As the 2025 Montana Legislature begins to wind down, lawmakers must perform their sole constitutional duty: pass a balanced budget. In theory, this should be a low-key affair in which Republican majorities in the state Senate and House agree to the various line items to send to Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte for his signature. But that is not the case this year. Recently, we have published dueling guest columns in which state Senate Democrats have praised the bipartisan budget “that helps families make ends meet” and Senate Republicans (including Majority Leader Matt Regier, R-Kalispell, pictured above) have criticized it as “inflated,”  “reckless” and asked Gianforte to use his veto power to “trim the fat.”

The budget debate reflects what has happened for much of the session. The so-called “Nine,” a group of Senate Republicans who have sided with the minority so often that they have been censured by the Montana GOP, sided with Democrats again. And, like previous votes, Republicans’ 32-18 advantage in the chamber wasn’t enough. The Nine voted with 18 Democrats to pass the two-year state budget 27-23.

I’m Kellyn Brown, and I hope you’re enjoying this sunny Monday. For the thousands of subscribers to our flagship newsletter, you may notice a few changes to the Daily Roundup. Along with brushing up the design a bit, we’re hoping to provide added value to the newsletter each day with reporters providing more context to their work and sharing insights that won’t be published anywhere else.

The newsroom is following several stories this week. We’re looking at how your property tax bills will be impacted by lawmakers’ votes in Helena. Along with keeping tabs on what’s shaking out in the state Legislature, we’re reporting on last week’s arrest of a Venezuelan man with no criminal history who was living in the Flathead Valley on legal status. We’ve also interviewed nonprofits about how the elimination of federal grants will affect food banks and social services.

Here are the most popular posts the Flathead Beacon has published over the last week:

• Glacier Park Plows Push Past Big Bend (read)

• As the Silver Tsunami Hits the Flathead Valley, Dementia Diagnoses are Rising While Caregivers Reach a Breaking Point (read)

• Vertical Feat: How a Retired School Teacher Smashed Big Mountain’s Boldest Skiing Record (read)

• Logan Offers a New Treatment for an Irregular Heartbeat Disease (read)

• Whitefish Crowd Marches in ‘Dump Trump’ Rally (read)

Now let’s take a look at some of today’s top stories from northwest Montana and beyond …

What You Can Buy for About $1,100,000: In Romy Caro’s latest real estate roundup, she features a Kalispell home overlooking the Stillwater River; a Columbia Falls residence with numerous upgrades; and a Whitefish property tucked away at the end of a cul-de-sac. See all the listings here.