Daily Montanan
![Lawmakers question tax breaks and benefits from Montana’s nonprofit hospitals](http://townsquare.media/site/1098/files/2020/10/Health-Care.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Lawmakers question tax breaks and benefits from Montana’s nonprofit hospitals
Montana lawmakers from both political parties expressed frustration that the largest healthcare systems in the state can claim whatever amount they want as community or charitable care with little oversight from the Internal Revenue Service or the State of Montana.
![Federal judge halts expansion of coal mine near Colstrip](http://townsquare.media/site/1098/files/2019/12/Rosebud-coal-mine-1-scaled.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Federal judge halts expansion of coal mine near Colstrip
A federal judge has halted a large coal mining project that would be used to keep the coal-fired Colstrip plant in Rosebud operational, saying the Federal Office of Surface Mining had approved the expansion without considering the impact to the environment and the Yellowstone River.
![All Montana’s U.S. House of Representatives’ candidates want your vote — one asks directly](http://townsquare.media/site/1098/files/2022/08/attachment-Tranel-6.jpg?w=980&q=75)
All Montana’s U.S. House of Representatives’ candidates want your vote — one asks directly
Last week, the three candidates running to represent Montana’s new western district in the U.S. House of Representatives debated in Butte, and Tranel, a Missoula lawyer, appealed directly to the audience, as she’s done before.
![Lawsuit says Yellowstone County commissioner used personal phone to arrange bid](http://townsquare.media/site/1098/files/2022/10/attachment-Yellowstone-County.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Lawsuit says Yellowstone County commissioner used personal phone to arrange bid
A pair of lawsuits filed by a Billings attorney asks a district court to cancel a newly signed management contract for the MetraPark, a Yellowstone County owned events facility, and alleges two of the three county commissioners colluded with the management company that ultimately received the bid.
![Zinke attacks Libertarian Lamb, Tranel points to GOP opponent’s ‘lies’](http://townsquare.media/site/1098/files/2022/10/attachment-Debate-2.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Zinke attacks Libertarian Lamb, Tranel points to GOP opponent’s ‘lies’
Friday, political analysts said they didn’t hear the candidates plow new ground in the debate, and the politicians displayed both predicted strategies and less expected ones.
![Housing Task Force assembling draft report, to be released Monday](http://townsquare.media/site/1098/files/2019/11/Housing-scaled.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Housing Task Force assembling draft report, to be released Monday
Looking at the impact of short-term rentals like AirBnb and property tax relief were among suggestions from Gov. Greg Gianforte’s Housing Task Force as members close in on the deadline for presenting recommendations.
![Yearly fraud and waste audit turns up unapproved wedding, misuse of state vehicle](http://townsquare.media/site/1098/files/2018/05/dark-money.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Yearly fraud and waste audit turns up unapproved wedding, misuse of state vehicle
Montana auditors calculated they spent more than 529 hours investigating nearly 100 complaints. The 98 reports received by the hotline mark a 75 percent increase from 56 reports in 2021.
![Eastern district candidates face off in debate in Great Falls](http://townsquare.media/site/1098/files/2022/10/attachment-Rosendale.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Eastern district candidates face off in debate in Great Falls
Rosendale split from Ronning and Buchanan on abortion, saying he was glad to see the issue was returned to states to determine in light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Dobbs vs. Jackson decision in June.
![Montana Supreme Court seeks response from ACLU in birth certificate litigation](http://townsquare.media/site/1098/files/2022/09/attachment-Supreme-Court.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Montana Supreme Court seeks response from ACLU in birth certificate litigation
Montana’s Supreme Court is giving the ACLU of Montana on behalf of plaintiffs 20 days to file a response to the state’s petition to strike down a lower court’s order that the health department needed to permit gender marker changes on birth certificates.
![Attorney General’s office discriminated in hiring, Montana human rights investigation concludes](http://townsquare.media/site/1098/files/2017/05/KnudsenAustin_042817_Meeting.jpg?w=980&q=75)
Attorney General’s office discriminated in hiring, Montana human rights investigation concludes
The Montana Human Rights Bureau found reasonable cause to believe the Attorney General’s Office engaged in unlawful discrimination during the hiring process following an investigation into the Montana Department of Justice.