Montana House Speaker has refused to allow transgender lawmaker Rep. Zooey Zephyr to speak on the House floor until she apologizes for comments she made about a bill to ban gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth. In response, activists held a "die-in" protest in the state Capitol rotunda to demonstrate their support for Zephyr, who has refused to apologize and is continuing to fight for the rights of transgender people in Montana.
Posts tagged as “Montana”
Montana has become the first state to ban the popular social media app TikTok, with the state House of Representatives passing a bill to prohibit downloads of the app and its operation within the state. The bill goes further than prohibitions in place in nearly half the states and the U.S. federal government, and is seen as a testing ground for a potential TikTok-free America. It remains to be seen whether other states will follow Montana’s lead and enact similar bans, and how the bill will be enforced and withstand legal scrutiny.
Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey has announced his intention to seek a fourth term in office in 2024, providing a welcome boost to Democrats ahead of the upcoming election cycle. Casey has been in office since 2007 and is the longest-serving Democratic U.S. senator in Pennsylvania history. He has a close relationship with President Biden and is a vocal supporter of his top priorities. His name recognition and incumbency power will be a major asset for Democrats in the upcoming election.
Oklahoma voters rejected a state question on Tuesday that would have allowed for the recreational use of marijuana, with 57.7% of voters voting against it. Former Republican Gov. Frank Keating and Terri White, the former head of the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, led the opposition to the proposal, arguing that the state should focus on medical marijuana. Supporters of the proposal argued that it would create jobs, generate tax revenue, and reduce the number of people incarcerated for marijuana-related offenses.
A powerful winter storm has caused record-breaking temperatures across the United States, ranging from minus nine degrees in Montana to 95 degrees in Texas. This has caused over 785,000 customers to lose power, 1,600 flight cancellations, and winter weather alerts for parts of the country. People are advised to stay safe and follow the instructions of local authorities.
Montana Senator Jon Tester has announced his intention to seek a fourth term in the U.S. Senate, a key race for Democrats to maintain their slim majority in 2024. Tester, a 66-year-old farmer, has held the seat since 2007 and is the only statewide elected Democrat in Montana, a state that typically elects Republicans by double-digit margins. He has been a vocal advocate for veterans, and has pushed for legislation to reduce the cost of health care and prescription drugs.
US intelligence officials are assessing whether the suspected Chinese spy balloon, which crossed into US airspace, was diverted off course by strong winds or deliberately maneuvered by the Chinese government. The National People’s Congress’s Foreign Affairs Committee has accused American lawmakers of trampling on the sovereignty of other nations in response to the US's condemnation of the balloon's intrusion. The balloon's unexpected route, which went north and reentered the US through northern Idaho, is being investigated.
The U.S. military has recently shot down several unidentified flying objects over North America, with some speculating they could be of extraterrestrial origin. On Sunday, a national security spokesperson said the objects were much smaller than the suspected Chinese spy balloon shot down earlier this month. The intelligence and counterintelligence communities are still trying to figure out what the objects are, and the public will have to wait for an explanation.