A first-of-its kind trial in Montana will decide if the constitutional right to a healthy, livable climate is protected by state law. Experts say a ruling against the state could set an important legal precedent but is unlikely to change policies in fossil fuel-friendly Montana. Two weeks of testimony started yesterday and will include 16 young plaintiffs hoping to call out state officials for promoting policies encouraging oil, gas and coal development while failing to curb planet-warming emissions. Experts for the state are expected to downplay climate change impacts and Montana’s contributions to global greenhouse gas emissions.
A First-Class Native Athlete Trio Does The Unexpected. April Knight and Ashland Carlow of Red Cloud Indian School and Taylor Byerly of Lakota Tech possess a fearless, bold, competitive, and proud mentality, which lead them to the 2023 South Dakota Class A State Track and Field Meet late last month. With achievements that often go unnoticed, on and off the track field, Native athletes are not given the same media coverage as their non-native counterparts. Also, Carlow said not having a track to train on “makes me work harder; it’s great to see we don’t have everything, and we can still perform. I practiced in Rapid City, which was very helpful.” Byerly echoed that statement. “It’s more challenging, especially when finding places to do your workouts. Doing an activity on the gravel differs from doing it on the track, so it’s more complicated but makes it that much sweeter.”
Those are your headlines at this hour. I’m Colette Keith in the KIPI News center.
