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Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Missoula adopts Pride flag as official city flag
Missoula City Councilor Jennifer Savage sponsored a local ordinance to name the Pride flag as an official city flag, allowing it to fly on public property despite a new law. Savage stands here at a Missoula business flying the Pride flag near City Hall. (Keila Szpaller/The Daily Montanan) Adoption this week of a new official city flag in Missoula means the rest of the state can display Pride flags in public buildings — despite a new law meant to restrict such displays. On a 9-2 vote Monday night, Missoula City Council passed a resolution to adopt the Pride flag — as well 'as flags representing portions' of the Pride flag — as an official flag of the Garden City. The action by the city follows Gov. Greg Gianforte's signing of House Bill 819, which regulates which flags can be flown or displayed on government property. The law prohibits nongovernmental and 'politically charged' flags. But a stipulation in the law says any public building can display the flag of 'any county, municipality, special district, or other political subdivision within the state.' Since Missoula adopted the flag as its city flag, it opens up the possibility for other communities to also display the Pride flag. Rep. Braxton Mitchell, a Columbia Falls Republican who sponsored the bill, vowed in an email he would seek to change the law. He also said he believes it's likely the law will not be challenged in court. 'We will amend the law next session to make sure no city can make a political symbol their official flag,' Mitchell wrote. 'If they want to fly that flag, they can do it at home, not on the taxpayer's pole.' Council member Jennifer Savage, who sponsored the ordinance, said in an interview that Pride flags were starting to come down in schools as a result of HB 819. Missoula County Public Schools had previously said it would follow state law. For Savage, the mother of a queer daughter, the flag being displayed meant something else, too. 'When I see a Pride flag, I think that my kid is safe in that place,' Savage said. 'I think it symbolizes inclusion. I think when a public school teacher flies it in their classroom, it says to students, this is a safe place for you. And it also signals to other students that hate won't be tolerated there.' The law includes carveouts, such as for the Gadsden flag, law enforcement flags, school flags, and the flag of any nation recognized by the United States. Similar laws in Utah and Idaho prompted Salt Lake City and Boise to adopt Pride flags as city flags in response to state legislation. Savage said her inbox was flooded with Missoulians concerned over the law. Fellow council member Daniel Carlino said he hadn't seen Missoulians turn out to a city council meeting all year quite like they did on Monday night. The council took public comment for around an hour prior to voting to approve the change. 'I think it was important that Missoula did what we can to fight back when the state and federal government are trying to attack the LGBTQ+ community,' Carlino said on Tuesday. Missoula did not have a city flag prior to Monday night, Carlino said. There was some confusion about whether more than one city flag was allowed, though Savage said other flags could be brought before council for consideration. In a comment posted on Facebook, Gov. Greg Gianforte said Missoula City Council 'should be ashamed.' 'Last night, nine members of the Missoula City Council made clear their top priority is flying a divisive pride flag over government buildings and schools — all while ignoring the city's housing affordability crisis, raising taxes by 17% because of over spending, and refusing to take firm action to end encampments in the city,' Gianforte wrote. 'Missoulians deserve better, and fortunately, two council members voted against imposing this divisive, far-left agenda on their community.' Mitchell stated during his bill's Senate hearing that he'd seen Black Lives Matters and Pride flags in his classrooms growing up, and said he did not feel those issues should be pushed in schools. 'Leave it to Missoula to turn their city flag into a Pride flag. Nothing says 'unity' like politicizing public property,' Mitchell said in a statement. 'The ultra far left Missoula City Council and their mayor are completely out of touch with reality and the values of the vast majority of Montanans. Taxpayer owned property should represent everyone, not just the loudest political movements of the moment. The Pride flag, like any other political symbol, has no place replacing a city's identity.' He added situations like this are exactly why he pushed the law. 'We resoundingly passed HB 819 to stop governments from hijacking public property to push ideology,' Mitchell said. 'If this resolution passes, it only proves how necessary HB 819 is, and I'm sure it won't be good for Missoula's local economy either.' Missoula City council members Sandra Vasecka and Bob Campbell voted against the measure. Councilor Campbell said he had a request for the people who said the flag makes them feel safe. 'Stop and think for a minute whether or not that's true for everyone in the community, whether or not that the flag is the cure, the be all, the end, to feel safe,' Campbell said to council on Monday night. 'And I propose that's not always the case.'
Yahoo
30-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor vetoes ‘river census' bill, sponsor pushes for override
A Montanan cools off in a shallow stretch of the Clearwater River. (Keila Szpaller/The Daily Montanan) Gov. Greg Gianforte vetoed a 'river census' bill, arguing the work to collect data can be done in a 'more cost effective manner,' but the sponsor said a special revenue account has the money, and Montana needs clarity about river use. House Bill 762 would require Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to produce a report of all watercraft, from rafts to inflatable flamingoes, along 966 miles of 16 rivers in the state. Rep. Joshua Seckinger, a river guide, said the legislation is necessary because rivers are busy, and attempts have been made to regulate them, but with only anecdotal evidence, not hard data. In his veto letter, however, Gianforte argued the cost of the river census was much too high, and the project too large, although he said the bill is 'well intended.' 'House Bill 762 drains $2.6 million from the state parks account, which would otherwise be used to address important infrastructure projects at our state parks, including maintenance backlogs,' Gianforte said in his veto letter. The bill had bipartisan sponsorship. It earned 102 approvals altogether in its final votes in both chambers — 29 in the Senate and 73 in the House. Support from two thirds of the Montana Legislature triggers an automatic veto override poll from the Secretary of State. Friday, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State's office could not be reached via email about the status of polling. Friday, the bill wasn't among the list of those currently being polled. However, in a letter to his colleagues, Seckinger, D-Bozeman, said he hopes they consider overriding the veto. He said he respectfully disagrees with the governor's assessment the bill 'took too big a bite at the apple.' 'First, there is no additional cost to taxpayers,' Seckinger wrote. 'The bill would have been funded entirely from a special revenue account within FWP, which is supported by vehicle registration fees, the cannabis excise tax, and state park registrations. 'Even with HB 762, this fund would have had a $6 million ending balance. Without the bill, the fund's balance will now grow to $8.6 million — unused, and continuing to expand.' In a phone call with the Daily Montanan, Seckinger said he agreed the cost 'was not insignificant.' But if fiscal conservatism is the goal, he said, he would advocate for lowering license plate fees, cannabis taxes, and the other sources of funds for the account. In his letter, Seckinger also said the bill would have provided a 'comprehensive understanding of river use,' and objective, baseline data is needed — 'and we need it soon.' (A separate study out of Montana State University will review popular river stretches not included in the bill.) In his veto letter, Gianforte, a Republican, agreed that river usage 'has increased dramatically in recent years.' However, he said he believes the state can achieve the same goal over a longer period, potentially using a pilot program to study a portion of the river stretches in the bill. 'The idea of a pilot program is just an example, and over the course of the interim, I look forward to working with the bill sponsor, members of the Legislature, and FWP officials to find a more cost effective way of addressing this important need,' Gianforte said in the letter.
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
AG Knudsen blasts Gallatin County Attorney for advising against ICE contract
Gallatin County Courthouse in Bozeman. (Keila Szpaller/The Daily Montanan) A Gallatin County Commissioner described a scalding letter from the attorney general about a local legal opinion as 'political theater' and said Friday the county has had the longest-standing agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement of any county in Montana. Wednesday, Attorney General Austin Knudsen sent a letter to the Gallatin County Commissioners criticizing a legal opinion — which Knudsen put inside quotations as 'legal opinion' — by Gallatin County Attorney Audrey Cromwell. The April 24 opinion from Cromwell argued against entering into an agreement with ICE to detain undocumented immigrants from across the state at the Gallatin County Detention Center. Cromwell said doing so would raise constitutional and legal questions and potentially cost taxpayers millions of dollars. The Trump administration has been aggressive in pursuing, and in some cases deporting, immigrants nationwide, including in Montana, as the president pledged to do in his campaign. In March, MTN News reported that ICE detained 17 immigrants it described as undocumented in Bigfork. In some cases, judges have found authorities under Trump acted without due process and deported people illegally, including legal immigrants and even U.S. citizens. A New York Times analysis said illegal deportations are difficult to undo. But immigration is a political hot button, and in his criticism of the Gallatin prosecutor, Knudsen said the American people sent Donald Trump back to the White House 'to secure our border,' and Montanans want state officials to support his agenda, 'not undermine it.' 'At its core, the Cromwell Opinion is an endorsement of the disastrous open border policies of the Biden administration,' Knudsen said in his letter. In a 2024 report, the Pew Research Center said unauthorized immigrants hit a 12.2 million peak in 2007 and, after a downward trend, crept up again in recent years to 11.1 million in 2022, and likely higher since then. 'My office fought back against these destructive policies for four long years, and I refuse to stand by as feckless left-wing prosecutors attempt to subvert the will of the people and put dangerous criminals back on the streets,' Knudsen wrote. In response, Cromwell said in a statement that Gallatin County already participates in a program, known as the federal 287(g) program, that ensures 'undocumented individuals charged with a crime in Gallatin County are immediately flagged and held for ICE.' The 287(g) program authorizes local law enforcement officials to perform specific immigration duties under the agency's oversight. 'Given constitutional concerns regarding due process, significant legal liability, and added strain on overburdened County resources, I stand by my legal opinion, which advises the Commission against entering into an additional agreement with ICE to detain non-local undocumented immigrants in the Gallatin County Detention Center,' Cromwell said. Her legal opinion said earlier this year, a court found Suffolk County in New York responsible for $60 million in a class action lawsuit that found unconstitutional detention practices of undocumented immigrants. The county is appealing the decision, according to a local news report. Gallatin County Commissioners said they already cooperate with ICE on immigration and will 'continue to work closely with the Gallatin County Attorney, who was elected by our community.' 'And we will continue supporting the Sheriff and his dedicated team of public safety heroes,' Commissioners said in a statement. In an interview Friday, Gallatin County Commissioner Zach Brown said under the existing agreement, Gallatin County already temporarily holds detainees for ICE to pick up when an immigration flag comes up during booking. 'That's a legal framework that is in place and has been in place for a long time,' Brown said. Cromwell's opinion said 1.4% of the county jail population has been flagged for ICE holds over the last year. Brown also said he wanted to cut through some of the rhetoric around immigration. For one, Brown said the president and the attorney general are conflating civil and criminal law — and doing so 'intentionally.' In other words, he said, local government and county law enforcement handle criminal offenses, but federal civil procedures govern people whose immigration status is questioned. County facilities and services aren't designed, funded or empowered to execute federal civil procedures, he said. Rhetoric, including from President Trump, implies that every illegal person is a criminal, he said, but that's not necessarily true. 'If someone has an immigration issue, that does not make them inherently a criminal under American federal law,' Brown said. However, he also said Gallatin County has made 'record investments' in public safety, including in salaries, new positions, and equipment, and resources for the drug task force, courts, 'and on and on.' 'That trajectory and commitment to law enforcement is really strong with this commission and within this community,' Brown said. In February, MTN News reported ICE agents arrested six alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in Gallatin County. At the time, Sheriff Dan Springer told MTN News law enforcement had been working to combat the gang and had been successful given no violent incidents had been reported. Springer could not be reached by voicemail Friday for an update. Cromwell's opinion said those people were held solely on ICE detainers and not on criminal charges, and the situation demonstrates the risk that counties may inadvertently hold people without due process. Brown also pointed to statistics that show Gallatin County has the second lowest crime rate among urban counties in Montana, only behind Flathead County. Citing the Montana Board of Crime Control, he said Gallatin had 540 incidents per 10,000 in 2023, the most recent data available, compared to 1,100 per 10,000 in Cascade County, reporting the highest number per capita. Info Box Reported Crime incidents per 10,000 in 2023 (urban counties), according to the Montana Board of Crime Control: Cascade County – 1,100 Yellowstone County – 887 Missoula County – 865 Butte-Silverbow – 640 Lewis & Clark County – 632 Ravalli County – 565 Gallatin County – 540 Flathead County – 487 Source: Gallatin County Commissioner, citing Montana Board of Crime Control Dashboard. Brown also said that at its root, immigration is squarely a federal issue, and an argument about a county contract, 'a minor, minor issue,' is a distraction from the fact that Congress hasn't taken action on immigration reform since 1986. 'It's infuriating that these issues are getting talked about at the local government level. Just that, in and of itself, is political theater,' Brown said. He said local government is at the behest of the federal government when it comes to immigration, it's experienced whiplash upon changes in administration, and it will continue without action. 'Congress is allowing the executive branch to make policy on immigration law, and that's not the executive's job under the constitution and our form of government,' Brown said. He called on Montana's congressional delegation to legislate, and he said the dispute over the additional agreement between ICE and Gallatin County is just a symptom of the disease. 'The cancer in the system is Congress' inaction. So Congress needs to get off their butt and do their job,' Brown said. U.S. Sens. Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy are from Bozeman in Gallatin County and could not be immediately reached for comment on Friday. However, in remarks three weeks ago and posted on his Facebook page, Daines said presidential leadership matters. He said law enforcement officers in Bozeman told him they weren't getting any response from ICE under the Biden administration, and that changed right after Trump was sworn into office. 'Within 30 days, those ICE agents swarmed and got those TDA (Tren de Aragua) guys apprehended and deported from our country. That directly affects my hometown of Bozeman,' Daines said. In his letter, Knudsen, said the 'horrors aren't hypothetical.' In his letter, he said under the Biden administration, the state Crime Lab reported 262 fentanyl-linked deaths in Montana, and he said 100% of illicit fentanyl seized in Montana is trafficked across the border. 'In one Gallatin County operation conducted in March, three illegal immigrants were arrested on drug-related charges and methamphetamine, cocaine, cash and four vehicles were seized,' Knudsen said. He also said earlier this year, the Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area seized 9,400 carfentanil pills in Billings, just a couple of hours away from Gallatin County. He said carfentanil is 100 times more potent than fentanyl, 'making it even more dangerous and deadly.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal judge grants preliminary injunction protecting MSU students' visa status
The bobcat statue at Montana State University. (Keila Szpaller/The Daily Montanan) A federal judge on Tuesday granted a preliminary injunction preventing the federal government from revoking the visa status of two Montana State University graduate students and prohibiting the federal government from arresting, detaining or transferring either student from Montana. In April, four international students affiliated with the Montana University System had their visas revoked and student visitor records terminated. Due to the possibility of immediate deportation due to the change in status, two of the students challenged the decision in federal court. The ACLU of Montana sued on their behalf, and the Trump administration subsequently and separately reinstated them in a database that keeps those records, the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System, or SEVIS. However, Alex Rate with the ACLU of Montana previously told the Daily Montanan continuing the lawsuit would ensure the students have ongoing assurance their status would not change again without cause. U.S. District Court Judge Dana L. Christensen previously granted an emergency restraining order preventing the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement from deporting the students, and Tuesday's 26-page ruling converts that restraining order into a preliminary injunction, reinstating their legal status for the duration of the lawsuit. 'The court made it clear that the Trump administration cannot unilaterally circumvent the law and punish students who have followed all the rules by stripping them of their legal status, disrupting their studies, and putting them at risk of deportation,' said Akilah Deernose, Executive Director of the ACLU of Montana, in a press statement. 'We are pleased that the Court granted a preliminary injunction to provide longer-term certainty and to preserve the status quo until the lawsuit is resolved. Now our clients have the assurance they need to continue their graduate studies, especially given the unpredictable actions undertaken by the Trump administration.' On April 25, the Department of Homeland Security reversed a policy that had resulted in the mass termination of international students' SEVIS records, but the court found in its ruling that because defendants could not provide 'any information — let alone any specific information or timelines' about the new policy, a preliminary injunction was warranted. 'At risk of understandment, the defendants' approach to these particular issues presents an ever-changing landscape,' according to court documents. Without more information or a guarantee of the plaintiffs' status, 'The changes wrought by defendants appear to fall squarely within the category of 'easily abandoned or altered in the future.' The court's ruling also found that the Trump administration failed to follow its own agency's regulation in terminating the SEVIS records, saying the action was 'arbitrary and capricious.' According to court documents, the federal government argued that the students' records were terminated 'due to their criminal history,' but neither student has been convicted of a crime. One student was arrested in March and charged with misdemeanor theft, but pleaded not guilty and has not been convicted of any offense. The other student had been arrested and charged with misdemeanor partner and/or family member assault but also pleaded not guilty and has not been convicted of any offense. The Department of Homeland Security cited a regulation that says criminal activity could result in termination of status as justification for their actions, but the court found that the regulation specifically states that a 'conviction' for 'a crime of violence for which more than one year imprisonment may be imposed [] constitutes a failure to maintain status.' The charges against the plaintiffs don't satisfy the criteria, the ruling states, due to one carrying a maximum sentence of less than one year of imprisonment, the other carrying no prison time, and neither plaintiff has been convicted. As a result of the injunction, both students have been able to return to work and school, according to the ACLU press release. The students — one pursuing a doctorate in electrical engineering and physics and the other a master's degree in microbiology — are both 'only a matter of months away from obtaining their advanced degrees.'
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Going-to-the-Sun Road will open to vehicle traffic to Avalanche Campground
Going-to-the-Sun Road will be open to vehicle traffic to Avalanche Campground starting Saturday, May 10. (Keila Szpaller/The Daily Montanan) Going-to-the-Sun Road will be open to vehicle traffic to Avalanche Campground starting Saturday, just in time for Mother's Day weekend, Glacier National Park said in a news release Thursday. The park's road crew is still clearing snow farther up the road and, as of Wednesday afternoon, was working between Triple Arches and Rim Rock, Glacier said. The entire road typically does not open until sometime in mid to late June. Also starting this weekend, the Apgar Visitor Center will be open daily. The news release said the hiker/biker shuttle may operate later in the season, and the park will provide updates regarding when this free shuttle begins operating. Glacier also said this summer, starting June 13 through Sept. 28, sections of Going-to-the-Sun Road that are open to motor vehicles are closed to bicycle use between Logan Pass and the Apgar turnoff at the south end of Lake McDonald during the following times: eastbound (uphill) cycling between noon and 6 p.m. and westbound (downhill) cycling between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Visitors can hike and bike Going-to-the-Sun Road past the gate closure on the weekends as far as the posted pedestrian closure, the news release said. During the week, the road crew sets the closure based on where they are working and existing hazards. The park sends out text alerts, notifying the public about where the road crew and avalanche closures are set every week and general road opening and closure updates. 'Be the first to know by signing up for text alerts by texting the message 'GNPROADS' to the number 333111,' the park said. For information about additional text alerts available from the park, visit the park's website.
