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lived among the bu alo here. The bu alo sustained our way of life, provided our food, clothing, shelter,” Blackfeet Chair- man Harry Barnes said. “It became part of our spiritual being. We want to return the bu alo.”
The 89 plains bison, also known as buf- falo, will form the nucleus of a herd that tribal leaders envision will soon roam freely across a vast landscape: the Black- feet reservation, nearby Glacier National Park and the Badger-Two Medicine wil- derness — more than 4,000 square miles combined.
Bison were hunted to near-extinction in the late 1800s as European settlers advanced across the once-open Ameri- can West.
Most of the animals that survive today are in commercial herds, raised for their meat and typically interbred with cattle. The Blackfeet have a commercial bison herd established in 1972 that numbers more than 400 animals.
The lineage of Elk Island’s bison, which experts say are free of cattle genes, traces back to a small group of animals captured by several American Indians on Blackfeet land just south of Canada.
HELENA
4. Signups for Montana’s Medicaid
Expansion Exceed Expectations
More than 38,000 previously unin- sured Montanans have enrolled for health coverage from the state’s Medic- aid expansion program.
State o cials told a legislative over- sight committee that the pace of enroll- ment is far exceeding expectations, and they are especially encouraged by the number of young adults who have enrolled. Nearly half of enrollees thus far are between the ages of 19 and 34.
The state Department of Public Health and Human Services had expected about 23,000 to be enrolled by this time. Instead, more than half of the 70,000 Montana residents eligible for the pro- gram, known as the HELP Act, now have health insurance.
Medicaid expansion was hotly debated during the last legislative session and won passage only after Democrats and Repub- licans hammered out a compromise that included a workforce component.
HELENA
5. Supreme Court Rejects GOP
Appeal to Close Montana Primaries
The U.S. Supreme Court on March 23 rejected a Republican Party appeal seek- ing to close Montana’s primary elections in June, meaning any registered voter will be able to select a GOP ballot.
The Montana Republican Party and eight central county central commit- tees want to require primary voters to register as Republicans before being allowed to participate in the June 7 elec- tions. Two lower courts had denied their request for an emergency injunction, resulting in the long-shot appeal to the nation’s high court.
The court takes up very few petitions it receives, but in this case, Justice Anthony Kennedy had requested more informa- tion about the issue. That had given GOP
attorney Matthew Monforton a glimmer of hope that the court would intervene, but it denied the appeal without com- ment a day after all the arguments had been led.
The Republican plainti s’ lawsuit, which is still pending in a lower court, argues the system violates their First Amendment right to associate. They contend the state’s open-primary sys- tem allows Democratic, independent or third-party voters to a ect the outcome of their elections and Republican candi- dates must alter their message to appeal to those crossover voters.
Senate Majority Leader Matthew Rosendale and House Majority Leader Keith Regier testi ed last year that a closed-primary system would help con- servative Republicans keep party moder- ates out of the Legislature.
HELENA
6. 9 Legislative Candidates
Disquali ed After Failing to File
Montana o cials have disquali ed nine candidates for the Montana Legis- lature for not ling required campaign documents.
The candidates removed from the ballot March 22 include four Democrats, four Republicans and one Libertarian.
The purging leaves three incumbent legislators without opponents in either the primary or general election. They are Republican Rep. Mark Noland of Bigfork, Democratic Rep. Bryce Bennett of Mis- soula and Democratic Sen. Jon Sesso of Butte.
The removal of two other Democrats means Republican primaries will decide the winner of House District 71 and Sen- ate District 18.
State law requires candidates who missed the deadline to le documents with the commissioner of political prac- tices to be taken o the ballot.
Commissioner Jonathan Motl says his sta attempted to contact the dis- quali ed candidates and local election administrators about the delinquent paperwork.
MISSOULA
7. Man Who Pleaded Guilty to
Indecent Exposure Gets Prison Time
A 22-year-old man who pleaded guilty to exposing himself to girls in Missoula and Lolo last spring has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
District Judge Karen Townsend sen- tenced Cole William Francisco after a two-hour hearing March 22. She gave him credit for the year he has spent in jail. He will have to complete the rst phase of sex o ender treatment before being eligi- ble for parole and must register as a Level II sex o ender.
Francisco pleaded guilty in January to two counts of indecent exposure, mis- demeanor attempted indecent exposure and felony drug possession for having a date-rape drug in his car.
At the time of his arrest, Francisco was on misdemeanor probation for a 2014 conviction for watching a Missoula woman inside her house.
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MARCH 30, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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