break, the Bobcat offense found its’ rhythm with a lethal combination of paint touches and efficient outside shooting.

Montana State outscored Weber State 32-22 in the paint, and finished 10 of 22 from beyond the arc for the game.

Just under ten minutes into the second half, the ‘Cats trailed 51-49 before rattling off a 10-0 run to take a 59-51 lead on a McMahon turnaround jumper with 6:33 to play.

MSU then stretched it to a 66-55 advantage on a Miller steal-and-score with 3:59 to go, and never let the margin get closer than seven the rest of the way.

UP NEXT

Montana State will play their third game in five days on Monday, returning to Bozeman to square off with Eastern Washington at Worthington Arena.

The Bobcats will be looking for revenge after falling 68-63 to the Eagles two weeks ago in Cheney on Jan. 4 during the opening weekend of Big Sky play.

Tip is set for 7 p.m.

The game will be streamed on ESPN+, with live radio play-by-play carried on the Bobcat Sports Network.

#GoCatsGo

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