Dear reader, 

Before we get to today’s newsletter, I wanted to highlight some exciting news. 

You may have noticed something a little different at the top of this email. That’s because you’re getting an exclusive subscriber-only preview of what’s to come in the days ahead. 

Montana Free Press began in 2016 as a grassroots effort to create a sustainable online home for independent, unbiased, in-depth political and statehouse reporting. Thanks to the committed support of our readers, we are growing in size, in the scope of our coverage, and in our ability to reach more and more people every day.

As a result, the MTFP team decided it was time to update our look to better reflect the organization we have become. As a part of that process, we set out to design a new logo that reflects our evolution from a scrappy one-person newsroom working out of my kitchen to a statewide distributed news enterprise with a full-time staff of six and a dedicated team of freelance reporters throughout the state.

We wanted our new logo to honor our humble roots, while also recognizing the power that a free and independent press plays in shaping Montana’s future. 

We love it, and we hope you will too.

As part of our rebranding process, we are also on the verge of launching a new state-of-the-art website that will improve the way you interact with our reporting. The new website is being built with the reader’s experience in mind, first and foremost. 

You won’t find the kinds of distractions you find on other websites on the internet. What you will find is a website that prioritizes your ability to read and engage with our reporting on whatever device best suits you. 

So keep an eye out for these exciting changes, and then let us know what you think. And if you like the direction MTFP is heading, then please help us continue to grow by spreading the word. You can start by forwarding this email to five family members, friends or co-workers. 

Also this week, we joined independent newsrooms across the country as part of #GivingTuesdayNow — a three-day national fundraising campaign for nonprofit journalism in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Thanks to support from loyal readers like you, we raised $5,300 and added 89 new donors to our membership program. We’re grateful that so many in our community clearly value the critical role local journalism plays during the COVID-19 crisis. We’ll continue to work hard for you, long after the crisis resolves. 

As always, thanks for reading. 

Sincerely, 

John Adams
Editor-in-Chief, Montana Free Press
 

The Montana Secretary of State’s Office expanded the ability of ballot groups to collect signatures during the coronavirus pandemic on Thursday with an order declaring that citizens may download petition materials, sign them, and mail them from home.

The order is the result of a request for a declaratory ruling from the secretary of state filed on April 9 by the ballot group MTCares, whose proposed I-187 Montana Renewable Energy Policy initiative would direct the state to transition to 50% renewable energy by 2027 and 80% by 2034.

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Spring Creek mine still operating on temporary permit after layoffs

When the Navajo Transitional Energy Company acquired three Powder River Basin coal mines in October, industry analysts warned the purchase was a “risky bet” with lots of downside due to projected declines in the coal industry.

About six months later, the COVID-19 pandemic has only amplified those risks. Last month, NTEC laid off 130 workers, including 73 at the Spring Creek mine — a quarter of the workforce at Montana’s largest coal mine.

“The market has declined even more quickly than expected,” said Robert Godby, an economics professor at the University of Wyoming.

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How ‘Dr. Annie’ is dividing the Flathead

Even as Montana begins a gradual easing of stay-at-home restrictions intended to curb the spread of the coronavirus, the political schism it highlighted is creating reverberations in the northwestern corner of the state.

A Flathead County health board member who led a movement to disparage the protective safety orders and downplay the virus is now the subject of two competing petitions — one to expel her from office and another to keep her.
 

9th Circuit hears appeal on protections for Yellowstone grizzlies
 

On Tuesday, May 5, the court heard video arguments in the federal and state governments’ appeal of a 2018 decision that restored Endangered Species Act protections for the bear in the three-state region.

The court has not indicated when it will issue a ruling. The ruling, when it comes, will not likely change the bear’s listing status, but could impact how the federal government moves forward with grizzly management. 

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Bullock details $123 million in COVID-19 relief

On Tuesday Gov. Steve Bullock announced a first round of COVID-19 relief programs funded by Montana’s $1.25 billion in coronavirus aid from the federal government. Between them, the nine first-round programs will provide grant opportunities to small businesses, nonprofits, social service agencies and individual Montanans who need help with housing costs.

At this point, $123 million is allocated to the first-round programs, though Bullock said the state plans to assess demand and replenish them accordingly. Applications for the assistance opened Thursday, May 7, through a state website at covidrelief.mt.gov.

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Pandemic prices could shutter Montana ranches

  

Some Montana ranchers will likely go out of business due to the economic fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Department of Livestock told state legislators last week. 

Montana cattle producers are facing enormous uncertainty after restaurant closures and COVID-19 outbreaks at meat processing plants across the country caused severe disruptions in the meat supply chain and reduced demand for cattle. Cattle prices have dropped about 30% since January.

“Potentially, we will see some attrition in the number of producers, as some producers may not be able to make it through the term” said Mike Honeycutt, executive officer of the Montana Department of Livestock, during an interim Economic Affairs Committee meeting on Thursday, April 30. 

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Unpacking the polling on Bullock vs. Daines

There are two big takeaways from a poll released this week by Montana State University: Montanans are definitely concerned about economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Republican Steve Daines looks to be very much in play now that Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock has been able to capitalize on a statewide pandemic response that has, thus far, yielded relatively favorable results.

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Court vacates 287 oil and gas leases in Montana over BLM failure to assess for groundwater and climate impacts

Last Friday, a federal judge vacated 287 oil and gas leases in Montana, ruling that the Bureau of Land Management’s 2017 and 2018 sales did not properly assess the leases’ threat to groundwater and impacts on climate change. The leases, on public land totaling 150,000 acres, were statewide, from the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument area to the Beartooth Mountains to eastern Montana. 

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Candidates for governor — minus Gianforte — address agriculture via internet

Last Saturday night’s gubernatorial debate was a hands-off affair in every sense of the phrase.

Candidates not only did not shake hands, they couldn’t see each other. Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, candidates participated in the 90-minute debate from their homes via internet. The debate was telecast by SWX stations and broadcast by the Northern News Network.

Viewers who had grown accustomed to the chaotic Democratic presidential debates of recent months saw little rancor on Saturday. The candidate who drew the most fire was the one who did not attend: U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Montana.

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