Graduation Rates / Medical Marijuana / Fires

Missoulian: Montana sees greatest improvement in collegegraduation rates in U.S. 

New State-by-State College Attainment Numbers Show ProgressToward 2020 Goal
“Today, the Administration released new numbers showing college attainment state-by-state based on census bureau data from 2009 to 2010. All told, the percentage of 25-34 year olds with some kind of postsecondary degree rose half a percentage point from 38.8 percent to 39.3 percent. America used to be No. 1 in the world for the percentage of adults with college degrees but has recently slid to 16th. President Obama has called for America to increase the number of degree-holders to 60 percent by the end of the decade.”

Missoulian: Montana Supreme Court: No medical marijuanatransactions between caregivers 

Medical Marijuana Growers et al v.Ed Corrigan, County Attorney 

“…The Order determined that caregivers, as providers of medical marijuana to qualifying patients under Montana’s 2009 Medical Marijuana Act, were not permitted to engage in marijuana transactions with or provide cultivation services to other caregivers or their agents or contractors.”

Missoulian: Wildfire breaks out in Bob Marshall Wildernessnorthwest of Augusta 

Montana Fire Information

FARRM Bill / Corporate Personhood / Fires

Missoulian: House farm bill draws Montana concern 
 

H.R. 6083: Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk ManagementAct of 2012

FARRM summery (From, House Committee on Agriculture)

“The Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management (FARRM) Act is a bipartisan bill that saves taxpayers money, reduces the nation’s deficit, and repeals outdated policies while reforming, streamlining, and consolidating others. It is the product of a two-year process that included auditing for effectiveness and efficiency every single policy under the jurisdiction of the House Committee on Agriculture. The result is legislation that cuts spending, reduces the size of government, and makes common-sense reforms.”

Missoulian: Initiative declaring corporations aren't humanscertified for Montana ballot

BALLOTLANGUAGE FOR INITIATIVE NO. 166 

“Ballot initiative I-166 establishes a state policy that corporations are not entitled to constitutional rights because they are not human beings, and charges Montana elected and appointed officials, state and federal, to implement that policy. With this policy, the people of Montana establish that there should be a level playing field in campaign spending, in part by prohibiting corporate campaign contributions and expenditures and by limiting political spending in elections. Further, Montana’s congressional delegation is charged with proposing a joint resolution offering an amendment to the United States Constitution establishing that corporations are not human beings entitled to constitutional rights.”

Missoulian: Dry conditions, beetle-killed trees raise dangeron 1,200-acre Bitterroot fire 

Montana Fire Information

Russian AdoptionAgreement / Farm Bill

Missoulian: Eureka ranch becomes focus of Russian adoption outrage

Intercountry Adoption
Approval of the Agreement between the United States of America and the RussianFederation Regarding Cooperation in Adoption of Children

“On July 10, 2012 the Russian Duma approved the bilateral adoption agreement signed by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on July 13, 2011.  This marks a significant milestone toward the entry into force of the Agreement, which will provide additional safeguards to better protect the welfare and interests of children and all parties involved in intercountry adoptions."

FAQs: Bilateral AdoptionAgreement with Russia

Missoulian: House panel begins voting on 5-year farm bill

House Committee on Agriculture:Farm Bill 

H.R.  6083: Federal Agriculture Reform and RiskManagement Act              

Political Spending Disclosure / Small Business / Fires / Cybersecurity

Missoulian: Rehberg opposes political spending disclosure legislation, Tester supports it 

H.R.4010: To amend the FederalElection Campaign Act of 1971 to provide for additional disclosure requirements for corporations, labor organizations, andother entities, and for other purposes.

HR: 9  Small Business Tax Cut Act 

“Small Business Tax Cut Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a qualified small business a tax deduction equal to 20% of the lesser of qualified domestic business income or taxable income. Defines: (1) "qualified small business" as any employer engaged in a trade or business if such employer had fewer than 500 full-time employees in either 2010 or 2011; and (2) "qualified domestic business income" as an amount equal to the excess (if any) of the taxpayer's domestic business gross receipts (i.e., gross receipts effectively connected with a trade or business within the United States) for a taxable year over the sum of the cost of goods sold allocable to such receipts and other expenses, losses, or deductions properly allocable to such receipts.

Limits the amount of such deduction to 50% of the greater of: (1) the taxpayer's W-2 wages (payroll) paid to non-owners of the taxpayer's business; or (2) the sum of the W-2 wages paid to individuals who are non-owner family members of direct owners (i.e., stockholders of the business), plus any W-2 wages paid to direct owners who have an ownership interest in the business of 10% or less.”

Chrandal Fire from Idaho side

Missoulian:  Firefighters gain ground across West but struggle in Idaho

InciWeb –Incident Information System

Missoulian: Cybersecurity chief urges action by Congress

H.R.2096 : Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2012 

“Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2012 - Title I: Research and Development - (Sec. 103) Directs specified federal agencies participating in the National High-Performance Computing Program to: (1) transmit to Congress a cybersecurity strategic research and development plan and triennial updates, and (2) develop and annually update an implementation roadmap for such plan.
Instructs the participating agencies, in developing and updating the strategic plan, to solicit recommendations and advice from the advisory

Public Inspection / Wolves / Fires

Missoulian: Broadcasters fight requirement to publish political advertisers' spending online

DEMONSTRATION OF ONLINE PUBLIC INSPECTION FILE INTERFACE
“On July 17, 2012, the FCC will conduct a public demonstration of the database it has developed to host the online public inspection file for television broadcast stations. The FCC will demonstrate the interface to be used by stations to file documents required to be placed in the online database.”

Missoulian: Montana's wolf trapping plan draws huge public response

Montana Wolf Program 

Missoulian: Bitterroot's Chrandal Creek fire remains at 60 acres, under cloud cover

Montana Fire Information

Missoulian: Firefighters battle 117-square-mile blaze in southern Idaho

Idaho Fire Information