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By Kathleen Shannon - Producer, Contact - News
Big Sky Connection - An overarching health topic during this year’s legislative session in Montana is Medicaid expansion, which is due to expire in June. A coalition of groups that support expansion, including caregivers who rely on the coverage, are rallying in Helena on Wednesday. Comments from Jeannie [JEAN-ee] Brown, bus driver, Belgrade Public School District, and full-time caregiver; and Kristen Stewart, Billings organizer, Big Sky 55+.
Click on the image above for the audio. According to KFF Health News, roughly 77,000 Montanans were enrolled in Medicaid expansion last October, a topic expected to get a lot of attention this legislative session as the program is scheduled to expire in June. (Adobe Stock)
Kathleen Shannon
January 14, 2025 - A coalition of Montana groups will rally at the Capitol Wednesday to advocate for the protection of Medicaid expansion, which legislators will debate this session before the program's scheduled expiration in June.
The state's 10-year-old Medicaid expansion program covers 75,000 low-income Montanans at an annual cost of about $1 billion, according to KFF Health News. The state picks up about 10% of the tab.
Kristen Stewart, Billings organizer for the advocacy group Big Sky 55+ and a caregiver who is enrolled in Medicaid herself, noted many Medicaid enrollees work but the work is often undervalued.
"Medicaid supports a lot of people who are doing unpaid work," Stewart pointed out. "Things that were we to monetize, you would see an economic boost from their production level, often more than the cost of their care."
The Gianforte administration already tightened eligibility for the program, cutting the number of enrollees by nearly 40% between May 2023 and October 2024. The program currently covers nondisabled adults ages 19 to 64 who make less than $21,000 a year.
Jeannie Brown, a bus driver for the Belgrade Public School District and a full-time caregiver and legal guardian for her teenage granddaughter, said if Medicaid expansion does not get reauthorized, she will be on a "slippery slope."
"Because I'm 60 years old and I'm having my own health issues after being a caregiver, it's hard work and it takes a toll on you physically, financially and emotionally," Brown explained. "I'm hoping these legislators really take all of these things into consideration and reauthorize it."
Any laws passed on the issue could also affect the state's behavioral health services, which Gov. Greg Gianforte has made a priority.
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PNS - Tuesday, January 14, 2025 - Republicans want to attach 'strings' to California fire aid, a judge clears the release of findings about Trump election interference, and North Carolina Republicans seek to invalidate tens of thousands of votes in the state's Supreme Court race.
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PNS - Tuesday, January 14, 2025 Powerful winds in the forecast as firefighters battle major LA County wildfires; Trump supporters go 'all in' for Pete Hegseth with money, coordination; Hoosiers on alert as Trump's OMB pick sparks policy concerns; Ohio cities embrace clean energy innovation; CA trans advocates focus on economic opportunity.
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By Kathleen Shannon - Producer, Contact - News
Big Sky Connection - It’s National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and national groups like TAT – formerly Truckers Against Trafficking – are diversifying the groups they educate on the issue, including energy workers. Meanwhile, Montana’s governor and attorney general say they are prioritizing the issue. Comments by Lindsey Mattson, director of industry engagement (energy), TAT.
Click on the image above for the audio. Montana's Department of Justice opened 21 human trafficking investigations in 2024, which will be submitted for prosecution, according to the department. (Adobe Stock)
Kathleen Shannon
January 13, 2025 - January is National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and educators are training workers in key industries to recognize and report the crime, including energy workers in places like Montana.
Human trafficking is the use of force, fraud or coercion to exploit people for sex or labor.
Lindsey Mattson, director of industry engagement for the group TAT, formerly known as Truckers Against Trafficking, said the industry makes big illicit profits globally, second only to the drug trade.
TAT now trains groups across the transportation sector that are likely to intersect with traffickers including energy workers and people working at truck stops and dealerships.
"We can mobilize millions of people to move from passive bystanders to active disrupters," Mattson explained. "That is really our goal, is to train as many people as possible throughout all transportation industries to truly have an impact on fighting this crime."
Gov. Greg Gianforte and Attorney General Austin Knudsen have prioritized addressing human trafficking in Montana. A 2023 law increased penalties for both traffickers and patrons. The state's Department of Justice worked nearly 130 cases related to trafficking in 2024.
Mattson stressed energy workers are vital eyes and ears on the ground, because they may use the same gas stations and hotels as traffickers. The workers themselves are targeted because they are often stationed in one place.
"They look for concentrations of men housed away from home with purchasing power," Mattson noted. "For the energy industry, something like a work camp or project location."
TAT has trained nearly 2 million professionals to identify and report the crime, including 50,000 energy workers in 43 companies.
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