Theresa Manzella

Legislators have voted forward bills on property tax relief, Medicaid expansion, judicial oversight and more.

In legislative races between hard-right GOP candidates and more moderate conservatives, each faction picked up wins and losses.

Montana Republican lawmakers say parents should have more control over their children’s experience in public schools. One of their proposals passed and one failed, approaching Friday’s deadline for general policy to advance.

Republican Congressman Matt Rosendale spoke at a kickoff event in the state Capitol introducing Montana’s newly formed Freedom Caucus. Rosendale reached out to Montana lawmakers last year to help found this local group modeled after the hard-line conservative U.S. House Freedom Caucus.

Montana lawmakers take their oaths of office and begin their work in the state Capitol. Host Nadya Faulx and reporters Shaylee Ragar, Ellis Juhlin, and Arren Kimbel-Sannit discuss a rules debate that's dividing the GOP, how moderate Republicans are working with Democrats, a new Montana Freedom Caucus, and the beginnings of the state budget.

Hard-line Montana House and Senate conservatives have formed a new caucus in the Legislature modeled after the U.S. House Freedom Caucus. Montana’s Freedom Caucus was created through collaboration with state legislators and Rep. Matt Rosendale, who is a member of the similarly named national group.

The group of 10 lawmakers are asking for a joint committee to investigate the state’s election security, saying there’s “widespread belief” among Montanans that irregularities have sown doubt in its election integrity.

It’s not surprising for Montanans to have plenty of political disagreements. What’s more uncommon? Neighbors whispering about each other at grocery stores and disrupting entire public meetings with passionate tirades. Welcome to the era of COVID-19, when debates about public health, personal liberties and science have reached a fever pitch. Those disagreements are tugging at tightly-knit towns and counties, making some residents wonder how their communities will survive in more ways than one.

Officials of St. Peter's Health in Helena said three public officials threatened doctors after they refused to treat a COVID-19 patient with ivermectin, a drug to treat parasites that is not federally approved to treat the respiratory disease,

As of mid-day Friday, 1,282 bills had been introduced and at least 153 had been signed into law. This week we’re watching the ideological split within the…