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PNS - Friday, May 30, 2025 - Trump's visa clampdown plunges 275,000 Chinese students in U.S. into uncertainty; HIV testing, outreach falter in MS amid federal funding cuts; WV residents could foot bill for VA data center infrastructure; MI senator sponsors tax credit, cash allowance bills to help families.
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By Kathleen Shannon - Producer, Contact - News
Big Sky Connection - After seeing DEI funding cuts in March, fair-housing groups in Montana and across the nation are raising an alarm about Republicans' proposed federal reconciliation bill, which has zeroed out funding for their work. Comments by Pam Bean, executive director, Montana Fair Housing.
Click on the image above for the audio. Montana Fair Housing receives the most requests for assistance from people with disabilities, including veterans. (Lightfield Studios/Adobe Stock)
Kathleen Shannon
May 29, 2025 - Housing groups across the country this week have declared a National Week of Action, as federal lawmakers consider a budget eliminating all funding for Fair Housing programs.
Montana Fair Housing ensures housing in the state is nondiscriminatory, as mandated by federal law but Republicans' federal budget bill, which last week advanced from the House to the Senate by a single vote, has zeroed out all funding for Fair Housing Initiative programs in 2026. Lawmakers argued groups can still apply for Fair Housing Assistance Program dollars.
Pam Bean, executive director of Montana Fair Housing, said the state does not have the program.
"If the budget stands as it is now, there will be no fair housing monies coming into the state of Montana," Bean pointed out. "To get a FHAP, we would have to change our state law."
Bean noted the group she receives the most requests from, and would be most affected by cuts, is people with disabilities including veterans, older Montanans who have age-acquired limitations and those who have worked in the ag, mining and timber industries.
Bean added Montana Fair Housing helps not only people seeking housing but also groups trying to comply with the law.
"Over 13% of the folks who reached out to us last year were housing providers looking for assistance on understanding the law, on how to develop a policy that wasn't discriminatory on different issues, et cetera," Bean reported.
Fair Housing was already hit by DOGE DEI funding cuts in March. Bean stressed one way Montanans can have an effect during the week of action is to call their representatives.
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PNS - Thursday, May 29, 2025 - Immigrants drive rural population growth, especially in Texas, North Carolina and Iowa, ICE agents are targeting immigrant labor groups along with their leaders, and Louisiana's T-Rey's lures customers with hogshead cheese and boudin.
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PNS - Thursday, May 29, 2025 - U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff says he feels optimistic about a Gaza ceasefire. Clean energy tax credits are in jeopardy in Congress' big budget and policy bill. And Trump administration pauses new student visa interviews.
