Guest Opinions

Montanans work together to protect our waters

Montanans know how precious water is. It’s essential for fish and wildlife, boating and angling, irrigating, drinking and creating much of our electricity. When something threatens our water — such

Loss of newspapers has big impact on communities

My first newspaper job in 1984, fresh out of college, was with the News Leader in Richwood, West Virginia. Richwood was a beautiful little town in the mountains on the

Montana Country of Origin labeling fails to pass Legislature

The Montana Cattlemen’s Association is very disappointed that the Montana Legislature refused to enact a Montana Country of Origin Labeling law (Mt-COOL). Although the bill did receive limited bipartisan support,

UPOM applauds legislation clarifying ownership of fossils

Fossil remains, including dinosaur fossils, have historically belonged to the surface landowner in a split estate. However, in December of last year a federal court ruling upended fossil ownership in

States, big ag move to revoke basic property rights

Across the nation, six states have passed or proposed policies that serve as a clear rebuke of private property rights. In Utah, Nebraska, Georgia, North Carolina, West Virginia and Oklahoma,

Playing the waiting game

In December, 2015, my son Mike was diagnosed with Alport Syndrome. By the end of January, 2016, Mike was on dialysis because of kidney failure. Later that year, we went

The road to no more victims

My son Dustin had unforgettable, fiery red hair and a huge, goofy grin. He loved to make people laugh. One summer night shortly after graduating high school, Dustin got a

Legislature missed chance to improve access

Polls consistently show Montanans support public lands and access to them. And yet, the 2019 Montana Legislature consistently opposed bills that improve access and supported bills to reduce it. Of

Conservation programs give farmers tools

Federal working lands conservation programs, such as the Conservation Stewardship Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, give farmers the tools they need to help build soil health, protect natural

FCC data overstating broadband

The Federal Communications Commission is responsible for collecting data to measure access to broadband Internet across the country. This data is used to prioritize funding for areas that have relatively

Poll

What advice would you give to a high school graduate?