Eric Dietrich

The Montana PSC criticized the analytical model NorthWestern used to justify its proposed strategy for the coming years, saying the company gave short shrift to renewable energy sources and failed to provide thorough study of key options.

Despite an unemployment spike and an overall economic contraction, personal income in Montana has risen so far this year thanks to federal spending on coronavirus relief, according to a report published this week by Montana’s Legislative Fiscal Division.

With Montana’s response rate in the 2020 census lagging the national average, the state’s census promoters have an uphill climb to retool get-out-the-count efforts that have been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

With a wide array of Montana offices up for election this year, the state’s voters have consequential ballots to ponder in the June 2 primary, after which each party’s winning candidates will advance to the general election Nov. 3.

Montana’s public coffers are well-stocked to weather the coronavirus pandemic, lawmakers and the governor’s budget director said Monday. It unlikely state government will run into an immediate budget crunch as it tries to contain COVID-19 and respond to the virus’ economic impact.

In Yellowstone County, around Billings, residential taxpayers paid $711 per capita in 2018. In Gallatin County, around Bozeman, the figure was $1,094 per capita. In Missoula County it was $989.

As litigation over a proposed solar farm development heads to the Montana Supreme Court, attorneys for Montana’s utility regulation commission have offered a rebuttal to the solar developer’s claim that commissioners’ highly public skepticism about renewable energy amounts to a due-process violation.

Cory Stapleton acknowledged in a July letter that 2021 is a more realistic goal for replacing the state's voter registration system with new software, not 2020 as he had proposed for the next presidential election.

Montana Public Service Commissioner Roger Koopman this week criticized a state judge who overruled the utility regulation commission’s decision in a solar rate case last month and said statements by elected commissioners indicated the body was biased against solar development.

There’s nearly a year to go before Montana’s June 2, 2020, primary election, but as three GOP candidates for governor jockey for position, early campaign contribution filings indicate which wings of the party are supporting which candidacies.