[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6325827,"mediaKeyId","2331026-8659ac65c4c8a3a807d0435afaa4dd66","parentId",2331026,"title","U.S. senator and representative outline federal priorities: energy, wildfires, veterans and economic policy","audioSeconds",922,"startMs",1371000,"endMs",2293000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2331026-8659ac65c4c8a3a807d0435afaa4dd66&start=1371&end=2293","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2331026-8659ac65c4c8a3a807d0435afaa4dd66/thumbnail_1371000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6325827/Montana/US-senator-and-representative-outline-federal-priorities-energy-wildfires-veterans-and-economic-policy","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325827-259f55bb5be7b38a15730f186c68721b/orig.mp4?Expires=1775105188&Signature=jPxUengSjEOthmhS4lwi8VIYWSa~GfcVEb7kjYS3jZw5E9iITzIT-vOfNpLXtee-bHDghM2jfTnGjchYPTLH~6LTeG4EWF15BACr-TDpT1NJ1OgYtNWUQXuCgqxNVDinzpGUh335q4IqZc1NVIrbtlSJhA7Sf8cxZDhot4R7a30vbq-mOCulEgtSAZ4m-DMuct4h28lol0BjdehsF6TIB8ipLohkMs847EzfkdZ8UcsqXo3F~ZEtNCO~fyUdp0pe6ZdxqEdYWg5vYwvKrMK96Or6BSmfGyxeHgPr~FRgJN8~1ockNqLCqC8T6S6UyhIGiCjW1F7iu7reQ6-qPGmX4A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana Legislature","date","2025-02-17T00:00:00Z","article","U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy and U.S. Rep. Troy Downing told a joint session of the Montana Legislature that they will press federal priorities related to energy, wildfire response, veterans' housing and rural economic development, and invited state lawmakers to coordinate on overlapping goals.

\"I will work every day to... deliver you lower grocery prices, cheaper gas, and a secure border,\" U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy said after being introduced to the joint session. He described legislation he supports in Washington, including the Lake and Riley Act and a proposed National Wildfire Service Act that would consolidate wildland firefighting capacity under a single agency or director.

Sheehy described bills he said he introduced or backed: the VA Home Loan Awareness Act to improve veterans' access to home loans, the Homeowner Energy Freedom Act to expand homeowner energy choices, and a bill to repeal the federal estate tax. He also cited bipartisan support for wildfire response bills and said food security is national security.

U.S. Rep. Troy Downing urged lawmakers to use his office as an amplification of their work and described priorities including capital formation for small rural businesses, digital assets and artificial‑intelligence policy, and constituent services. \"If you have a problem where we can help — veterans issues, Social Security issues, passport issues — I want you to lean on our office,\" Downing said.

Both visitors described Montana priorities they said they will press in Washington and invited collaboration with state officials on energy, infrastructure and public‑safety issues. Their remarks were general policy overviews rather than requests for specific state action in the transcript.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Floor Session and Formal Address Day Feb 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy and U.S. Rep. Troy Downing addressed a joint session, describing recent federal actions and bills they support — including wildfire response reforms, veterans' housing and energy measures — and offering to work with state lawmakers on shared priorities.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MT, Montana","taxId",77694,"location","Montana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6325831,"Fort Peck chairman urges lawmakers to respect treaties, support water settlement and tribal infrastructure",911,4688000,5599000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2331026-8659ac65c4c8a3a807d0435afaa4dd66&start=4688&end=5599","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2331026-8659ac65c4c8a3a807d0435afaa4dd66/thumbnail_4688000.jpg","/articles/6325831/Montana/Fort-Peck-chairman-urges-lawmakers-to-respect-treaties-support-water-settlement-and-tribal-infrastructure","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325831-00560847abb6c87685c9537c7f3df701/orig.mp4?Expires=1775105188&Signature=b5XI~7-ljJxfP5gqhfBmuKJYQALhOEE-mpeGzCNZlf1flzgVE4uMRHOp8vP0VHkanWKC2-FwMMIR5nyu1JvvkI2BccYj~gC7APvrJfQq5L7YXWJbzQ6Cc-A96SGHHKo2cuYheUbDa-IU~MpzoITo12qGFUWn2TzvqOgU1SYwlxvFA~YEgOjOq5s9j5~4O4URL91vruAclVM9HTVt5~FAiQER47i1TZg9YewxtYl4AZ5MAzCN4aMNbfdxJ8WGe33-KmtK31tDPCX~DERG~mm0SILvpvDNM0lmZL7xx-n2g6kBD5EIDfrh~8vEkml9vC~fhEHqETjxCa9u72Lt7e86jA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chairman Justin Greyhawk Sr. of the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux tribes delivered the state of the tribal nations address to a joint session of the Montana Legislature, urging lawmakers to honor treaty obligations, support tribal economic development and infrastructure, and preserve Indian education and cultural programs.

\"On behalf of the Fort Peck, Assiniboine, and Sioux tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation and the tribal nations across the state of Montana, I am honored to present the state of the tribal nations address,\" Justin Greyhawk Sr. said. He reported the Fort Peck Reservation covers more than 2,000,000 acres and serves about 11,000 tribal members.

Greyhawk cited recent collaborative efforts — including state support for the Fort Belknap water settlement and a marijuana tax‑sharing agreement with the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes — as examples of constructive government‑to‑government work. He said expanded Medicaid has been \"the lifeline to Indian country and all of Montanans.\" He also called for continued assistance on law‑enforcement funding, Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) responses, and honoring Native languages and education mandates in the state constitution.

The chairman warned against proposals he described as infringing on treaty rights and said tribes oppose legislation that would impose a single religious standard in schools. He highlighted tribal efforts to restore buffalo herds and called for state cooperation to return bison to native grasslands. \"We cannot allow racist bills that cause racist division in our communities,\" Greyhawk said.

Greyhawk concluded by asking legislators to consider tribal impacts when crafting laws and recalling U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black's comment that \"great nations like great men should keep their word.\"","Chairman Justin Greyhawk Sr. told the joint session the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux and Montana tribes are resilient, asked for continued state support for water settlements, Medicaid expansion, and infrastructure projects, and warned against bills that would infringe treaty rights.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6325836,"Montana chief justice urges more judges, faster mental‑health evaluations and preservation of legislative records",313,3413000,3726000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2331026-8659ac65c4c8a3a807d0435afaa4dd66&start=3413&end=3726","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2331026-8659ac65c4c8a3a807d0435afaa4dd66/thumbnail_3413000.jpg","/articles/6325836/Montana/Montana-chief-justice-urges-more-judges-faster-mentalhealth-evaluations-and-preservation-of-legislative-records","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6325836-651b937c9a92c6d04c1248c2bb75a5f3/orig.mp4?Expires=1775105188&Signature=NuLox~fgvXofWbgRIelV~h82ELaYUKMK3aZG6kWlTLHllul67md5-0EYqds-BzkqhajQIqEaTyLeWqgimC~9uMw13O47s6HBsfnih6wnlRVmMgaJNQItihwTbNeXnUFujf8owLnbOpuQdyuPDxuUOtDi9RGwkA3xyF7YLCoGuNcS2zJyyqhptdiRFye1EiMDM~EIOCxbvtFuDDNRBFzJtVAPodTcVe7wQMak5U0JNzXbghZdp8VyluFgFz4H4gO5p8~vPR0Z3oyGxmFkSRf0zcwiusBVYncSKgNYTrIKDtGiuo2Z34Rrp4wO~GZJGpKrnWMOzwVC06BwMuNg4QORpQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chief Justice Swanson told a joint session of the Montana Legislature on Monday that the state judiciary needs greater capacity, including three additional district court judges in Yellowstone County, faster mental‑health evaluations for criminal defendants, and a coordinated effort to preserve decades of legislative committee recordings.

\"We also ask for the addition of 3 district court judges in Yellowstone County,\" Chief Justice Swanson said during his prepared remarks to legislators and guests. He said Yellowstone County accounts for a disproportionate share of time‑intensive cases: a high percentage of statewide criminal filings and child neglect cases.

Swanson said long waits for court‑ordered mental evaluations and treatment — including transfers to the Galen forensic mental‑health facility and placements at the Montana State Hospital — are delaying trials and forcing judges into difficult choices about detention or release. \"This solution lies entirely in your hands,\" he said. \"The problem is real, it is statewide, and it's not going away.\" He warned that prolonged delays could lead to dismissals of serious criminal cases.

The chief justice also urged the legislature to lead an effort to catalog and preserve legislative archives maintained across multiple institutions. He said recordings of committee hearings from 1997 through 2003 are at particular risk because some exist only on single cassette tapes. \"There is one subset of these records that is in danger of being permanently lost,\" he said, urging an interim study or commission to coordinate the Montana Historical Society, State Library, Legislative Services Division and State Law Library.

Swanson said the judicial branch will undertake a comprehensive review of its programs and staffing to seek efficiencies and better meet current needs. He asked lawmakers to focus on measures that build judicial capacity and avoid statutory changes that could undermine the judiciary’s ability to function, noting that some proposed bills may raise separation‑of‑powers concerns.

Swanson closed by asking legislators to consider the judiciary’s operational needs as they weigh budget and policy decisions. \"If you support my vision to increase the capacity and proficiency of the judiciary,\" he said, \"I ask that you consider these remarks each time you vote on a judicial bill.\"","Chief Justice Swanson told a joint session of the Montana Legislature that the judicial branch needs three additional district court judges in Yellowstone County, faster forensic mental‑health evaluations to avoid trial delays, and an effort to preserve committee hearing recordings from 1997–2003.","actionData","errors"]

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U.S. senator and representative outline federal priorities: energy, wildfires, veterans and economic policy

Fort Peck chairman urges lawmakers to respect treaties, support water settlement and tribal infrastructure

Montana chief justice urges more judges, faster mental‑health evaluations and preservation of legislative records