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reasonable electricity and gas rates.
HELENA
5. 3 Ballot Measures Approved for Signature-Gathering
The Montana Secretary of State’s office says the sponsors of three proposed ballot initiatives may begin gathering sig- natures in an attempt to put them before voters in the 2016 election.
One of the proposed measures would allow adults to buy, possess and use mari- juana, while the second would outlaw the drug completely, including for medicinal purposes.
The third measure would bar the use of animal traps or snares on public lands in the state with a few exceptions.
Secretary of State Linda McCulloch previously approved for signature-gath- ering a proposed measure that would allow any school employee with a permit to carry a concealed handgun in a school.
The anti-trapping, anti-marijuana and gun proposals are statutory initiatives requiring signatures from 24,175 voters.
The pro-marijuana measure is a con- stitutional initiative requiring 48,349 signatures.
HELENA
6. Montana Man Faces Homicide Charge for Shooting Home Invader
A state judge won’t dismiss a homicide charge filed against a Montana man who shot and killed a home intruder.
The Independent Record reports that attorneys for James George Stiffler asked the judge to dismiss the charge. Stiffler is accused of shooting Henry Thomas Johnson in May 2013.
The motion to dismiss noted the length of time it took for prosecutors to charge Stiffler — nearly two years elapsed between the shooting and when the charges were filed. It also questioned the quality of the investigation. District Judge Kathy Seeley said last week those questions can be addressed at trial. It is scheduled for February.
Stiffler said he shot Johnson as he moved toward him threateningly, while prosecutors say the evidence indicates Johnson was shot in the back as he fled the house.
HELENA
7. Court Rejects Appeal by Group Suing Over State Election Laws
A federal appeals court has rejected a request by a tax-exempt organization that is challenging Montana’s election laws.
Montanans for Community Devel- opment had asked the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals to overrule a district judge’s order that the group must reveal certain information about itself in its lawsuit against the state.
The group is suing to suspend state laws that would allow it to distribute campaign ads without being labeled a political committee.
The group is listed as a 501(c)(4) orga- nization that allows it to keep its donors and spending out of the public eye. But
U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen previously ruled the group must answer certain questions about itself as part of the lawsuit.
The group appealed the order to the 9th Circuit, which declined last week to take up the matter.
BOZEMAN
8. Democratic Legislator Announces Run for Public Service Commission
A Democratic lawmaker says he will run for the Public Service Commission in hopes of breaking a Republican monop- oly on the panel.
Pat Noonan of Ramsay says he believes the commission that regulates utilities has become overly politicized instead of doing what is doing best for consumers.
The Bozeman Daily Chronicle reports Noonan will run for the seat held by Com- missioner Roger Koopman. All five posi- tions on the commission have been held by Republicans since 2013.
Noonan is serving his fourth and final term in the state House.
BISMARCK, ND
9. Oil Official: Federal Rules Threaten North Dakota’s Output
Forget slumping crude prices — it’s a “suite” of proposed regulations by the Obama administration that most threaten North Dakota’s oil production, a top industry official said last week.
“Jurisdictional overreach appears to be the norm in the federal agency rulemaking process,” North Dakota Petroleum Council Vice President Kari Cutting told a state legislative commit- tee on energy development.
North Dakota sweet crude was fetch- ing about $38 a barrel last week, which is about half of what it sold for a year ago. The number of drilling rigs has plum- meted in North Dakota by nearly two- thirds to 66 due to low prices but pro- duction remains at near-record levels as drillers concentrate rigs in high-volume areas.
Cutting, whose group represents more than 550 companies working in the oil patch, said the industry has increased efficiencies to keep production steady at about 1.1 million barrels daily, sec- ond only to Texas. But the industry will have a tougher time adapting to what she calls a “jurisdictional grab” by the federal government.
New federal rules proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency and the state Bureau of Land Management range from increased air quality stan- dards to additional animals being listed as endangered species, Cutting said.
North Dakota’s oil industry is most concerned about the possibility of the federal government regulating the burn- ing of natural gas as a byproduct of oil production, Cutting said.
The percentage of flared natural gas in North Dakota is about 20 percent because the infrastructure isn’t in place to move it all to market. Less than 1 percent of natural gas is flared from oil fields nationwide, and less than 3 percent worldwide.
AS OUR COMMUNITY GETS LARGER,
YOUR LIFE GETS BIGGER.
In 2018, a new, bigger senior living community is opening at
Buffalo Hill Terrace with big, beautiful new apartments in the heart of the Flathead Valley.
With the expansion, The Villas at Buffalo Hill, your days will be filled with friends and fellowship. Opportunities abound, with plenty of programs for learning, sharing your talents or simply having fun. In addition to new, larger residence options, new amenities such as a heated indoor pool, fitness center and Wooden Nickel Coffee Bar and Lounge, residents will have full access to the existing community amenities including wonderful chef-prepared dining as well as educational and cultural enrichment programs.
Priority deposits are now being accepted. The Villas at Buffalo Hill will include just 36 large apartments for residential living — and they’re bound to go quickly. A fully refundable deposit will allow you to be one of the first to choose your desired apartment and lock-in entrance fee pricing. To find out more, call 866-797-2149.
Villas
A Ministry of Immanuel Lutheran Communities
40 CLAREMONT STREET | KALISPELL, MT 59901 866-797-2149 | WWW.ILCORP.ORG
A Ministry of Immanuel Lutheran Communities
Lodge
A Ministry of Immanuel Lutheran Communities
OCTOBER 21, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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