Government News & Events

“As the top elected official in each state, governors sign legislation into law, recommend and approve state budgets and have wide-ranging powers to appoint department and agency heads and fill board and commission positions,’’ Leah Rush, the center’s states projects director, said in a press release. “Requiring them to disclose their private financial ties could reveal possible conflict of interest.’’

"In the restaurant business, we spend our whole lives trying never to have an enemy," he said. "You’ll do anything – even to the point of going above and beyond what you think is fair – to make sure that relationship continues in a positive way. It always struck me that that was a more useful paradigm in politics."

If public participation is a goal, local government should work harder to make public hearings more user-friendly.

“Montanans don’t want the federal agents listening to their phone conversations, rifling through their papers, checking on what books they read and monitoring where they go and when. We think they ought to mind their own business.” Gov. Brian Schweitzer

Citizen surveys are an increasingly popular tool for soliciting feedback on policies, programs and priorities.

Freudenthal’s office said von Wolffradt, 50, will be responsible for developing a technological roadmap for the executive branch. Von Wolffradt has served as director of information services for Snohomish County in Washington State for the past five years and has previous experience in the private sector.

The Montana Board of Investments, Helena, hired five managers to run active domestic equity portfolios, pending contract negotiations, confirmed Carroll South, executive director.

"This was out of character for him. But at the end of the day, he just wasn’t exhibiting the kind of veracity that we need and demand out of our employees."
Erik Iverson,
chief of staff for Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont.

Washington state officials want to deploy changes to alleviate state personnel’s employment of acronyms, jargon and legalese that routinely pervade interfaces with constituents. Or, in plain speak: Talk to the public as you would talk to any other person — simply, and in clear language.

Schweitzer appeared on Colbert’s Comedy Central show, "The Colbert Report," Thursday night, and from the start Colbert started poking fun at Schweitzer.