By Phil Drake | Montana Watchdog

HELENA – Draft plans for possible ways to redraw Montana’s legislative districts are now posted online atwww.leg.mt.gov/districting.
The Montana Districting and Apportionment Commission is required to redraw legislative district lines after each decennial Census. Historically, districting has been used as a tool to give a party a political advantage.
The plans, drafted by commission staff, reflect one [...]

By Phil Drake | Montana Watchdog
HELENA – A judge has ruled that the state must make available specific information on the employee salaries requested by a Bozeman-based think tank, despite claims it was not required to provide such information.

By Jim Dooley | Hawaii Reporter
HOLOLULU- University of Hawaii head football coach Norm Chow says his annual salary is salary is $550,000.

The university last week cited “personal privacy” exemptions in the state’s open records to withhold Chow’s precise compensation.

Hawaii Reporter protested that decision to the state Office of Information Practices, citing a 2003 OIP opinion that [...]

By Phil Drake | Montana Watchdog
HELENA – If you spot what you think are shenanigans during the upcoming elections, just remember, help is a mouse click away.
On Friday, Montana Secretary of State and Chief Elections Officer Linda McCulloch launched www.montanafairelections.com, a new website that she said will make it easier for citizens to report potential state election law [...]

By Phil Drake | Montana Watchdog

The Heritage Foundation offers “Appropriations Tracker 2012,” designed to monitor the progress of appropriations bills as they move through the House and Senate.
Heritage Foundation officials said the tracker will be updated regularly to reflect the most recent status of these discretionary spending bills as they progress through each chamber.
Appropriators are [...]