State prosecutors say Sen. Jason Ellsworth abused his power when he awarded a no-bid state contract to a longtime friend and colleague.

A Helena judge has blocked a program that allowed parents of students with disabilities to spend state funds on private education expenses. The judge found the program was being funded illegally, because lawmakers hadn’t followed proper procedure.

The state Board of Housing Wednesday announced nearly $40 million in federal tax benefits to build or rehabilitate affordable homes; The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission will hold its biannual season-setting meeting for big game species from elk to bison to mountain lions on December 4; Billings has a new representative in the state Legislature.

Most Montana homeowners this year are paying less in taxes than last year, according to the state. That’s due to phase one of a new property tax system.

Stafman served in the Legislature for three terms, representing the Bozeman area since 2020. Prior to his resignation, he sat on the Law and Justice Interim Committee.

A new legislative committee met Monday to start digging into questions about free speech on college campuses.

Water service is now fully restored at the Montana State Prison, but much work remains to bring the facility up to date. A new legislative committee charged with investigating allegations of censorship and civil rights violations on Montana college campuses will meet Monday; The first pre-release center in northwest Montana opened this week; Public comment period on proposed hunting regulations opens.

Lawmakers are studying whether ambulance services should be taxpayer funded. Emergency medical services agencies told legislators that without funding support, many ambulance services won’t survive.

A Missoula judge has ordered the state to pay about $95,000 in attorneys’ fees in a case over a state law defining male and female.

With the legislative session over, lawmakers are beginning to look at how to solve some of the state’s biggest issues. They'll study competitive bidding for government contracts, and which branch of government should estimate the cost of a proposed law, among other issues.