As of Thursday, February 25, 2021, Montana reports 99,445 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with 201 new cases reported in the last day: 44 in Gallatin County, 29 in Missoula County, 19 in Lewis & Clark County, 16 in Cascade County, 12 in Yellowstone County, 12 in Silver Bow County, 10 in Flathead County, and more new cases in 23 more Montana counties. The number of active coronavirus cases in Montana is 1,917, and 75 people are being treated in Montana hospitals for COVID-19. The most active cases are in Yellowstone and Gallatin Counties. 1,350 people have died in Montana of COVID-19. Two more deaths have been reported since yesterday. Nationwide, more than 507,000 Americans have died of COVID-19. There have been 28,400,000 cases of coronavirus in the US, and counting.

The US House of Representatives has passed the Equality Act, which would amend the 1964 Civil Rights Act to protect people from being discriminated based on sexual orientation and gender identity in employment, housing and other services as well as access to public accommodations such as restaurants. Three Republicans joined Democrats in voting for the bill. The House first passed the Equality Act in 2019, but now its passage comes under Democratic control with President Joe Biden in the White House and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announcing Thursday he already intends to bring this legislation to the floor.

A former U.S. gymnastics coach, who has ties to disgraced doctor Larry Nassar, was found dead hours after he was criminally charged in Michigan on Thursday. John Geddert died by suicide and was discovered in Grand Ledge, Michigan. Geddert’s body was found by state police troopers in a rest area off eastbound Interstate 96. Geddert was charged with was 20 counts of human trafficking and forced labor resulting in injury, one count of racketeering, two counts of criminal sexual conduct and one count of lying to police. In the two criminal sexual conduct counts, Geddert, 63, was accused of “sexual penetration” of a girl under 16 in January 2012, according to the complaint. Geddert had agreed to surrender at a sheriff’s office on Thursday before a 2:15 p.m. arraignment but he never showed up.

The Montana Senate on Thursday in party-line votes gave initial approval to four bills that would change access to abortions in the state. Republicans backed proposals that would restrict access to abortions or put in place additional processes a woman must go through before receiving an abortion. Democrats opposed the measures. Similar attempts have been met with a veto pen in past sessions by Democratic governors, but Montana for the first time in 16 years has a Republication in that office. House Bill 136 would ban abortions after 20 weeks gestational age, and HB 167 would put to voters the so-called “Montana Born-Alive Infant Protection Act.”

Senator Janet Ellis, D-Helena, shared the story of her niece’s pregnancy. At 18 weeks gestational age she learned the pregnancy would not be viable because of anencephaly, a condition when the brain and skull do not develop. “Legislators should not be interfering with such a challenging and heartbreaking decision,” Ellis said. “This decision needs to be made by individuals involved and their health care provider. Period.”

The third bill would require notification of the opportunity to have an ultrasound (HB 140), and the final (HB 171) would require a woman to have what’s called “informed consent” that includes warnings of death and other dangers at least 24 hours before a medical abortion. Democratic lawmakers repeatedly cited Supreme Court decisions and constitutional protections in their opposition to the bills.