Government

Federal Judge Issues Injunction Stopping Title IX Rules

9 July 2024
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By Steve Wilson,The Center Square

A federal judge has issued an injunction that put a temporary hold on new Title IX rules issued by the Biden administration.

U.S. District Court Judge Terry Doughty issued the order in a lawsuit brought by the states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana and Idaho. The injunction keeps the final rules from going into effect pending a review by the U.S. District Court of the Western District of Louisiana. 

The new rules finalized by the Department of Education and which are supposed to go into effect Aug. 1 expand the definition of sex discrimination to include gender identity and pregnancy, but the agency didn’t issue any rules relating to transgender athletes. Among the changes include a prohibition on single-sex bathroom and locker rooms and requirements that a school use pronouns based on a student’s preferred gender identity.

Doughty said in the order that the new rule violated the free speech and free exercise clauses of the First Amendment along with the spending clause and “is arbitrary and capricious.”

The judge also said in his ruling that for one of these injunctions to be issued, the plaintiffs must show a substantial chance of success on the merits of their case, a threat of irreparable harm that must outweigh any that would result if the injunction weren’t issued and it must be in the public interest. Doughty said the plaintiffs did so successfully. 

Doughty also said that the plaintiffs were able to prove that the harassment standard created by the rule is contrary to Title IX and he said they “made compelling arguments for how it can violate the free speech right of the First Amendment.”

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill, who brought the Title IX lawsuit, praised the ruling. 

“This a victory for women and girls,” Murrill said in a statement. “When Joe Biden forced his illegal and radical gender ideology on America, Louisiana said NO! Along with Idaho, Mississippi, and Montana, states are fighting back in defense of the law, the safety and prosperity of women and girls, and basic American values.”

Title IX prohibits educational institutions that receive federal funds from discriminating on the basis of sex in both educational programs and activities.

Federal courts have already acted against the Biden administration’s rules. 

U.S. District Court Judge Reed O’Connor granted the state’s motion for summary judgement in a case over a mandate issued by two federal agencies before the administration amended Title IX to redefine biological sex to include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity.” 

He also denied the Biden administration’s request to dismiss and vacated the guidance nationwide and issued a permanent injunction against its enforcement in Texas.

14 AGs Petition Court over Federal Mining Rule 

9 July 2024
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By Bethany Blankley, The Center Square

Attorneys general from multiple states for years have been petitioning courts and suing to block federal agency rules from going into effect, arguing the agencies promulgating them are exceeding their statutory authority. The latest petition makes a similar argument about a final rule issued by the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Office (OSMRE) related to state regulatory oversight of coal mining.

Fourteen attorneys general filed a petition for judicial review with the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia asking it to vacate the rule they argue seeks to strip states of regulatory authority delegated to them by Congress and the U.S. Constitution.

The petition was filed by the attorneys general of Indiana, West Virginia, Alabama, Alaska, Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wyoming. Several state agencies are also petitioners.

Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, two OSMRE directors, and both federal agencies were named as respondents.

The petition argues the rule, which went into effect May 9, exceeds Haaland’s statutory authority, is arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion and inconsistent with law. The AGs asked the court to declare the rule unlawful, vacate it and grant temporary relief pending the outcome of litigation.

The OSMRE Final Rule amends the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 (SMCRA), which gives states exclusive jurisdiction over regulating surface coal mining and reclamation operations with few exceptions. It also gives states the sole authority to issue permits and bonds; states also inspect mining sites and enforce regulatory requirements. The SMCRA only applies to non-federal and non-Indian land.

The law limits the Interior secretary’s mining regulatory authority with two exceptions: the secretary is authorized to issue a “Ten-Day Notice” to state regulatory authorities if there is “reason to believe” a regulatory violation exists and to take over a state regulatory program if the state fails to enforce it.

The OSMRE explains that it amended the law in its rule change to limit the sources of information to determine if a possible violation exists. It also changed its definition of “reason to believe,” which it says “is supported by its legislative history.” The OSMRE also said it made the changes because it “observed instances in which requesting and considering information from” state regulatory agencies resulted in delays.

It made the claim after the Interior secretary and OSMRE officials previously acknowledged that delays occurred at times because state regulatory agencies needed weeks or months to perform complex investigations, including because of inclement weather, the lawsuit notes.

But the real reason OSMRE officials changed the definitions of the exceptions was to limit states’ rights, the AGs argue. The final rule “is dismissive of consequences for federalism,” the complaint states.

Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita, leading the coalition, said, “Simply put, this new rule is unlawful.” It intrudes on the states’ “rightful authority under the American system of federalism. We’re suing to uphold the proper balance of power between the individual states and the federal government and to prevent another unjustified assault by the Biden administration on coal.”

The rule “proposes to overthrow the Act’s deference to States” by issuing ten-day notices, the complaint states. It also subjects “state decisions over which the Act affords States exclusive jurisdiction, such as permitting decisions, to federal oversight through ten-day notices.”

OSMRE also “seeks to make the federal government the regulator of first resort,” stripping states of their regulatory authority, the complaint states.

The rule eliminates a key requirement that citizens must first contact state regulators with concerns before they can contact the federal government. It also imposes “inflexible, arbitrary timelines on states to complete complex investigations without regard for facts on the ground, setting up federal regulators to swoop in,” the complaint states.

The AGs represent state regulatory agencies that oversee surface coal mining operations and are responsible for enforcing the SMCRA within their states. They also pointed out that these agencies received positive reviews from OSMRE officials.

Last year, OSMRE officials said Indiana’s Department of Natural Resources “administers its program in a way that effectively protects citizens and the environment from adverse impacts resulting from surface coal mining activities,” Rokita said.

OSMRE officials also said Montana’s program “had no regulatory problems” and Montana “takes citizen complaints seriously,” Montana AG Austin Knudsen said. OSMRE found “Montana DEQ appropriately responded to complainants in a timely manner consistent with applicable rules.”

$15.8 million for Behavioral Health

9 July 2024
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$15.8 Million in Grants to Increase Community-Based Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Care

As recommended by the Behavioral Health System for Future Generations (BHSFG) Commission the State of Montana is issuing a total of $15.8 million in one-time grants to increase bed capacity for community-based residential providers offering behavioral health care or developmental disability services.

The grants represent the next allocation of $300 million in funding from the state to reform and improve Montana’s behavioral health and developmental disabilities services systems.

“Timely access to more residential services at the local level is critical and plays a major role in preventing the need for more intensive services down the road,” Gov. Greg Gianforte said. “I thank the commission for advancing another recommendation that will help to transform the delivery of behavioral health care in Montana.”

Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) Director Charlie Brereton said the goal of the grant program is to stabilize or increase residential services across Montana and to build sustainable capacity, while also ensuring more Montanans can be served in clinically appropriate settings closer to home.

“This funding represents yet another key milestone to ensuring providers at the local level have the resources they need to serve Montanans appropriately,” Dir. Brereton said. “We know the current lack of residential services capacity in our state leads to inefficient treatment, challenges for patients discharging from inpatient settings, and missed opportunities to keep Montanans closer to home. We are eager to help solve this longstanding issue and will continue to advance projects like these with the needs of future generations in mind.”

Possible uses of the grant funds include helping purchase or construct new facilities, upgrading and maintaining existing facilities, and hiring and training staff to increase bed capacity.

In the coming weeks, DPHHS will work toward finalizing contracts with eligible providers who applied for the funding and received an award. DPHHS will publicly announce award recipients once all contracts are effectuated.

Cities Get Reimagine Grants

21 June 2024
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Eleven communities across Montana are receiving $19,600 for Reimagine What is Possible Grants to support community development projects. Reimagining Rural is a program spearheaded by MSU Extension in conjunction with the Montana Community Foundation and other partners. The program provides small towns with opportunities and resources to shape their future.

Tara Mastel, the program lead of MSU Extension’s community vitality program, describes Reimagining Rural as an initiative aimed at boosting volunteer involvement in rural areas. “As we mark 4 years since its inception, we witness remarkable collaboration between local organizations, residents and the rise of leadership within these communities, as they actively shape their collective future. It’s impactful and inspiring work.”

Grants are provided through the support of the Montana Community Foundation. Since Reimaging Rural’s inception in 2020, $115,160 has been reinvested in small towns across the state through grants from the Montana Community Foundation and 53 communities have been through the program. This year’s grantees include:

* Big Timber – $2,000 to Sweet Grass Community Foundation to draw visitors downtown through better signage.

* Boulder – $2,000 to Boulder Chamber of Commerce to purchase and install banners on Main Street. 

* Choteau – $2,000 to MSU Extension – Teton County to create an online community wide calendar for residents.

* Cut Bank – $2,000 for the Cut Bank Chamber of Commerce to create wayfinding signage in and around Cut Bank.

* Ekalaka – $2,000 to the Carter County Geological Society to enhance Veteran’s Park with a community garden and convertible benches for visitors.

* Forsyth – $2,000 for MSU Extension – Rosebud and Treasure County Office to create a disc golf course at Riverside Park in Forsyth.

* Lima – $2,000 to the Town of Lima to create a community foundation, install a kiosk, and host a community event.

* Miles City – $2,000 to the Miles City Public Library for building revitalization in the form of a community mural.

* West Yellowstone – $1,600 to the West Yellowstone Foundation for town beautification initiatives and clean up challenges.

* Winnett – $2,000 to Winnett ACES, Inc to draw visitors downtown through better signage and the installation of banners on Main Street.

Businesses Get Federal Grants

21 June 2024
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Six Montana businesses and agriculture producers are receiving federal funding to support “clean energy projects” planned for their businesses. Montana division of the USDA Rural development agency is making the grants through the Rural Energy America Program (REAP), which is aimed at helping agricultural producers and rural small business owners expand their use of wind, solar, geothermal and small hydropower energy and make energy efficiency improvements.

The awardees are as follows:

* Heberle Ford in Forsyth will use a $10,125 grant to make energy efficiency upgrades to the business. This project is expected to save this rural car dealership $1,743 in annual energy costs.

* Soundcolor Studios Inc. in Livingston will use a $17,200 grant to install a roof-mounted 6-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system with a 30-kilowatt hours battery. This film, music, and art studio operation is expecting to save $1,155 per year in annual energy costs and replace 100 percent of its annual energy consumption.

* West Paw Properties LLC in Bozeman will use a $37,237 grant to make energy efficiency improvements. The business, which manufactures dog toys and other products, expects to save $2,559 in annual energy costs.

* Highmark Properties LLC in Choteau is receiving $85,854 in grants to install a 74.205-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system at the Twin Peaks Assisted Living Facility. It’s expected this project will save $5,607 in annual energy costs and replace 82,427 kilowatts in energy use.

* Terri Kollman, a rural agricultural producer outside Joliet will use a $20,000 grant to buy and install a 9.84-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system. The project should save this producer $2,030 in energy costs and replace 14,877 kilowatt hours of electricity per year.

* Bart R. Bilden of Lavina will use a $49,797 grant to purchase and install a 29.1-kilowatt solar photovoltaic system. It’s expected this project will save $6,343 in annual energy costs and produce enough energy to replace 100 percent of the energy used per year to support their farm and ranch operations

Americans Less and Less Able to Deal with a “Rainy Day”

20 June 2024
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A recent article published by the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, which serves several states including Montana, highlighted three points about the ability of Americans to deal with a “rainy day”:

* Fifty-four percent of U.S. households have emergency savings to cover three months of expenses

* Americans have exhausted accumulated pandemic savings, and the saving rate is lower than before COVID

* After-inflation earnings appear on-track with longer-term trends, but spending has settled significantly higher

By Jeff Horwich

Senior Economics Writer

The “rainy day fund” is a mainstay of personal finance columnists: Set aside enough to cover a few months of household expenses in an emergency. It is hard advice to follow. Economists have long recognized that many households at all income levels live hand-to-mouth, with most income going toward consuming goods and services and paying off debt. Even when people own considerable assets, many are locked in illiquid forms like housing and retirement accounts.

The COVID pandemic was a shock to our spending and saving. A surge of government financial support coincided with the sudden loss of many ways we typically part with our money—restaurants, concert tickets, leisure travel. For a while, more households looked ready for that rainy day.

New data confirm Americans are sliding back from our pandemic savings peak. The Fed’s latest Survey of Household Economics and Decisionmaking (SHED) finds that 54 percent of U.S. adults have enough savings to cover three months of expenses if they lost their primary source of income.

These results, gathered in October 2023, are down slightly from a year before and more than 5 percentage points off from the high-water mark in 2021. The downward trend is similar across education levels, racial groups, and other categories the SHED explored. There is some good news here: The proportion of rainy day–ready households seems to have stabilized. And we are still in better shape than the late 2010s, when the Fed began asking the question.

A complementary view comes from the personal finance website Bankrate, which recently found 2 in 3 Americans would be worried about covering even one month of living expenses if they lost their job. Per their survey in January, 51 percent of Americans would have to cut spending or borrow to pay a sudden $1,000 expense.

Seen through certain lenses, the current U.S. economy is remarkedly resilient. Consumer spending, corporate profits, and job growth have been sustained despite higher interest rates. Emergency savings and other pocketbook indicators tracked by the SHED provide another critical vantage for policymakers to understand financial well-being and resilience at the household level.

Economists at the San Fransisco Fed have tracked the rise and fall of “excess savings” accumulated during the pandemic—that is, savings above what we might have expected based on the pre-pandemic trend. These excess savings reached a peak of $2.1 trillion in August 2021—more than $8,000 per U.S. adult.2 According to the San Francisco Fed calculations, households finally exhausted them in March of this year. As of this writing, Americans’ cumulative savings are now slightly below where we would expect them to be if the pandemic had never happened.

The official personal saving rate published by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis also shows how American savings returned to earth after government stimulus payments in 2020 and 2021. As the economy reopened, so did wallets. Since early 2022, Americans are saving less than 5 percent of disposable income.

We are resuming a long-term story. Historically, the personal saving rate fell from the teens in the 1960s, ’70s, and early ’80s to less than 2 percent in the mid-2000s. In the 2010s, the saving rate rose a bit and settled around 5 percent. So far, since the pandemic, we are saving less than we did before it.

Saving for a rainy day is some combination of personal decisions and economic pressures—not least, the 18 percent increase in the overall price level in the four years since the start of the pandemic. To peer through the effects of inflation, it is valuable to look at real (after-inflation) patterns for a clearer view of what, if anything, has changed.

Let’s start with earnings. The real hourly compensation index from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics shows how the surge in real earnings early in the pandemic petered out through 2021 and 2022. While some American workers experienced big raises during this period, price inflation was faster.

After a wild, three-year ride of labor shortages, job quitting, and inflation, the average American worker has neither gained nor lost ground. Real compensation is back where the pre-pandemic trend would have projected.

However, this return-to-trend is out of alignment with the spending side of the household ledger. True, life has gotten more expensive because of inflation; in raw dollar terms, we would expect consumer spending to increase. Yet even after factoring in higher prices, spending by U.S. consumers remains more than 4 percent above the pre-pandemic trend.

In today’s dollars, Americans are spending about $2,300 more than what the pre-pandemic trend would project. Why we are consuming significantly more—even after inflation—is a fascinating question with no obvious answer.

In the meantime, the observation that real spending has settled at a higher level over the past three years seems a likely factor in the lower share of Americans with emergency savings.

At the same moment, Americans are feeling a steep rise in interest payments (which are not included in the spending data). As interest rates have increased on credit cards, car notes, and other personal loans, real per capita interest payments are almost double their pre-pandemic level.

U.S. credit card balances in early 2024 are 13 percent higher than one year prior. Credit card delinquencies are at the highest level since 2012.

These sticky increases in spending and borrowing—while compensation has fallen back to its long-term trend—help explain why emergency savings might be hard to build. Setting aside a rainy day fund is also harder for some than for others.

Notably, Black adults and people aged 45 to 59 were the only groups to show slight upticks in rainy day readiness in 2023. Younger adults and people without a college degree are substantially less ready to ride out a disruption in income. Black and Hispanic Americans, people in rural areas, and parents with children at home—many of whom are facing rising child care costs—are also less likely to have emergency savings set aside.

18 States Have Falling Tax Revenues

19 June 2024
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The Center Square

In a new analysis on state tax revenue trends, 18 states reported falling tax revenues, with California reporting the lowest. 

According to The Pew Charitable Trusts’ Fiscal 50 project, state tax revenue outperformed its long-term trend in 32 states, with Alaska leading all states by far. It collected more than 11 times, 1,041% more than, its long-term trend level, the report found. The states with the next-highest collections compared with their long-term trends were Wyoming (37.7%), New Mexico (32.5%), West Virginia (10.6%), and Montana (10%), the report found.

The analysis evaluated tax revenue trends, which measure the difference between recent state tax collections and a 15-year trend level, Pew explains. The data is adjusted for inflation and seasonality. “This approach provides a window into how current conditions compare with a state’s long-term trajectory over the previous 15 years and may paint a different picture than recent state forecasts and relatively volatile quarterly and annual percentage changes,” the report states. “A deeper understanding of long-term trends can help state leaders judge whether their budgets are on a sustainable path and allow for better-informed fiscal planning and policy formulation.”

When tax revenue in the second quarter of 2023 was compared with 15-year trend levels, adjusted for inflation and seasonality, California had the weakest tax revenue of -16.2%, followed by Minnesota (-4.9%), New York (-4.8%), and Connecticut (-4%).

“California’s underperformance is partially attributable to the recent delay in the income tax filing deadline for state residents, which pushed large sums of personal and corporate income tax payments from April to November,” the report notes.

Overall, the number of states performing below their long-term revenue trends shifted dramatically, from four in the previous quarter to 18, according to the report. Fifteen new states reported below their long-term revenue trend: Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Iowa, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Nebraska, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, and Washington. Revenue in California, Minnesota, and Wisconsin was already below trend, the report notes.

The long-term trend value is defined “as the 15-year linear trend of tax collections leading up to each quarter, after adjusting for inflation and seasonality,” the report explains. 

Overall, total state tax revenue growth was 1.2%, or $4.2 billion, in the second quarter of 2023, below its 15-year trend, according to the report. Additionally, it points out: “For the first time since 2000, no state had fewer than a month’s worth of operating funds in its total balances. Between fiscal years 2007 and 2021, 8 states ran long-term deficits, carrying forward costs of past services and government operations.”

Tax revenue remained strong in the two largest red states. Both Texas and Florida were among 32 states whose total tax collections outperformed their long-term trend. 

Among the 45 states that collect sales tax, Texas and Florida were among 40 whose sales tax revenue exceeded their long-term trend. 

Their growth “stands out especially since state tax collections across the nation were 1.2% below their long-term trend,” Alexandre Fall, senior associate with The Pew Charitable Trusts, told The Center Square. 

As of the second quarter of 2023, Texas’ tax collections soared 9.6% above its 15-year trend, bringing in an additional $1.9 billion. “The major contributor to Texas’s strong performance was above-trend sales tax revenue, which accounts for 62% of the state’s tax collections,” she said. “These revenues were up 8.5%, or $1.1 billion, above the state’s 15-year trend. Nationally, sales tax collections were 4.9% above their long-term trend.”

Over the same time period, Florida’s tax collections were also “notably strong, exceeding the state’s 15-year trend by 6.5%, or $983 million,” Fall said. “A significant factor in Florida’s growth was above-trend sales tax revenue, which the state depends on for 61% of its tax collections. These revenues were 8.9%, or $847 million, above the state’s 15-year trend. Nationally, sales tax collections were 4.9% above their long-term trend.”

Overall, Fall said, “Understanding long-term trends helps state leaders determine if their budgets are sustainable and supports smarter fiscal planning. It’s critical that policymakers consider why tax revenues are deviating from long-term trends—both overall and for specific revenue streams. This means looking at whether changes are due to policy shifts, external forces like demographic changes, or a mix of both. To ensure long-term fiscal health, lawmakers should also figure out if these deviations are due to temporary factors or if they signal a more lasting structural change that requires policy adjustments.”

Bofto Enthused about Challenge; YSC Hopes for Grant to Help with Gangs

16 June 2024
Evelyn Pyburn
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Sam Bofto thought he had achieved all the goals of his 28 years in law enforcement, a couple months ago, when he retired from the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s office as undersheriff – but such appears not to be the case. Earlier this month he accepted a new position – a new challenge – as the Director of the Youth Services Center, filling the position of Val Weber, who recently retired after serving as director for 28 years.

Beaming happily, Bofto said in an interview with Yellowstone County News, that he is having a good time – and learning a lot. In fact, he is looking back, and thinking that maybe he missed his calling. While he always wanted to be in law enforcement, he is thinking this is the road he was meant to be on.

This is the first time in 28 years he doesn’t have to wear a uniform every day, beamed Bofto, attired in a casual sport jacket and shirt. He bemoaned, however, about now having to buy his own gas. Bofto said that he passed through “it all” in law enforcement. “I did the streets for five years,” and then was a detective and county corner.

But, now he is realizing “I still have a few years to give.”

The Ted Lechner Youth Services Center  (YSC), at 410 S. 26th Street in Billings, is a secure detention facility that holds minors, up to age 18, who have allegedly violated the law, while their cases go through the judicial system. YSC also operates a shelter care facility that provides a temporary safe and secure “home” for children, who through no fault of their own, have nowhere else to go.

It’s nothing like law enforcement, said Bofto, who also served five years as commander of the Yellowstone County Detention Facility, before being named undersheriff eleven years ago.

In talking about the new challenge before him, it became clear that Bofto appreciates the opportunity to help the young people who pass through the Youth Services Center. “There are a lot of them who really need some help,” he said.

YSC has “a lot of needs”, explained Bofto, not least of which is more space. With the detention facility having been booked to capacity for many months now, the need to expand it is looming large and it is an issue that the county commissioners are talking about, said Bofto.

YSC serves a multi-county area, with the respective counties paying the daily cost ($235 a day) of security, room and board – -and education. They employ 35 people. There are only two other similar facilities in the state, one in Missoula and another in Great Falls.

The detention portion of the center has a maximum capacity of 24, and is currently occupied with 21 youth offenders. The current population is posing a unique problem in that many of them are all part of the same gang and are being held on related charges so they cannot be allowed to communicate with one another. The shelter portion of the center currently has four residents.

Bofto joins a team of dedicated professionals , who he very much respects and appreciates. Two of those individuals accompanied him to a meeting with Yellowstone County Commissioners, last week, to discuss the prospect of getting a grant that would bring one or two professionals to assist YSC, perhaps in cooperation with Pine Hills Youth Correctional Facility, to help in redirecting the lives of “students” in the system.

Especially excited about the possibility of a multi –million dollar, 3 -year grant under the Project Encourage program from the University of Alabama, is Hank Richards, who has served as the counseling and education director at YSC for the past 18 years. He was joined by Terra French, who is Chief of Youth Court, which gives oversight to child protective services, monitoring  the well-being of children who come from conflicted homes, making sure they have a safe place to live and other treatments that may be needed.

Prior to the meeting Richards and French talked excitedly about news that two of their students had passed HiSet tests, achieving Montana High School Equivalency Diplomas.

The duo explained that Dr. Kristine Jolivette, at the College of Education at the University of Alabama strongly encouraged them to apply for the grant. They explained that they had worked with Jolivette previously, having received two past grants from university programs. This grant would provide the funding and oversight for one full time or two part time individuals, who would provide assistance in dealing with serious gang problems with juveniles. It would help determine if “our interventions are working,” said Richards.

French commented that the program is especially needed given the failure of School District 2’s mill levy that included the hiring of a gang specialist.

They explained to the county commissioners that while the University of Alabama would hire the educator(s), YSC and the county commissioners would vet the candidates and oversee the program locally. It would become effective this fall.

Bofto commented that there is a need to work with students to teach them about gangs — about how to get out of gangs – “how to keep from doing stupid stuff.”

Richards is cautiously optimistic about getting the grant – but all agreed that given the issue Billings is having with gangs it could be greatly beneficial.

“Super Pigs” Threaten to Invade Montana

16 June 2024
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Montana is among several states being threatened by an invasion of “super-pigs”, according to New Atlas.

The pigs have wreaked havoc in Canada and are on the verge of crossing the border into Montana, North and South Dakota and Minnesota. They have been seen 18 miles from the North Dakota border.

“The growing wild pig population is not an ecological disaster waiting to happen – it is already happening,” said University of Saskatchewan’s Ryan Brook, professor and lead researcher for the Canadian Wild Pig Project.

The US has been home to ‘normal’ wild pigs for decades, but super-pigs are bigger, faster and more destructive, although less aggressive.

Disease is also a big concern.

Saskatchewan scientists have found that super-pigs are expanding their territory by 9% each year, leaving a path of ecological and agricultural destruction in their wake, having spread rapidly across the country, from British Columbia to Ontario and Quebec, in just a few years.

The hybrid animals are more mobile than other breeds, and there’s not much to stop them. Most of the US-Canadian boundaries are continuous farmland or forested landscapes, which can be easily crossed.

 In the late 1980s, Eurasian wild boar was introduced for game farming  and fenced-in hunting, but when market demand for hunting changed, some were released into the wild. They bred with domestic pigs, evolving an ecological superpower to tolerate supreme cold and a high rate of reproduction, as well as an increase in size. They easily adapt to new environments, free of the habitat constraints and migration challenges that most animals face.

Their prolific breeding and destructive foraging is considered a potential catastrophe for agriculture and the environment.

“Wild pigs can cause soil erosion, degrade water quality, destroy crops, and prey on small mammals, amphibians and birds,” said Ruth Aschim, a PhD student who led the 2019 study. “One of the main problems is the rooting behavior; they upturn the soil because they like to eat the roots and tubers of vegetation. It’s essentially like a rototiller went through an area.”

What’s more, the super-pigs can breed in any season, and sows will have a litter of around six piglets annually. The young are sexually mature in four-to-eight months, and not even a harsh winter can slow them down, as they thrive in the snow, living in ‘pigloos’ underground. They’re also not fussy eaters, and will demolish crops such as corn, wheat, sugar cane and canola, as well as native insects, birds, reptiles and other, smaller, mammals. This is on top of the destructive ‘renovating’ they do by rooting around in the soil.

While it is believed the pigs typically weigh about 250 pounds, a team captured and weighed a pregnant sow to discover she weighed 683 pounds.

And while the super-pigs aren’t aggressive unless threatened, they do bring with them a sizeable pathogenic risk. Disease is a huge concern with wild pigs. They’re reservoirs of not only African Swine Fever, but 39 other viral and bacterial diseases, as well as parasites. They can be transmitted to domestic livestock, wildlife, and humans.

Wildlife Groups Threaten Feds with Lawsuit over Wolf Protections

21 May 2024
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By Chris Woodward, The Center Square

A coalition of animal welfare and wildlife advocacy groups plans to file a lawsuit against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service over gray wolf protections, pointing to the killing of a wolf in Wyoming as an example of why the species needs more protection.

In 2021, the USFWS said relisting “may be warranted,” but a final decision in February declined to relist gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act in the northern Rocky Mountain states, where they are regulated at the state level.

Animal Wellness Action, Center for a Humane Economy, Footloose Montana, and other groups pointed to an incident in Wyoming where a man captured and tortured a gray wolf before killing it, as reported by Cowboy State Daily.

Gray wolves are currently listed under the ESA as endangered in 44 states, while states maintain jurisdiction in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, as well as parts of Oregon, Washington and Utah.

“With its latest Finding, the FWS is repeating many of the same mistakes it has made in its many prior attempts to delist the gray wolf from ESA protection and the action is likely to face the same outcome as these earlier efforts,” the groups’ intent to sue letter said.

In a statement, Footloose Montana’s Jessica Karjala says states have proven they “cannot be trusted” to sustain the wolf species.

“They not only allow but endorse bounties on wolves,” she said. “They have encouraged increased hunting and quotas on wolves, spotlighting, baiting, trapping, snaring, hound hunting.”

The Center Square previously reported on a lawsuit against USFWS challenging the agency’s February decision by The Center for Biological Diversity, the Humane Society of the United States, Humane Society Legislative Fund, and Sierra Club.