Government News For Montana: 5/10/15

Friday, May 15, 2015

Suicide Prevention Training/ School Bullying Reduced

Missoulian: New law encourages suicide prevention training for teachers
HB 374: Provide for school suicide prevention awareness training

Missoulian: Survey: School bullying at lowest ebb in 10 years

Bullying Rates Drop
“According to the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Education Statistics latest School Crime Supplement (SCS) to the National Crime Victimization Survey, in 2013, the reported prevalence of bullying among students ages 12 to 18 dropped to 22 percent after remaining stubbornly around 28 percent since 2005.”

Thursday, May 14, 2015

Ending NSA Program

Missoulian: Senate under pressure after House votes to end NSA program
H.R.2048 - USA FREEDOM Act of 2015

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Mobile Cramming/ Guinta

Missoulian: Montana receives $306K in Verizon, Sprint settlement
AG Fox Announces $158 Million Mobile Cramming Settlements with Sprint, Verizon
“Attorney General Fox announced today that his Office of Consumer Protection—along with the Attorneys General of the other 49 States and the District of Columbia, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and the Federal Communications Commission—reached settlements with Sprint Corporation (“Sprint”) and Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless (“Verizon”), that include $158 million in payments, and that resolve allegations that Sprint and Verizon placed charges for third-party services on consumers’ mobile telephone bills that were not authorized by the consumers, a practice known as “mobile cramming.””

Missoulian: Elections agency: Guinta took illegal money from parents
Details for Candidate ID : H0NH01217

Tuesday, May 12, 2015

Missoula Rape Response/ Montana Bills/ FBI Hair Analysis

Missoulian: DOJ: Missoula police make 'tremendous' progress on rape response
United States Attorney Michael W. Cotter Delivers Remarks on the Missoula Police Department's Full Compliance with Agreement
“It goes without saying that rape is a horribly violent crime with devastating consequences to the victim. Whether the rape is committed by an acquaintance or stranger, victims find themselves in a very, very dark place. When the Department of Justice demonstrated that gender bias was undermining Missoula’s law enforcement response to sexual assault, both the Missoula Police and University of Montana immediately agreed to a broad set of fundamental changes that began to dramatically improve their ability to protect victims of sexual assault. These reforms have made the Missoula Police Department more accountable, transparent and credible. With accountability, transparency and credibility comes community trust. Today, the Missoula Police Department is stronger and trusted. Indeed, Missoula is a model for every town in this nation to emulate.”

Head of Civil Rights Division Vanita Gupta Delivers Remarks at Press Conference Announcing Missoula Police Department's Full Compliance with Justice Department Agreement Over Response to Reports of Sexual Assault

Justice Department Announces Missoula Police Department Has Fully Implemented Agreement to Improve Response to Reports of Sexual Assault

Missoulian: Bullock vetoes 53 bills this year, signed 431
Bills Vetoed by Governor
Bills Signed by Governor

Missoulian: FBI hair analysis problems reveal limits of forensic science
FBI/DOJ Microscopic Hair Comparison Analysis Review
“The FBI, in conjunction with the Department of Justice (DOJ), is engaged in a review of scientific testimony provided by FBI Laboratory examiners in cases involving microscopic hair comparisons.

The purpose of the review is to ensure that FBI Laboratory examiner testimony regarding microscopic hair comparison analysis met accepted scientific standards. In cases in which those standards were not met, remedial action may be taken if appropriate.”