MONTANA

Endangered species rollback sought

BILLINGS — President Donald Trump’s administration moved on Nov. 19 to roll back protections for imperiled species and the places they live, reviving a suite of changes to Endangered Species Act regulations from the Republican’s first term that were blocked under former Democratic President Joe Biden.

The proposed changes include the elimination of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s “blanket rule” that automatically protects animals and plants when they are classified as threatened. Government agencies instead would have to craft species-specific rules for protections, a potentially lengthy process.

The administration’s announcement answers longstanding calls for revisions to the Endangered Species Act from Republicans in Congress and industries including oil and gas, mining and agriculture. Critics argue the landmark 1973 environmental law has been wielded too broadly, to the detriment of economic growth.

But environmentalists warned the changes could cause yearslong delays in efforts to save species such as the monarch butterfly, Florida manatee, California spotted owl and North American wolverine.

Scientists and government agencies say extinctions are accelerating globally because of habitat loss and other pressures.

Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said in a statement that the administration was restoring the Endangered Species Act to its original intent while respecting “the livelihoods of Americans who depend on our land and resources.”

Another proposed change tasks officials with analyzing economic impacts when deciding whether habitat is critical to a species’ survival.

The Endangered Species Act protects more than 1,600 species in the United States and its territories. It is credited with helping save the bald eagle, California condor and scores more animals and plants from extinction since Republican President Richard Nixon signed it into law.

ARIZONA

State sues Temu for data theft

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes announced on Dec. 2 that Arizona is the latest state to sue Temu and its parent company PDD Holdings Inc. over allegations that the Chinese online retailer is stealing customers’ data.

Mayes said the app deceives customers about the quality of its low-cost products and collects what she described as a shocking amount of sensitive data without the consent of users, including GPS locations and a list of other apps on users’ phones.

According to the lawsuit, prosecutors are concerned about Temu being subject to laws in China that require Chinese companies to hand over data requested by the government, and that its code is designed to evade security reviews.

Arizona’s top prosecutor also said the state wants to protect businesses from being “ripped off” by the online retailer, alleging the company has copied the intellectual property of brands that include the Arizona Cardinals and Arizona State University.

In a statement early Wednesday, Temu denied the allegations.

Attorneys general in Kentucky, Nebraska and Arkansas have filed similar lawsuits in recent years.

Mayes suggested there should be greater intervention by the federal government to protect consumers.

Through a forensic review, investigators in Arizona found the app’s code has portions recognized by experts as malware or spyware and allows exfiltration of data from a user’s mobile device while concealing that the app is doing so. The review also found in the app “large swaths” of previously banned code from the platform’s precursor version.

Mayes urged Arizonans to delete their Temu accounts, uninstall the app and scan their devices for malware.

WYOMING

Bills to kill property taxes advance

CHEYENNE — The Wyoming Legislature’s Joint Revenue Committee on Nov. 19 advanced two controversial measures that together would fundamentally restructure taxation and government revenue in the state.

One is a constitutional resolution to eliminate residential property taxes entirely, while an accompanying bill would replace the lost local revenue primarily through a significant increase in the statewide sales tax rate.

The proposed constitutional amendment to repeal property taxes reads, “the percentage of value prescribed for residential real property shall be 0%, and no property tax shall be assessed on residential real property.” If signed into law, it would put the revocation of residential property taxes to a statewide vote.

To make up the revenue, lawmakers propose an additional 2% sales and use tax, bringing the statewide rate up to 6%. The Department of Revenue estimated this would generate about $475 million in additional revenue. It would then be transferred to a new state account to reimburse local governments.

Lawmakers asserted the proposal was not a cut, but a reform aimed at changing the government funding philosophy. Sen. Bob Ide, R-Casper, argued that a consumption tax, such as a sales tax, is fairer than property tax.

However, the opposition was vocal and wide-ranging, including a warning that shifting the burden risks cutting essential systems like fire departments, emergency medical services and mental health services.

Casper attorney and tax expert Jennifer McDowell testified in an email to the committee that a sales tax is more regressive than property tax, and disproportionately hurts lower-income individuals and families.

Ultimately, the committee passed both bills after the sales tax bill was amended to only go into effect if voters approve of the constitutional resolution, and it would delay implementation until April 1, 2027, allowing for the 90-day delay needed to implement the sales tax increase.

OKLAHOMA

1st Native woman drives Sooner Schooner

NORMAN — For the first time in its 60-year history, the Sooner Schooner, the University of Oklahoma’s iconic covered wagon mascot, was driven by a Native American woman.

Brianna Howard, a junior at OU and a citizen of the Choctaw Nation, first drove the Schooner onto the field during the football team’s Nov. 22 season opener against Illinois State.

First introduced in 1964, the Sooner Schooner is pulled across the field before the game and after Oklahoma scores by matching white ponies named “Boomer” and “Sooner.”

Because the scaled-down Conestoga wagon is reminiscent of those pioneers used while settling Oklahoma Territory in the late 1800s, Howard acknowledged that some see the Schooner mascot as a symbol of oppression against Native people. But she said to her, driving the wagon represents taking ownership of that symbol.

“I know that for me, it’s a representation of taking back something that was used to oppress my people and my culture, and now that I’m in charge, it’s giving us the power,” she said. “Not everyone’s going to see it that way, and that’s OK.”