Good morning; on the Beacon today, three candidates are seeking the House District 3 seat, a 1,815-square-mile district encompassing Columbia Falls, West Glacier, the North Fork and the Canyon, which is typically controlled by the GOP. Earlier this year, the Northwest Power and Conservation Council adopted a revised energy plan for the Pacific Northwest, identifying cost-effective energy efficiency as its top resource priority, while also calling for continued growth in renewable resources and long-term exploration of smart grid technology. A scientific study released Wednesday said a proposed hunt for gray wolves in the Northern Rockies would cut the endangered species’ population in Montana by roughly half during a single season. And Dave Skinner sees Whitefish’s planning doughnut debate as a microcosm of national politics.
Majority Democrats facing tough re-election fights rebelled in both chambers of Congress Wednesday against their leaders’ decisions to call off controversial votes, pass a temporary bill to keep the government running and head home. The tiny pygmy rabbit does not warrant protection under the endangered species act, a federal agency said Wednesday in its latest ruling against the creature. Montana’s two U.S. senators, Max Baucus and Jon Tester, were among just four Democrats who joined Republicans on Tuesday to block a bill from Democratic leadership that would have punished U.S. companies that ship jobs overseas. A Helena district judge will hear arguments today on a challenge to Montana’s nearly century-old, voter-passed ban on direct corporate spending to support or oppose political parties or candidates. Supporters of a $3.4 billion government settlement with American Indians will have to keep waiting. Shelby is a town that is proud of its booming business and economic growth. But the community now has one more reason to boast — the state’s largest pumpkin was grown there.