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https://revenue.mt.gov/news/recent-news/cannabis-control-division-june-2025-newsletter
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Gianforte signs main state budget bill, but makes millions of dollars in cuts
By: Jonathon Ambarian
Jun 20, 2025
HELENA — Up to this week, Gov. Greg Gianforte had signed more than 700 bills into law and vetoed almost 40 more – but Friday was his deadline to take action on the last major budget bills still unresolved from the Montana Legislature’s 2025 session.
The biggest bill by far is House Bill 2, the state’s main appropriations bill, which lays out more than $16 billion in state spending for the next two years. Gianforte signed the bill but used his line-item veto power to remove about $31 million of that.
In his letter announcing the line-item vetoes, Gianforte said the budget was balanced but included “unnecessary spending.”
“We have an obligation to be good stewards of taxpayer resources, regardless of whether we are in more promising fiscal times or more challenging fiscal times,” he wrote. “Protecting taxpayers requires us to make tough decisions, prioritizing what is necessary over what would be nice to have.”
The sections Gianforte struck out included:
$10.7 million in provider rate increases for air ambulance services. Gianforte said in his letter the funding benefited only one type of provider while leaving others out, and that the state could make better decisions on appropriate rates in the future with more complete data.
$6 million in unused money from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which HB 2 had reallocated to food banks, after-school programs, child advocates and mentorship programs. Gianforte said those organizations do “noble work,” but that redirecting this funding would put taxpayers at risk if demand for TANF increases or the federal government changes the rules.
$3 million for student loan repayments to nurses and psychiatrists working at state-run facilities like the Montana State Hospital. Gianforte said MSH has already improved its retention and recruitment without this program, and it didn’t make sense to offer such a program one time only.
$1.8 million in increased funding for prerelease centers. Gianforte said the Montana Department of Corrections is currently in negotiations with those centers, so this funding would be premature.
$1.6 million for contracted correctional facilities, specifically the Crossroads Correctional Center in Shelby. Gianforte said his budget proposal already included an increase for contracted facilities and county detention centers, but the Legislature added additional funding he believed was unnecessary.
HB 2 passed with support from both Republicans and Democrats, but many of the most conservative Republicans opposed it, saying it raised spending too much. Some of them had called on Gianforte to use his authority to trim the budget.
The line-item vetoes drew immediate criticism from legislative Democrats.
“I’m really disappointed in the Governor’s line-item vetoes of HB 2,” House Minority Leader Rep. Katie Sullivan, D-Missoula, said in a statement. “House Democrats worked hard this session to secure investments in making life more affordable for Montanans, but these are the items that Gianforte put on the chopping block. Montana’s budget is a statement of our values, and with these cuts, Governor Gianforte is telling us loud and clear that his priorities are not with working families.”
Because HB 2 didn’t pass the Legislature with two-thirds support in each chamber, there will be no mail-ballot poll to see if lawmakers could override Gianforte’s line-item vetoes.
Gianforte signed four other bills. Among them were House Bill 5, the long-range building bill that includes hundreds of millions of dollars in construction on state facilities, like upgrades at the Montana State Hospital and Montana State Prison. He also signed House Bill 924, which sets up a massive new state trust; it will take in hundreds of millions of dollars to be held and reinvested, with the interest funding programs ranging from infrastructure to child care to property tax assistance.
The governor also vetoed six more bills, bringing his total to 45 bills vetoed this session – almost twice as many as in 2023. For most of them, he cited the cost – as he has in many of his vetoes this year.
The six vetoes include:
House Bill 340, from Rep. Melissa Romano, D-Helena, which would have created a statewide program to provide additional support for teachers in the first three years of their careers.
House Bill 456, from Rep. Jonathan Karlen, D-Missoula, which would have allowed people working for child care providers to receive the Best Beginnings scholarship to help pay for receiving their own child care, even if they made more than the current income maximum.
House Bill 551, from Romano, which would have used state money to ensure families who qualify for reduced-price school lunches did not have to make copayments.
House Bill 628, from Rep. Melissa Nikolakakos, R-Great Falls, which would have expanded the scope of a state program to improve students’ reading proficiency.
House Bill 831, from Rep. George Nikolakakos, R-Great Falls, which would have expanded a property tax credit program for older Montanans.
House Bill 952, from Rep. Frank Smith, D-Poplar, which would have established a process for the state to enter into agreements with Montana tribes regarding marijuana regulations.
While Gianforte has now made his final decision on all these bills, the results of the 2025 legislative session are still not entirely settled. Lawmakers are still voting in several more polls on potential veto overrides, and HB 628 and 831 also received enough support to qualify for polls.
Just a Little Weed – So Why Are You Being Treated Like a Criminal in Wyoming?
by Crime on Cap City Sponsored by Cowboy Country Law
June 23rd, 2025
Why Am I Being Treated Like a Criminal?
You weren’t dealing. You weren’t causing a scene. You weren’t endangering anyone. You just had a little weed — maybe in your pocket, maybe in your car. But now you’re facing criminal charges in a state that treats personal marijuana possession as a serious offense.
It’s frustrating. Especially when neighboring states have dispensaries on every corner and the national conversation has moved past the idea that cannabis use is inherently dangerous. In Wyoming, however, the law says otherwise. And for regular people who aren’t trying to disrupt anything — just trying to unwind — the consequences are still very real.
Marijuana possession charges in Wyoming don’t care about intent. The law doesn’t ask if you were violent, disrespectful, or a danger to the community. If you have it, even a small amount, you can be arrested, charged, and left with a permanent record.
This guide breaks down what you’re facing, what options exist, and how you can fight back — because being treated like a criminal for marijuana possession charges in Wyoming is not something you should face alone.
Is Marijuana Legal in Wyoming?
No. Marijuana — for both recreational and medical use — is fully illegal in Wyoming. Unlike nearby states such as Colorado and Montana, Wyoming has some of the harshest cannabis laws in the region. There are no state-approved dispensaries, no medical marijuana cards, and no personal-use exceptions.
Even a small amount — under 3 ounces — is classified as a misdemeanor and can result in up to 12 months in jail and a fine. Anything over that amount is a felony, carrying much more serious consequences. And it doesn’t matter if you bought it legally across the border. Once you’re inside state lines, Wyoming law applies — and that includes cannabis flower, edibles, vapes, THC oil, and even trace residue in pipes or bags.
Tourists and out-of-state travelers often get caught off guard by this. Many assume that if marijuana is legal where they live, they’re safe carrying it. But in Wyoming, being found with even a gummy or vape cartridge can lead to arrest. The Wyoming Controlled Substances Act outlines these penalties clearly — and they are enforced aggressively.
What Happens After You’re Caught?
Being caught with marijuana in Wyoming — even a small amount — can trigger a legal process that’s far more serious than many people expect. In Wyoming, you’re likely to be arrested, booked, and formally charged with a **criminal offense**.
Many people think they can talk their way out of it — but statements made during stops are often used against them. Others hope the court will go easy because it was “just a little weed.” But prosecutors in Wyoming often take a hardline stance, even for first-time offenses. Under the Wyoming Controlled Substances Act, possession of under 3 ounces of marijuana is a misdemeanor punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a fine — and it’s enforced.
What might have been a private moment in another state can quickly turn into public record here — and it doesn’t go away on its own.
Can You Fight a Marijuana Possession Charge in Wyoming?
Yes — and you absolutely should. Even if the amount was small and clearly for personal use, a possession charge in Wyoming can stain your record and future. But the outcome isn’t always a foregone conclusion. In many cases, working with a knowledgeable attorney can open up real strategies to fight back, reduce the charge, or avoid conviction entirely.
Texas Governor Abbott vetoes THC ban, urges regulation instead
by The Associated Press
Mon, June 23rd 2025
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed a bill Sunday to ban all THC consumables, allowing the booming market flush with THC-infused vapes, gummies and other products to continue to be sold across the state.
Abbott, a Republican, waited until the final moment to veto the bill in what would have been one of the most restrictive THC bans in the country and a significant blow to the state's billion-dollar industry.
Abbott is calling for lawmakers to implement strict regulations on the substance.
The law would have made it a misdemeanor to own, manufacture or sell consumable THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol, products and was the latest push by states to regulate THC after a 2018 federal law allowed states to regulate hemp, a similar plant to marijuana that can be synthetically processed to produce THC, the compound giving marijuana its psychoactive properties.
Abbott, who had remained silent on the issue during the legislative session, faced political pressure from both sides. He explained his veto by stating that SB 3 would not withstand constitutional challenges and that a total ban would conflict with federal and state law.
"Allowing Senate Bill 3 to become law - knowing that it faces a lengthy battle that will render it dead on arrival in court - would hinder rather than help us solve the public safety issues this bill seeks to contain," Abbott said.
The veto has put Abbott at odds with Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, who had prioritized the THC ban as one of his top five bills during his 17 years in the legislature. Patrick had previously threatened to call a special session if the ban was not enacted.
Following the veto, Patrick criticized Abbott's decision on social media, saying, "His late-night veto, on an issue supported by 105 of 108 Republicans in the legislature, strongly backed by law enforcement, many in the medical and education communities, and the families who have seen their loved ones’ lives destroyed by these very dangerous drugs, leaves them feeling abandoned. I feel especially bad for those who testified and poured their hearts out on their tragic losses."
Abbott has urged lawmakers to consider regulating THC products similarly to alcohol, including prohibiting sales and marketing to minors. Patrick announced he will host a press conference in Austin later Monday to address the issue.
Loopholes in existing law have allowed many THC-infused goods to enter the market across the country, including states with strict marijuana laws.
Texas has some of the strictest marijuana laws in the country, prohibiting all recreational use and providing a limited medical marijuana program. The consumables market has allowed residents to legally access goods giving a similar high to marijuana.
Republican lawmakers have criticized the products as dangerous due to a lack of federal oversight in how the goods are manufactured. Texas' ban is one of the more far-reaching among states that have taken similar steps. Several states, including California, have imposed age limits and restrictions on the potency of THC products.
Critics of the Texas bill say it allows people who cannot access marijuana through the state's medical marijuana program to acquire goods that can provide a similar relief. Many retailers across the state also pointed to the thousands of jobs and millions in revenue the industry brings each year.
Last year, Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill that would have put age restrictions on THC consumables, claiming it would hurt small businesses.
MORE MONTANA NEWS
With property seized and federal funding uncertain, Montana asbestos clinic fights for its life
Aaron Bolton, MTPR for KFF Health News
June 23, 2025
https://www.mmm-online.com/news/libby-montana-superfund-asbestos-vermiculite-bnsf-lawsuit/
Dozens of feet of tubing connect Gayla Benefield to her oxygen machine so she can walk from room to room inside her home on the picturesque Kootenai River, surrounded by the Cabinet Mountains.
Like many people who live in this remote town about 80 miles from the U.S.-Canada border, the 81-year-old Benefield has asbestosis, or scarring of the lungs from asbestos exposure.
Her father worked at a now-closed mine that supplied most of the world’s vermiculite, a mineral with a wide variety of uses in insulation, fireproofing, and even gardening. The mine closed in 1990, and in 1999, a Seattle Post-Intelligencer investigation publicly revealed the connection between the asbestos-contaminated mineral and the increasing number of sick Libby residents.
Benefield remembered the white dust that covered her father’s clothes when he got home from work, and she learned later that the whole family had been exposed to asbestos, a tiny fiber that lodges in the lining of the lungs.
“Eventually, that scarring will fully surround your lungs,” Benefield said, “and slowly strangle you.”
The Environmental Protection Agency declared parts of Libby a Superfund site in 2002. Seven years later, the agency declared a public health emergency for the town — a first in U.S. history. A study found that 694 Libby residents had died of an asbestos-related cause from 1979 to 2011. Additionally, health providers in the town of 3,200 estimate that 1 in 10 residents have an asbestos-related illness.
That estimate is from the Center for Asbestos Related Disease, or CARD, a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit clinic that has provided free lung screenings for locals. The clinic, which operates primarily through U.S. government funding, has screened more than 8,900 people. Because asbestos-related disease symptoms can take 30 years or longer to appear, nearly a third of the clinic’s screenings are for new patients, according to a 2024 CARD report.
But now, Libby residents can no longer get that care because a judgment in a lawsuit brought by BNSF Railway closed the CARD clinic in May. Clinic leaders are fighting the court order and have vowed to reopen its doors, but the lawsuit isn’t the only threat to the clinic’s survival.
The federal grant that provides 80% of the clinic’s operating revenue is on a list of cuts the Trump administration is considering. If the $3 million grant is cut, the clinic would likely close for good, CARD executive director Tracy McNew said.
The grant was frozen then unfrozen, after the Office of Management and Budget issued then rescinded a memo freezing grants having to do with nongovernmental organizations; diversity, equity and inclusion; and other areas. But White House officials have said they will continue reviewing those grants for potential cuts, leaving McNew uncertain of the grant’s status even as clinic officials — and Department of Justice attorneys — fight in court to recover the CARD assets seized in the BNSF lawsuit.
The Office of Management and Budget, the White House. and the Department of Health and Human Services did not respond to NPR and KFF Health News’ request for comment on the status of the clinic’s grant.
Cutting the grant might not be easy, said Tim Bechtold, an attorney who represented the clinic in the BNSF case. The Affordable Care Act gave Libby asbestos patients access to Medicare and calls on the federal government to offer grants to fund diagnostic services for them.
In 2020, the Montana Supreme Court ruled that BNSF could be held liable for spreading asbestos along its tracks when the railroad shipped Libby vermiculite across the country.
The year before, the railroad sued under the False Claims Act, arguing that CARD defrauded the government by erroneously diagnosing patients and helping them apply for Medicare benefits. The law allows private parties to take on fraud cases on behalf of the federal government if federal prosecutors decline to take the case. Money awarded in those cases goes back to the federal government, but private parties keep a portion of the winnings.
A jury sided with BNSF’s claims that CARD falsified the records of more than 300 patients who received federal benefits. CARD officials said those patients did not receive a diagnosis of asbestos-related disease, but the clinic determined them eligible for Medicare under the ACA based on abnormal radiology readings.
In a statement to NPR and KFF Health News, BNSF denied the lawsuit was an attempt to avoid legal liability for asbestos contamination along its tracks.
In 2023, the clinic filed for bankruptcy, citing the BNSF lawsuit. In May, BNSF persuaded a county court to allow the company to seize nearly all of CARD’s property to collect its share of the roughly $6 million court judgment. It took control of nearly everything, from the clinic’s building to its lawn mower.
The federal government is coming to CARD’s defense. In a court filing, the office of the U.S. Attorney for Montana, Kurt Alme, said that because CARD property was largely purchased with federal grant funding, BNSF cannot seize it.
The case has moved to federal court and the judge is expected to rule on whether BNSF can seize CARD assets to collect its portion of the judgment. In the meantime, CARD patients will have to look elsewhere for screening and treatment, services that could be difficult to find.
Diagnosing people with asbestos-related disease or showing that other conditions are tied to asbestos exposure requires expertise, said Robert Kratzke, an oncologist at the University of Minnesota who studies cancers tied to asbestos.
“Most physicians would be modestly clueless about what to look for,” he said.
Kratzke explained X-rays or CT scans need to be done in a specific way and read by specialized doctors, known as B readers, to diagnose patients.
Kratzke said rebuilding the expertise of the CARD clinic would be difficult in a small town like Libby.
“It would be very, very hard for the physicians and hospitals in Libby to follow these people as they would need to be followed for the rest of their lives,” Kratzke said.
Jenan Swenson is the only one of Gayla Benefield’s five children who hasn’t yet been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease.
She received the results of her last screening at the CARD clinic the day before it closed in May. For now, the 62-year-old is in the clear.
Swenson expects to eventually develop breathing problems from her asbestos exposure as a child. Her mom, for whom she is a caregiver, also needs ongoing screenings for lung cancer.
She worries they’ll have to travel out of state to find that care if the CARD clinic doesn’t reopen, which Swenson said they can’t afford. She doesn’t think her family will be the only one.
“There’s going to probably be a lot of people just lost out there with no place to go,” Swenson said.
Plane Ostlund was piloting struck power lines, caught on fire in crash
Jun 20, 2025
https://billingsgazette.com/news/local/article
The plane Yellowstone County Commissioner John Ostlund was piloting struck power lines, flipped and caught on fire, according to a Preliminary Federal Aviation Administration Report on the fatal crash Thursday afternoon.
The Thursday evening report said the circumstances causing the 1969 Cessna 172 to crash are still unknown. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board will further investigate.
Ostlund was the only person on board.
The crash site was several miles south of Billings in grassy hills in the Blue Creek area alongside Wyman Creek.
In a Facebook post Thursday evening, Billings Mayor Bill Cole joined the community in mourning for the long-serving Republican commissioner. Ostlund had a wife, five kids and several grandchildren.
“I had the privilege of working with John for 20 years,” Cole’s post read. “He dedicated a lifetime to public service and will be greatly missed. Our prayers are with Kristie and his family.”