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The four Republican members of Montana’s federal delegation voted for the bill. The legislation will mean an estimated $2.6 million cut for public outlets in the state. In June interviews with Montana Free Press, Yellowstone Public Radio, Montana Public Radio and Montana PBS said that roughly 16% of their funding comes from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the passthrough for the federal money.
But broadcasters say tribal radio stations, which primarily serve rural audiences, will be disproportionately affected by the cuts. President and CEO of Native Public Media Loris Taylor said before the final vote that if Congress approved the rescission, 36 of the 57 tribally licensed radio stations nationwide “could go dark.” These tribal radio stations, Taylor wrote in an email to Montana Free Press this week, serve as lifelines during emergencies and deliver weather warnings, evacuation orders and Amber Alerts for missing Indigenous people.
As congressional Republicans finalized Medicaid work requirements in President Donald Trump’s budget bill, one man who relies on that government-subsidized health coverage was trying to coax his old car to start after an eight-hour shift making sandwiches.
James can get the prescription drugs that help him stabilize his life and hold down that job through Medicaid, the state-federal insurance program that covers people with low incomes or disabilities. Those drugs curb his desire for alcohol and treat long-standing conditions that exacerbate his addiction, including bipolar and insomnia disorders.But he hasn’t qualified for the program in months, ever since his work hours increased and he received a raise of about $1 an hour. He exceeds his income eligibility limit of about $21,000 per year by roughly $50 a week. James said that despite his raise, he’s struggling to cover routine expenses, such as keeping his car running and paying his phone bill.
In Cascade County, Immigration Detention Is A Revenue Generator
A 2021 contract allows immigration detainees to be sent to the county jail. Concerned community members recently gathered to oppose the facility’s role in immigration enforcement. The Cascade County Detention Center is the only jail in Montana with a contract to hold immigration detainees for longer than 72 hours. According to Sheriff Jesse Slaughter, it’s a matter of revenue.
“Federal inmates bring in $55 more a day than state inmates,” Slaughter said during a county meeting on Thursday. “This revenue is vital to preventing budget shortfalls and continuing operation.” Amid the Trump administration’s highly publicized immigration enforcement and news that the Cascade County Sheriff’s Office was considering an expansion of immigration detentions, concerned community members gathered at the recent county commission meeting to oppose the county’s role.
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