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Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Big Sky Times News

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Attorney General Knudsen and Coalition Demand Bank of America Rectify Debanking Policies

By Big Sky Times | Apr 18, 2024

HELENA – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, along with a coalition of 15 attorneys general, has called upon Bank of America to address its debanking practices, citing discriminatory behavior towards conservative and religious individuals.In a unified effort, the attorneys general have sent a letter to Bank of America’s chairman and CEO, requesting the bank to take necessary actions to rectify its debanking policies. They urge the financial institution to provide a detailed report on its account policies and practices, revise its terms of service to ensure no...

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Attorney General’s Office secures guilty plea from Hill County man for incest, sexual abuse of children

By Big Sky Times | Apr 17, 2024

HELENA – A Hill County man pleaded guilty Monday in Hill County District Court to one count of incest and one count of sexual abuse of children, Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced today.William Ramirez, 41, admitted to law enforcement in December 2021 that he was sending sexually explicit messages and photos of himself to a 15-year-old girl who lived out-of-state. During the investigation, officers also discovered that Ramirez was inappropriately touching the girl around 2018 and 2019 before she eventually moved out of Montana. At one time, the girl also found a...

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Attorney General Knudsen Urges Land Board to Address Private Water Rights Issue

By Big Sky Times | Apr 17, 2024

HELENA – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen has called upon the Montana Board of Land Commissioners to address the issue of private water rights at their upcoming meeting. Knudsen's request stems from concerns raised by farmers and ranchers regarding the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation's (DNRC) decisions affecting private water rights on public land leased from the state.During a recent Land Board meeting, Attorney General Knudsen and other commissioners listened to the grievances of farmers and ranchers impacted by the DNRC's actions....

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VA’s Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loans in Montana average $401,860 for Q1

By Big Sky Times | Apr 15, 2024

The VA’s Interest Rate Reduction Refinance Loans in Montana for the first quarter of the fiscal year 2024 averaged $401,860, according to figures provided by the Veterans Affairs Home Loans Index.

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VA Purchase Loans in Montana average $398,729 for Q1

By Big Sky Times | Apr 15, 2024

The average VA Purchase Loan amount for Montana in the first quarter of fiscal year 2024 was $398,729, according to figures provided by the Veterans Affairs Home Loans Index.

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Number of VA loans issued in Montana decreased by 28.7% from Q1 2023 to Q1 2024

By Big Sky Times | Apr 15, 2024

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) issued 352 home loans totaling $138.8 million in Montana during the first quarter of the fiscal year 2024, according to figures provided by the Veterans Affairs Home Loans Index.

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Mineral County Man Found Guilty of Incest and Sexual Assault

By Big Sky Times | Apr 15, 2024

A Mineral County man, Bradley Thomas Evans, 65, has been found guilty of one count of incest and one count of sexual assault on a minor. The verdict was delivered following a jury trial in Mineral County District Court, as announced by Attorney General Austin Knudsen.According to reports, Evans was convicted of sexually assaulting two young girls between January 2017 and September 2019. The incidents took place at his home in Superior, where Evans inappropriately touched the girls, with one of them being younger than 12 and the other younger than 16.The investigation...

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Attorney General Knudsen and DEA host Montana Family Summit

By Big Sky Times | Apr 10, 2024

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Field Division, organized a Family Summit in Billings to address the drug overdose epidemic impacting the state. The summit brought together over a dozen families from various parts of Montana to engage with local, state, and federal officials on combating the drug crisis."I’m thankful to the families who shared their stories today. I will continue to do everything I can as attorney general to combat the drug crisis in Montana for the parents, siblings,...

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Montana's Q3 2023 individual income tax revenue down 36.5% from previous quarter

By Big Sky Times | Apr 5, 2024

The third quarter of 2023 brought in $481 million in individual income tax revenue for Montana, a 36.5% decrease from the second quarter of 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Quarterly Summary of State and Local Taxes.

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Attorney General Knudsen Leads Coalition Against the Biden Administration’s Abandoning of Immigration Rule

By Big Sky Times | Apr 5, 2024

HELENA – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen today led a coalition of 20 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief in support of states attempting to stop the Biden administration’s collusion with activists. The coalition's amicus brief was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, backing states like Kansas, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and West Virginia in their efforts to intervene in a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s “Circumvention of Lawful Pathways” rule.Attorney General Knudsen expressed his concerns, stating,...

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$164 million in sales and gross receipt tax revenue for Montana in Q3 2023

By Big Sky Times | Apr 3, 2024

Montana collected $164 million in tax and gross receipts, a 33.6% decrease from the second quarter of 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau

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Attorney General Knudsen appoints Kurt Sager as new Montana Highway Patrol colonel

By Big Sky Times | Apr 2, 2024

Attorney General Austin Knudsen has appointed Kurt Sager as the new colonel and head of the Montana Highway Patrol. Sager, who previously served as lieutenant colonel with 21 years of experience within the agency, has been praised by Knudsen for his leadership qualities. Knudsen expressed confidence in Sager's abilities to tackle the public safety challenges facing Montana and looks forward to collaborating with him to serve and protect the people of the state.In response to his appointment, Colonel Sager expressed gratitude towards Attorney General Knudsen for entrusting...

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Montana experiences higher inflation rate than national average as of March 2024

By Big Sky Times | Apr 1, 2024

As of March 2024, Montana experienced a 21.6% increase in prices of goods and services since January 2021, compared to the nationwide trend of a 19.4% increase.

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Average VA home loan amount in Alabama for Q1 totals $394,356

By Big Sky Times | Mar 31, 2024

The average VA home loan amount in Montana during the first quarter of the fiscal year 2024 was $394,356, according to the Veterans Affairs Home Loans Index.

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Montana collects $97 million in license tax revenue in Q4

By Big Sky Times | Mar 30, 2024

Montana collected $97 million in license taxes during the fourth quarter of 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Quarterly Summary of State and Local Taxes.

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Montana collects $160 million in property tax revenue in Q4

By Big Sky Times | Mar 30, 2024

Montana collected $160 million in property taxes during the fourth quarter of 2023, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Quarterly Summary of State and Local Taxes.

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Montana’s combined tax revenues up 10.5% in Q4 compared to same quarter of the previous year

By Big Sky Times | Mar 29, 2024

Montana collected $1.2 billion in combined tax revenues, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Quarterly Summary of State and Local Taxes.

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Attorney General Knudsen Files Lawsuit Against Biden’s Illegal Student Debt Relief Plan

By Big Sky Times | Mar 29, 2024

Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen, along with ten other attorneys general, has filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration's student loan forgiveness scheme. The lawsuit challenges the Department of Education's interpretation of the Higher Education Act, which would result in the cancellation of over $100 billion in student debt.In the lawsuit, the attorneys general argue that the Department of Education is overstepping its bounds by bypassing Congress and creating rules that would effectively turn loans into grants, impacting state economies and leading to...

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Montana’s property tax revenues up 3.2% in Q4 compared to same quarter of the previous year

By Big Sky Times | Mar 28, 2024

Montana collected $160 million in property tax revenues, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Quarterly Summary of State and Local Taxes.

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Montana’s sales and gross receipts tax revenue up 2% in Q4 compared to previous quarter

By Big Sky Times | Mar 27, 2024

Montana collected $237 million in sales and gross receipts taxes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Quarterly Summary of State and Local Taxes.