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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
A moral moment for Montana: Medicaid cuts considered in the U.S. Senate
Rally attendees hold signs at a rally in support of reauthorizing Medicaid expansion at the Montana State Capitol on Jan. 15, 2025. (Micah Drew/Daily Montanan) Last week, by a single vote, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the 'One Big, Beautiful Bill Act.' This is sweeping reconciliation bill that promises to reshape the American social safety net. At the heart of this legislation are more than $700 billion in cuts to Medicaid, a program that serves as a lifeline for tens of thousands of Montanans with disabilities. Medicaid pays for some of the most basic services many people with disabilities need to get by each day, like the basic personal care supports someone with a physical disability may need to get out of bed in the morning, the more intensive skill training and safety supervision someone with an intellectual disability may need to learn to live more independently, and it pays for medication to maintain a person's mental health and more intensive community supports when they have mental health emergency. For Montanans with disabilities, this bill is not just a policy shift – it's a direct threat to our lives. The bill imposes new administrative hurdles, including requiring Medicaid recipients to reverify their eligibility twice a year. For people with disabilities – many of whom already navigate complex bureaucracies – this change increases the risk of losing coverage due to paperwork errors or missed deadlines. Here in Montana, we know this isn't a mere possibility, it was our reality. In 2023 and 2024, Montana required Medicaid recipients to submit paperwork to verify their continued eligibility. When Montanans tried to follow the rules to verify their eligibility, they found the state's phone lines were left unanswered and many people were kicked off for administrative reasons without ever looking at their clinical need. Though the bill includes exemptions, these are often poorly implemented. In practice, people are misclassified, denied exemptions, or fall through the cracks due to inaccessible systems. People with legitimate disabilities are stripped of their health care and there is a big administrative burden on the individual and the state eligibility system to sort through wrongful denials and terminations. When Arkansas implemented work requirements in 2018 similar to the work requirements in the new federal reconciliation bill, more than 18,000 people lost coverage, many of them wrongfully, and there was no meaningful impact on employment. At Disability Rights Montana, we have been here for 50 years serving the disability community and we hear from people every day who rely on Medicaid to live independently, to work, to go to school, and to participate in their communities. These are veterans with PTSD, children with autism, adults with spinal cord injuries, and seniors with dementia. Defunding disability services is a major step backwards in history to a time when people with disabilities were excluded from society and warehoused in poor institutional conditions. This bill sends a clear message to people with disabilities that their lives are not as valuable as tax cuts for the rich. Even if you don't have a disability or don't use Medicaid, you will feel the cuts. It is well known in health care circles that even Montanans who don't rely on Medicaid for their insurance coverage will feel the effects of this bill, especially in rural communities. For example, this year the state legislature heard from hospital administrators and healthcare providers who explained the impact Medicaid expansion has had on our state. It has allowed rural hospitals to add or expand specialty services like orthopedic surgery and mental health care. Without this funding, these services may disappear and that will affect all patients, not just those who are covered by Medicaid. Hospitals and other health care providers serve the rich and poor alike. When the money for poor people goes away, so do the therapists, nurses, and doctors that money paid for. If you lose funding to cover portions of health care professionals' salaries, those positions go away completely because you can't hire 60% of a doctor in a rural hospital. The bill is now before the Senate. Given the slim political margins there, Sens. Daines and Sheehy could cast deciding votes. Budgets are moral documents. Just a couple months ago, the state legislature decided the moral choice was to maintain a robust Medicaid program for Montana. Now Senators Daines and Sheehy must answer the same moral question. What will they do?
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Potential record-breaking heat on the way to western Montana
Fisherman are pictured on the Big Hole River near Wise River, Montana. (Jordan Hansen / Daily Montanan) Potentially dangerous and possibly record-breaking warm weather is headed to western Montana this weekend. On Thursday, the National Weather Service Office in Missoula issued a heat advisory from noon to 9 p.m. on Saturday. Temperatures in the upper 80s and 90s are expected for a wide swath of western Montana stretching from the Canadian border down through the Flathead, Missoula and Bitterroot valleys. NWS Meteorologist Jennifer Kitzmiller, based in Missoula, said seeing temperatures in the 90s this early in the year was atypical. Anaconda, Eureka, Libby and Phillipsburg are some of the places that could approach their daily high record mark, if not break it. 'We're looking at setting records for daily high temperatures tomorrow and a lot of places in western Montana,' Kitzmiller said. 'And previous records date back to 1986 … we haven't seen temperatures this warm, this time of year, for like 40 years.' The heat is being driven by a strong ridge of high pressure in the West, according to a NWS national report. Temperatures are expected to dip back down on Sunday. 'It's not going to be hugely different, but it'll cool us back down,' Kitzmiller said. The weather service also issued some recommendations, including drinking plenty of water and staying out of direct sunlight. Warm weather also draws people to bodies of water, especially on a weekend, which can add a degree of danger. May 24 was particularly deadly as a woman drowned near Missoula near Maclay Bridge and a kayaker died near Craig. Additionally, a 68-year old Missoula man last seen on Wednesday is presumed to have drowned near the Lochsa River in Idaho. Lifevests should always be worn when on or in the water, and a close eye should be kept on children. Additionally, alcohol can enhance hypothermia, and cold water can make even experienced swimmers lose muscle control. 'The rivers and streams are still running fast and cold,' Kitzmiller said. 'And there's that extra threat, despite the warm temperatures, for hypothermia.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Forest Service authorizes operation of Holland Lake Lodge
Holland Lake photographed on Sept. 2, 2023. (Photo by Nicole Girten/Daily Montanan) The Flathead National Forest announced on Friday that it would issue a special use authorization for the operation of Holland Lake Lodge. Under the new ownership of Eric Jacobsen and Thomas Knowles, the historic Holland Lake Lodge, will operate under a new 20-year special use permit within the property's existing footprint, according to a Flathead National Forest press release. No expanded facilities or activities are approved with the new operating permit for the private lodge operating on public land. 'Holland Lake Lodge is a historic lodge that has provided recreation opportunities for one hundred years. Providing a diverse range of recreation services is a valued resource for the community, a driver for the local economy, and helps improve visitor access to the surrounding National Forest Lands – all desired conditions identified in our Forest Plan,' Flathead National Forest Supervisor Anthony Botello said in a press release. 'I look forward to working with the new owners and community to continue this opportunity into the future.' Bortello said the decision was based on a review of public comments and analysis of potential environmental effects. Members of the public submitted more than 300 comments about the project. Many focused on deficiencies within the water and wastewater systems and alleged a lack of enforcement by the Forest Service for problems that occurred under the previous owner. Bortello said in his decision that 'no further actions are necessary to comply with all applicable laws, regulations and policies,' due to there being no proposed changes in activities or facilities under the new permit. Situated on the edge of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Holland Lake Lodge has been under public scrutiny for several years after the public learned that longtime owner Christian Wohlfeil had proposed a sale to outdoor adventure company POWDR and an accompanying expansion plan would have added an additional lodge and 26 cabin structures on the property. The plan drew public outcry for its rushed timeframe and a determination by the Forest Service the expansion did not need an environmental analysis. The Forest Service also drew criticism for announcing the plan to the public more than one year after it had learned of the potential sale and for misstating information about the scope of the proposal. The Forest Service later rejected the plan, but said it would consider other proposals. Wohlfeil listed the property for sale in October of 2023, and late last year, Jacobsen, a private equity investor, announced he had secured a contract to purchase the lodge. Jacobsen held several public meetings prior to the purchase to meet with local members of the Swan Valley community and conveyed his intention in purchasing the property was to 'Preserve and protect the lodge and the lodge experience in harmony with nature into the future' and not develop the property. Jacobsen grew up in Montana and now splits his time between Whitefish and Park City, Utah. He did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Tuesday about the Forest Service decision and potential summer operations. Last year, the lodge was unable to provide public services due to deficiencies in the wastewater treatment system, which services both the lodge facilities and nearby campground. The deficiencies prevented the lodge from operating during its 100th anniversary year. However, the Flathead National Forest has submitted a preliminary report for upgrades to the Department of Environmental Quality. Jacobsen is required to draft and submit an annual operating plan for approval by the Forest Service before the special use permit is finalized. All documents related to the permit will be available for the public to see. More information about the Holland Lake Lodge project can be found online.
Business Mayor
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Business Mayor
Montana clears the road for motorized scooters under new law
Motorized scooters, popularized in culture by companies like Lime, are now a specifically regulated mode of transportation in the state. Signed into law last week, House Bill 588, brought by Rep. Neil Duram, R-Eureka, defines motor scooters and adds safety regulations for users, the Daily Montanan reports. Motorized scooters now have the same rights on the roadway as a cyclist or someone riding a moped. The law also includes single-wheels, which essentially are motorized skateboards. During the bill's hearing in the House Transportation Committee, Duram, a former member of the Montana Highway Patrol, relayed a story about a kid in his community riding a single wheel on the roadway. To his credit, Duram said, the kid is safe while he rides — but being on the roadway was technically illegal. 'I suspect your community has a kid just about like him,' Duram said. 'This really is his transportation.' Duram said that trying to solve the problem of the single wheels led him to consider motorized scooters, too. The issue was seats — if something didn't have a seat, it could not be on the road. The bill solved the legal issue. It also stipulates that motorized scooters can't go faster than 30 mph. Importantly, motorized scooters are distinguished from motorized vehicles — an important difference because it means someone cannot be charged with driving under the influence while operating a scooter. That does not, however, mean they could not be charged with other offenses. Duram said on the House floor on April 16 in that situation, the person could be given a public intoxication charge. Read More Wellness on Wheels Is Possible - WIRED The new law provides another avenue of transportation for those who lose their license. 'My intention was that they'd be traveling at relatively slow speeds to transport the operator to and from his destination and location without the necessity of him having a driver's license,' Duram said in the hearing. 'This becomes, without a driver's license, one of your standard forms of transportation.' Motorized scooters are required to have white headlights, and red lights or reflectors facing behind There's also stipulations on brakes, requiring a motorized scooter be able to stop from 10 mph within 25 feet. Scooters are not allowed to be operated by motor on sidewalks or bike paths. Riders must yield to pedestrians when operating the vehicle. Daily Montanan is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Daily Montanan maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Darrell Ehrlick for questions: info@
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
U.S. Census: Gallatin, Flathead County add most residents in Montana
The Flathead County Courthouse in Kalispell, pictured on Dec. 31, 2024. (Micah Drew, Daily Montanan) Gallatin and Flathead were the fastest growing counties in Montana between 2023 and 2024, while the city of Kalispell has grown nearly 25% since 2020, adding more residents than any Montana city, according to the latest population growth data from the U.S. Census The federal government last week released the latest population counts for the nation's more than 3,000 counties, as well as all incorporated cities and towns. In Montana, 32 of the state's 56 counties saw a population increase, concentrated in the state's western counties, while the mostly eastern counties that saw population declines did so by just over a thousand cumulative residents. As a whole, Montana added 5,931 new residents between July 1, 2023 and July 1, 2024, for a total state population of 1,137,233. The state's growth rate of .52% was slower than the national growth rate of 1%, partly due to a last-in-the-nation level of international migration, and far lower than in recent years. Between 2020 and 2021, Montana added a whopping 19,000 new residents. The United States has added 3,304,757 people between 2023 and 2024. In the last release of census data, Gallatin and Flathead counties added 1,055 and 1,032 new residents, respectively, the first time since the population boom began in 2020 Flathead County hasn't led in raw numbers. But the northwest county had a higher rate of change at .91% compared to Gallatin's .84%. Broadwater County had the highest percentage population increase in the last year, 2.96%, and over the last four years, with 22.2%, but the county's 8,302 residents makes it just the 27th most inhabited in Montana. Since 2020, however, Flathead County has led the state in sheer number of additional residents, adding more than 10,100 to Gallatin's just over 8,000 and Yellowstone County's 6,800. Meanwhile, Kalispell, the county seat of the Flathead, added 1,125 new residents between 2023 and 2024 for a population of 31,296, a nearly 4% increase stemming from the city's annexation of new developments and migration into the area. Bozeman added the second most residents, 788, followed by Billings (686), Missoula (557) and Helena (360). Of the state's most populous cities, Great Falls, Havre and Sidney all lost residents. Kalispell's growth is even more drastic over the last four years. Between 2020 and 2024, the city added 6,218 new residents, a 24.8% increase that ranked the city 39th in the nation for growth among cities with more than 20,000 residents. Helena, which grew by 8.2%, and Bozeman, which grew by 8.1%, ranked in the 260s. Kalispell City Manager Doug Russell said seeing the actual numbers isn't a big surprise for the people who have been working to accommodate the rising population. 'We've experienced that large growth in person over the years,' Russel said. Russell said that planning for increased growth is key to keeping city services and infrastructure at a level to handle the demands of a rapidly growing population. 'Our public works department has done a really great job updating facilities plans on a routine basis and updating growth models to to anticipate where we'll need to prioritize infrastructure projects,' Russel said. Among the major infrastructure projects Kalispell has prioritized in recent years are construction of a new water tower to bolster the municipal water storage and working with the state transportation department to address potential bottlenecks along major transit corridors, such as W. Reserve Drive, along the city's north end. Russell said the city is currently updating its land use policy, which will allow city officials to prepare for the next round of anticipated growth. If Kalispell's growth trend continues, it could soon overtake Helena and Butte-Silver Bow in size. Just north of Kalispell, Whitefish has also grown by nearly 20% since 2020, adding 1,481 residents, while nearby Polson and Columbia Falls have grown 9.6% and 7.4%. Belgrade, a suburb of Bozeman, one of the state's least affordable cities, is the only other large city in Montana to exceed 20% growth, adding 2,265 residents since 2020. On the other end of the spectrum, Montana's smallest incorporated town, Ismay, has stayed exactly the same, with 21 residents since 2020, according to Census data. A call placed to the only publicly listed phone number in Ismay, the Ismay Community Church, did not get a response on Tuesday to verify the town's 21 residents. Two other incorporated towns in Montana showed flat growth rates since 2020, both on the Hi-Line in Phillips County — Dodson, which increased from 126 residents to 127 in 2023, but then returned to 126 in 2024, and Malta, which has fluctuated around 1,853 residents for several years. Nationally, of the 10 fastest growing cities in the country, six are in Texas, and one each is in Florida, Utah, South Carolina and North Carolina. Forney, Texas, added 15,079 residents between 2020 and 2024, a 62.2% increase. The nation's fastest shrinking city was Big Spring, Texas, which lost 14% of its population. The U.S. Census Bureau data breaks out changes to county population by natural change — the difference due to birth rates and death rates — and net migration into and out of a county. While Flathead and Gallatin counties each grew by roughly the same 1,000 residents between 2023 and 2024, they did so in vastly different ways. A quarter of Gallatin County's increase was due to a younger population. The county's birth rate was 1,141 people while only 686 individuals died during the year of record. Meanwhile Flathead, Missoula, and Yellowstone counties had almost equal numbers of births and deaths in their communities, trends that extend back to 2020. Flathead County's primary source of growth is new residents moving to the county. Ninety-nine percent of new residents between 2020 and 2024 relocated to the area, while just three-quarters of new Gallatin County residents did. Both on the eastern side of the state, Montana's two least populous counties, Treasure and Petroleum, with 739 and 535 residents respectively, saw the largest population percentage decline in residents. Petroleum lost 18 residents in 2024, six from a higher death rate than birth rate, and 12 who moved out of the county. Treasure County dropped by 28 residents, gaining two from natural change, but losing 30 to relocation. The state's largest county, Yellowstone, with 171,583 residents, is more populous than the state's 36 least inhabited combined.
