Law enforcement dispute resolved with new Montana state code

Montana Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a bill on May 12 to resolve a decades-long law enforcement dispute between Lake County, the state and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT). The legislation provides $6 million from the state’s General Fund to reimburse Lake County and the CSKT for law enforcement services on the Flathead Reservation, according to Montana Free Press. A Gianforte spokesperson said the bill is “a step in the right direction to finding a long-term resolution.”

The law aims to encourage cooperation and ends a conflict rooted in jurisdictional questions dating back to the 1950s. In April, Montana state Rep. Shelly Fyant, a CSKT citizen, called it “a solution that works for everyone.”