Ups and Downs: Great choice for U.S. attorney, Northeast drought danger, State revenue falling short.
Recommended by Sen. Steve Daines and endorsed by Sen. Jon Tester, Alme’s nomination should be approved quickly by the U.S. Senate so he can go to work for the people of Montana.
Steve Bullock declared a drought emergency in Blaine, Carter, Custer, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Garfield, Hill, McCone, Petroleum, Phillips, Powder River, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Rosebud, Sheridan, Valley, and Wibaux counties, the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and the Fort Peck Indian Reservation.
According to the governor’s office, crops are suffering and pasture and range conditions are poor to very poor.
USDA responded by authorizing emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program lands.
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services is preparing for budget cuts triggered by revenue collections that are $65 million below projections in the budget adopted by the 2017 Legislature.
The first cuts will eliminate planned increases in assisted living for elderly Medicaid enrollees.
The Billings City Council gave a boost to a long-awaited renovation of the Montana State University science building by allocating $50,000 from the council’s contingency fund to the project that will update and expand facilities for health care education in our city.
Montana Commissioner of Political Practices Jeff Mangan found that Gov.
Bullock appointed Mangan COPP two months ago.