Senate District 10 race, diesel costs and a party chair's exit

If you drive a commercial vehicle for farm, ranch or timber work, there's a new rule you should know about. Lt. Gov. Kristen Juras issued an executive order Friday that lets commercial vehicles engaged "directly in agricultural or timber industry operations" use red-dyed diesel on public roads until Nov. 23, Montana Free Press reports. It follows an executive order from President Donald Trump suspending the federal ban on driving with dyed fuel.

Tim Brunner, a rancher near Great Falls and president of the Montana Cattlemen's Association, doesn't expect much relief. The dye stays in a tank after the fuel is gone, he said, so a test after the exemption ends could show a false positive. "In another year, get your tank dipped. It shows red. There's $1,000 right there," Brunner said. Over the weekend he hired semi trucks to haul his herd home from 125 miles north, and the bill he got Monday included an 8.5% diesel surcharge.

Walt Schweitzer, president of the Montana Farmers Union, said the policy comes "too late" for most farmers hauling grain. He also said it may be "confusing and difficult to manage" for interstate truckers.

Then there's the Russian diesel. MTFP reports Trump announced a plan to import about 800,000 tons before the end of November. The Great Falls Tribune reports Trump's Oct. 9 post promised 300,000 tons immediately and 1 million tons in November, and that Treasury is lifting Russian oil sanctions through April 7, 2027. Rory Johnston, an oil market researcher, noted the November amount equals 125,000 barrels per day. Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said on "Meet the Press" that Trump "may be" breaking the law. The Tribune says diesel averages above $6 a gallon nationally.

If you've been following the U.S. Senate race on your ballot, it just got messier. Shannon O'Brien resigned as chair of the Montana Democratic Party, effective immediately, and endorsed independent Seth Bodnar, Montana Free Press reports, citing a statement published by MS NOW. "I ran for state party chair to unify Democrats," O'Brien wrote. "But there are things more important than labels or party politics."

She wrote that Democratic nominee Alani Bankhead "does not have the momentum, resources or will to win this race." KECI adds that O'Brien raised questions about Bankhead's commitment to protecting a woman's right to choose. KECI also reports she pointed to U.S. Sen. Steve Daines' last-minute decision to pull out of the race and endorse Republican Kurt Alme.

Bankhead pushed back in a statement sent to both outlets: "Shannon didn't switch sides today. She's been working against the Democratic nominee since the summer." She said O'Brien got a legal opinion on whether the party could refuse to replace Bankhead if she quit, without a vote of her own board.

Vice Chair Bruce Knutson is now party chair. "We have doors to knock, voters to reach and seats to win," he said. Bodnar, Bankhead, Alme and Libertarian Kyle Austin debated Sunday in Bozeman. A Montana Free Press-Eagleton poll last month had Alme eight percentage points ahead of Bodnar, with Bankhead 14 points behind Bodnar.