Missoula Resists and Indivisible Missoula are hosting a rally at Caras Park on Saturday, October 17 at 11:00 AM. Come with a sign and some friends to speak up about No Kings, No Thrones, and No Crowns! We can’t wait to see you there!
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is seeking public feedback on a proposed well for Quantica's Big Sky Campus Data Center near Broadview.
The well targets the Madison Aquifer and would supply water during construction. It would then provide drinking water for the campus and may support a closed-loop cooling system.
The project is expected to use about 150,000 gallons a day during construction, dropping about 20,000 gallons a day once completed.
DEQ is reviewing water quality and groundwater protection.
The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation would handle water-quantity and water-rights requirements.
Make your voice heard, and oppose this proposed well and any other attempts to bring more data centers to Montana.
Submit a public comment before Oct. 29 here: https://deq.mt.gov/News/publiccomment-folder/Quantica-Big-Sky-Campus-Public-Water-Well-Request-for-Public-Comments-on-Categorical-Exclusion-Review-under-a-Programmatic-Environmental-Assessment-09-29-2026
More information: https://nbcmontana.com/newsletter-daily/deq-seeks-public-comment-on-well-proposal-for-new-data-center-in-yellowstone-co.
Did you receive a postcard from the Montana Secretary of State's office? It looks like it would update your voter registration BUT it won’t do that!
The SOS office is mailing these postcards to folks who they think have recently moved. The deadline to update your voter registration via mail has passed, and if people fill this out, they will still need to go in person to register to vote.
Need to update your voter registration? Starting TODAY, you have to do it in person at your county election office. Updates sent by mail are no longer an option for the November 3 election.
Check your registration online at voterportal.mt.gov . If your information is correct, you don’t need to do anything. If your information is wrong, you must go in person to the county clerk or election office where you currently live. Staff there can update your registration and give you a ballot.
Did you receive a postcard from the Montana Secretary of State's office? It looks like it would update your voter registration BUT it won’t do that!
The SOS office is mailing these postcards to folks who they think have recently moved. The deadline to update your voter registration via mail has passed, and if people fill this out, they will still need to go in person to register to vote.
Need to update your voter registration? Starting TODAY, you have to do it in person at your county election office. Updates sent by mail are no longer an option for the November 3 election.
Check your registration online at voterportal.mt.gov. If your information is correct, you don’t need to do anything. If your information is wrong, you must go in person to the county clerk or election office where you currently live. Staff there can update your registration and give you a ballot.
A new Montana investment will help Blackfeet Tribal EMS replace aging equipment and strengthen its ability to provide emergency care across the reservation. The agency covers more than 1.5 million acres and responds to roughly 3,800 calls each year.
Gov. Greg Gianforte and Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services recently announced an $8.7 million investment through the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to support emergency medical services in rural communities across Montana.
The funding will assist 78 EMS agencies with equipment purchases and provide four new ambulances. Blackfeet Tribal EMS is one of four agencies selected to receive a new ambulance, valued at approximately $340,000.
The agency currently operates four emergency vehicles, most of which have outdated equipment. The new ambulance will be equipped to help crews provide care when winter weather and rural roads add challenges.
Officials say the additional resources will help Blackfeet Tribal EMS better serve the people who depend on it when an emergency happens.
More here: https://www.krtv.com/news/new-ambulance-strengthens-blackfeet-tribal-ems-response-across-rural-reservation.
The Trump administration decided to roll back greenhouse gas emissions requirements for U.S. power plants. The decision will go into effect on November 16, with support from Montana officials.
The EPA would repeal most of the federal greenhouse gas requirements for fossil fuel-fired power plants adopted during the Biden Administration in 2024.
Supporters include Montana Republican legislators and NorthWestern Energy, which is the majority owner in Colstrip — the state’s largest coal-fired power plant — and operates the natural gas-fired Laurel Generating Station.
In 2024, NorthWestern argued before the U.S. Supreme Court to halt Biden’s emission rules, claiming it would cost $350 million to upgrade Colstrip or lead to the plant shutting down, calling the rules “economically irrational.”
Advocacy groups say the move is a step backwards for the environment and public health. The impacts of pollution-induced climate change include reduced snowpacks and increased wildfires.
A group of public health and environmental groups, including the American Lung Association and Environmental Defense Fund, have filed a federal lawsuit seeking a review of the EPA’s actions.
Make a public comment to oppose this decision. Public comments will be accepted until Nov. 2 here: https://www.regulations.gov/document/EPA-HQ-OAR-2025-0124-2920
More information here: https://www.montanarightnow.com/news/state/montana-officials-praise-repeal-of-power-plant-emission-regulations-watchdog-groups-pan-decision/article_2a9244a3-56fb-527a-bedb-d7d8089f758b.html
The Trump administration has rescinded a Biden-era policy that extended the federal ban on sex discrimination in schools to also protect LGBTQ2S+ people.
The new rule does not specifically define sex, but it does reference court decisions that struck down Biden-era protections based on gender identity and sexual orientation.
The new rule does not address athletic eligibility, despite the Trump administration saying it would keep trans athletes out of sports.
Advocates of the Biden policy are also concerned about the decision reversing changes that had widened the range of sexual harassment complaints that schools would have to investigate.
The Biden rule required educators to investigate any allegation of sexual misconduct at school events or activities, whether or not the incident occurred on campus.
Under the new rule, students and educators would not see a significant change from how the Trump administration has enforced Title IX.
What does Montana’s Public Service Commission (PSC) have to do with life here in the Flathead? Come to our PSC Candidate Forum to find out!
Hear directly from PSC candidates about Montana’s energy future, from affordability and reliability to infrastructure and the costs of growth. We’ll dig into the decisions that shape how our energy system works and what those choices can mean for communities like ours.
Bring your questions and come join the conversation TOMORROW at Mountain Brook Community Center from 5-6:30 PM!
RSVP here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/A1BzAjglT0eVb1fBxzaJnA2
Forward Montana will be hosting a Montana Supreme Court Candidate Meet & Greet in Bozeman!
This evening will provide community members with time to mingle and get to know the candidates as we near election day. There will be food and refreshments provided while people will have a chance to ask candidates important questions.
Join us at Columbo's Pizza TOMORROW from 6-8 PM!
RSVP here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/MXtxca6MQk-BKnDCoXfgDA2.
The Census Bureau is considering removing questions about race, ethnicity, and sexual orientation from the 2030 Census questionnaire. The Bureau is also considering excluding non-citizens from the data.
The proposed Federal Register rule would establish a new definition of “usual residence.” They are considering the use of records to determine individuals’ citizenship status and are deciding whether to include a legal-status question.
According to recent census data, Montana’s population is predominately white, and Native Americans are the largest racial minority at 6.4%. As of 2023, 41,800 Montanan adults identified as LGBTQ2S+. Foreign-born people are about 2.3% of the population, which includes non-citizens.
These changes would affect how and which people are counted in the census, and get rid of important metrics that show how people identify themselves.
People can submit a public comment until October 13 here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/10/2026-18481/decennial-census-of-the-population-of-americans-proposed-residence-criteria-and-proposed-regulations.
A federal judge ordered the release of 24 immigration detainees in Montana recently, and more are expected to be released as a class-action immigration lawsuit case continues.
Upper Seven Law has filed over 37 petitions for the release of dozens of immigration detainees as of Sept. 21. Federal authorities identified 53 people who met the court’s criteria for being wrongfully detained. Two were children and have already been released.
In court documents, detainees described being swept up in traffic stops and then placed in unsafe or uncomfortable detention conditions. U.S. District Court Judge Brian Morris concluded that federal authorities wrongfully arrested and detained these people.
Detainees were being moved from state to state, prolonging the court process and straining defendants’ families. This latest class action prevents the government from moving those people out of Montana.
Are you curious about who you’ll be voting for in November? We have the event for you!
Forward Montana is hosting a “Bean BOOzled” candidate forum for House Districts 94, 97, 98, 99, and 100, as well as Senate District 49!
Candidates will answer questions from their constituents while eating jelly beans that may taste fine, delicious, or disgusting.
Join us at the ZACC on September 29 from 6-7:30pm! Dress in a fun Halloween costume, enjoy MCing from the iconic Chris LaTray, and learn more about the candidates that will be running in November!
RSVP here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/28UVEqkJ8E2Qb013nEMOOg2
Sample ballots are now available to registered Montana voters to view before November 3. There are more than 800 different ballot styles, based on districts, precincts, etc.
A sample ballot allows voters to review the races, candidates, and ballot issues that will appear on their official ballot.
Registered voters can view their sample ballot, check their registration status, confirm their absentee ballot address/track the status, and make a plan to register/vote early at MyVoterPageMT.com.
Earlier this month, Gov. Gianforte announced his support for a flat 4.7% state income tax, arguing that a flat rate would boost the state’s economy. In July, a handful of Republicans in Senate leadership announced their support for this effort.
When Gianforte took office in 2021, the top Montana rate of seven income tax brackets was 6.9%. Gianforte has decreased the number of brackets to two, and in 2025 signed a bill that scheduled the top bracket, then at 5.9%, to decrease to 5.4% by 2027.
This tax break would benefit the wealthiest people in our state, who have already benefited from previous tax breaks. It wouldn’t help Montanans in lower tax brackets who already operate under the 4.7%.
Montana’s Legislative Fiscal Division estimated in July that a 4.7% flat tax beginning in 2028 would reduce state revenues by $140 million over the 2029 biennium.
Voters across ideology are opposed to a flat-tax system and prefer a system where the wealthy pay more. Lifelong Montanans are especially likely to oppose it, according to recent polling.
More here: https://montanafreepress.org/2026/09/08/gianforte-flat-income-tax/.
Your electricity rates don’t go up by accident.
A lot of Montanans are asking why their NorthWestern Energy (NWE) bill went up. The Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) said they are working with NWE to “investigate the cause of increased energy bills.”
But these increases didn’t come out of nowhere. It's almost as if a utility regulator voted to allow a monopoly utility to raise rates on customers…
December 2025: The PSC approved a major rate increase, ignoring concerns that NWE had significantly underestimated future variable costs. March 2026: NWE quietly adjusted its Power Costs and Credits Adjustment Mechanism (PCCAM) resulting in an additional 5.8% residential bill increase. July 2026: NWE quietly ratcheted rates 4.7% higher with another PCCAM adjustment, coinciding with high electricity use for summer cooling.
How does the utility keep getting away with increasing our rates? NorthWestern Energy uses the structure of PSC proceedings and the complexity of ratemaking to hide the true impact to customers of its rate increases, moving costs around to paint a picture that isn't grounded in the reality of customers' monthly bills.
Learn more: meic.org
Join us at our Bozeman office (1165 N 14th Ave Suite 2B) from 5-8 PM for our Postcard Party tonight!
Come hang, enjoy some light snacks, connect with the community, and help us get out the word to vote in the upcoming general election!
We’ll provide everything you need to help write postcards to our fellow Bozeman constituents to urge them to vote on November 3! This is a great way to get plugged into what Forward Montana is up to and celebrate the power of voting together!
Join us at the Billings Public Library TONIGHT from 5-8 PM for Forward Montana's Stitch & Bitch and Postcard Party!
We will be promoting Get Out The Vote, crafting together, and writing postcards to our community to encourage our neighbors to vote this midterm election!
RSVP here: https://secure.ngpvan.com/IJm93P4ihUGP6uDDu9hzug2. See you there!
Looking for a way to get your community involved in the upcoming election? Check out our voting related memes on SoSha.
Scroll through to find a meme and caption you like. Then, post it on your social media accounts to encourage the people you care about to vote this November!
Click here: https://share.forwardmontana.org/toolkit/78c51da9-abda-4843-bd9d-655ae5a66bde.
The U.S. Forest Service has extended the public comment period for the repeal of the Roadless Rule until October 6.
Last month, the Trump administration proposed rescinding the Roadless Rule, a 25-year-old policy that stops road construction and logging on about 45 million acres of national forest land.
Gov. Gianforte said this will allow Montana to pursue proper forest management on federal lands with local communities in mind.
Roadless areas are vital habitat for elk, mule deer, trout and grizzly bears. Rescinding the rule could have devastating consequences for many animals. Additionally, roadless areas have the lowest density of wildfire ignitions.
Submit a public comment to the U.S. Forest Service here: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2026/09/11/2026-18648/special-areas-roadless-area-conservation#open-comment.