Butte-Silver Bow sits as Montana’s urban hub; in 1977 it consolidated city-county government to govern 718 sq mi of Montanan history and industry.
Montana voters approved Initiative 194, the so-called Montana Plan, to restrict corporate political spending. A coalition of groups and the state GOP have filed lawsuits arguing the measure violates First Amendment rights and other protections; a federal court challenge seeks to block the law before it takes effect on Jan. 1, 2027.