Montana

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

Published

1 month 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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'Yellowstone' fans flock to Montana to 'experience untamed America': expert

Published

5 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Press Room

'Yellowstone' fans flock to Montana to 'experience untamed America': expert

Wahlberg is a brand ambassador and investor in Cole Hauser’s coffee brand, which serves “those who serve our country.”

“Yellowstone” fans are in for a treat with the hit Western returning after a two-year hiatus. Since the show has built a strong fan base over the years, Montana has seen a surge in tourism, experts told FOX Business.

Morgan Sanders, a travel advisor for Travelmation, explained that tourism has “definitely benefited” since the show aired its first episode in 2018.

“The popularity of Yellowstone has been really special to watch. Tourism has definitely benefited from interest in the show and crowds can be quite large in peak season, which is April through early August,” Sanders said.

Kevin Costner has played John Dutton on the hit show “Yellowstone” since 2015. (Paramount Network / Fox News)

Another travel advisor for Travelmation, Jennifer Pitts, told FOX Business that clients she has worked with in the past are drawn to “experience untamed America” like the Dutton family does in the show.

SMART TECH TIPS TO MAKE SUMMER TRAVEL CHEAPER AND LESS STRESSFUL

“My clients who visit Yellowstone want to experience untamed America by hiking through the land, attending summer rodeos, soaking in hot springs, viewing wildlife in Lamar Valley, having dude ranch experiences such as horse or cattle drives, horseback riding with Instagramable backdrops, wagon rides with horse-drawn carriages, nightly campfires, or just simply breathing in the undeveloped mountain air and sipping coffee outside like John Dutton himself,” Pitts said.

From left to right, Wes Bentley, Gil Birmingham, Kelly Reilly, Kevin Costner, Cole Hauser, Kelsey Asbille and Luke Grimes appear in “Yellowstone.” (Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images / Getty Images)

“Yellowstone” follows the Dutton family through years of trying to save their family ranch in Montana. The star-studded cast includes Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser, Luke Grimes and Wes Bentley.

Pitts told FOX Business her industry has seen an increase in travel to Montana, all thanks to “Yellowstone.”

“Viewers love that they can visit the breathtaking destinations in person and not just through their TV screens.”
– Jennifer Pitts, travel advisor for Travelmation

“I have definitely seen an increase in travel to the Yellowstone area because of the hit show,” she said. “Viewers love that they can visit the breathtaking destinations in person and not just through their TV screens. I anticipate more interest in vacations to the area once the new episodes return.”

Kevin Costner speaking at a Yellowstone panel in 2018

Kevin Costner will not appear in the second half of season five of “Yellowstone.” (Photo by Richard Bord/Getty Images for Cannes Lions / Getty Images)

The final installment of season five of “Yellowstone” debuted on Paramount+ on Nov. 10. Although the series was set to conclude after season five, negotiations for a sixth season of the Paramount show are currently underway, Deadline reported.

No deals have been reached, sources told the outlet in August, but “Yellowstone” will likely continue with Hauser and Reilly as the leads. Costner is not featured in the second half of season five – and his sendoff infuriated fans.

In August, Fox News Digital reached out to Paramount about the report, but a representative for the company declined to comment.

“Yellowstone” fans have ventured to Montana for vacations. (Getty Images / Getty Images)

Pitts told FOX Business there is a variety of places to stay for interested travelers, but her favorite place to stay is “Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel near Gardiner, Montana.”

“One of my favorite places to stay is Dreamcatcher Tipi Hotel near Gardiner, Montana, which is actually as the name implies: tipis (teepees) and not a hotel at all,” she said.

“These tipis allow you the luxury of a hot shower and nighttime lights, while sleeping in a tipi much like people in the area did hundreds of years ago. This glamping-style vacation is more luxurious than it sounds. Each tipi has a plush king bed and electricity, so it’s not really considered “roughing it.” Waking up with animals grazing right outside is magical. It is about a 30-minute drive from the Lamar Valley area which is known for grazing buffalo and an abundance of wildlife,” Pitts continued.

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If fans want to stay at the actual Dutton Ranch, that is an option, according to Sanders.

Kelly Reilly will reportedly appear in season six of “Yellowstone.” (Photo by Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Paramount Network / Getty Images)

“The Dutton Ranch is a real place in Darby, Montana that fans can visit. Its real name is the Chief Joseph Ranch, and it’s a working ranch with guest cabins,” she explained.

“Visitors can stay right in Lee and Rip’s cabins and get a tour of the sets, but it’s not easy to book! Sadly, there are no reservations available for this year or next, but people can take photos near the front gates if they are respectful of the property and the show is not in production,” Sanders continued.

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“It’s a must-see for big fans of ‘Yellowstone,’” she concluded.

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Property tax pay-by-installment program aims to help Montanans financially

Published

12 hours ago

November 16, 2024

Press Room

Property tax pay-by-installment program aims to help Montanans financially

HELENA — Under Montana state law property tax payments in the Treasure State are due twice a year in May and November. However, beginning in the 2025 property tax payment period Montanans can pay their property taxes in a series of seven monthly installments rather than paying the standard twice yearly lump-sum payments.

This new program was made possible through House Bill 830, an act providing an alternative payment schedule for property taxes.

This bill passed in 2023, and you can apply now to participate in the program on 2025 property tax payments.

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) Montana state director Tim Summers says the association supported the legislation and program because it can help reduce financial stress on Montana seniors. “We supported this first and foremost because it makes aging easier, it makes it easier for older Montanans 50-plus to pay their property tax bill, if anything we can do to make the aging process easier, we’re all about that.”

Summers adds, “It is a very significant strain on seniors to be able to keep up with rising property values many seniors find themselves house rich and cash poor. The more property values increase, the harder it can be for them to keep up with those property taxes and so therefore programs like this are essential to be able to keep them in their homes, aging where they want to.”

The program also aims to make it easier for other populations to balance their property tax payments with addition other cost of living expenses.

“The new, optional payment plan will make it easier for anyone on a fixed income – including older Montanans — to better meet their property tax obligations, while managing their household budget at the same time,” said Summers in a news release on the AARP States Montana webpage.

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US Attorney announces dismantling of meth-trafficking ring based on Crow Reservation • Daily Montanan

Published

21 hours ago

November 15, 2024

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US Attorney announces dismantling of meth-trafficking ring based on Crow Reservation • Daily Montanan

Twenty-seven people were convicted as part of a broad meth and fentanyl-trafficking ring based on the Crow Indian Reservation but tied to three other reservations in Montana, as well as Washington state and Mexico, Montana’s U.S. Attorney announced Thursday.

U.S. Attorney for the District of Montana Jesse Laslovich said the operation to target the drug-trafficking ring Spear Siding was one of the largest drug trafficking investigations in Montana in recent years. It started in June 2022 and ended in a raid in April 2023. Laslovich announced the convictions at a news conference in Billings on Thursday.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and federal court documents, two homes on the Crow Reservation, one of them called Spear Siding, where some of the top dealers lived, were the center of the trafficking ring and dealt meth on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations in southeastern Montana.

But the ring also expanded to Rocky Boy’s and the Fort Belknap reservations and into Billings and Havre. The conspirators would trade drugs for pounds of meth and guns at the Spear Siding property, and sent proceeds from the drug sales to Washington, California, and Mexico, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

“The Spear Siding trafficking organization moved onto the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Reservations to exploit and prey on persons addicted to meth and fentanyl, all due to greed. While meth and fentanyl distribution impacts all of Montana, these drugs continue to disproportionately devastate Indian Country,” Laslovich said in a statement. “As this Spear Siding investigation shows, Montana’s Indian reservations are not a safe haven for out-of-state traffickers who think they can move in, set up shop, and enlist local residents to peddle drugs.”

Twenty-seven people pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, firearms crimes, or both, his office said. Two alleged co-conspirators are still on the run, including one of the top-level people behind the operation.

Wendell Lefthand and his sister Frederica Lefthand, who both lived at the Spear Siding home, each had a hand in running the operation. Wendell Lefthand initially was running the operation along with one of the now-fugitives, whom he met through a meth distributor in Washington. That unnamed co-conspirator moved to the Spear Siding home, after which “business started booming,” according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Wendell Lefthand was arrested in June 2022 on a different charge, and his sister took over the Montana operation, dealing “pounds and pounds and pounds” of meth, according to court documents.

She and the co-conspirator allegedly built an operation that sent hundreds of pounds of meth to the Crow and Northern Cheyenne reservations to be distributed to lower-level dealers.

The Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted and assisted with the investigation.

“Cartel members preyed on an already vulnerable population, further fueling the drug crisis on Montana’s Indian Reservations, and employing members of the community to peddle poison to their own people,” Salt Lake City FBI Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha said in a statement. “Too many lives have been lost to illicit drugs. Too many families have suffered. The FBI and our partners will not stop pursuing criminals harming our communities.”

The 27 people convicted received the following sentences, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office: