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 – Back from a recent trip to China, Gov. Brian Schweitzer on Monday said Chinese officials are interested in financing a $150 million pork processing plant in Shelby and transporting the product back to their country.
The facility, which could slaughter 800,000 pigs a year, would be built by American labor and [...]

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 Michael Noyes | Montana Watchdog
HELENA – By all accounts the Republicans will likely have already chosen a presidential candidate by the time Montana voters go to the polls in June.
“Historically speaking, the nomination is usually decided long before Montanans cast a vote,” state Republican Party Chairman Bowen Greenwood said.
That doesn’t mean Republicans in [...]

By Phil Drake | Montana Watchdog
MISSOULA — Gov. Brian Schweitzer said this week the state of Montana will join the Montana University System’s ultra-high speed telecommunications network which is expected to save $500,000 in annual costs.