When Rep. Dell Raybould, R-Rexburg, made the motion to introduce the new grocery tax relief bill in Rev & Tax this morning, he noted a “grammatical correction” needed in the bill’s statement of purpose. “On the third line, that is $30 instead of 30 pounds,”…
The Senate debated long and hard, right through the lunch hour, on SB 1436, the remaining version of the much-modified “iSTARS” teacher merit pay plan, before killing it on a close, 16-19 vote. You can read my full story here. Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls,…
After more than two hours of tough questions, the Senate Education Committee completed its hearing with the state Board of Education at 6:30 Boise time. Paul Agidius, the board’s vice-president who was filling in as president because Milford Terrell is out of the country, said,…
At a brief break from the long, sweaty hearing at which senators are grilling the state Board of Ed, Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, said, “I think we’re airing the problems.” He said, “It’s accomplishing what I expected that it might – when…
Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, questioned how the state Board of Education could have framed a request for proposals for a statewide testing program that left key parts in optional add-on sections, rather than in the main, base portion. “Why would you have…
After running down the list of state agencies and programs the state Board of Education oversees, Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, questioned whether the board has too much on its plate. Board members said the smaller programs don’t take a lot of their time, but…
Sen. Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, has published a book he’s been working on for 12 years, entitled “A Matter of Principle,” that’s geared toward young adults and was inspired by his reflections on how he became interested in politics. Hill, a fourth-term senator, is the chairman…
House Speaker Lawerence Denney welcomed a visitor back to the House chamber today – former Speaker Tom Boyd. Denney noted that Boyd was speaker when Denney started as a freshman lawmaker, and welcomed Boyd to the new tighter temporary quarters, in which Boyd sat wedged…
Legislative budget writers this morning debated a proposal to go along with Gov. Butch Otter’s plan to set aside $50 million in a trust fund for scholarships for needy students next year, another to put $20 million in, and a third to put in $10…
Sen. Mel Richardson, R-Idaho Falls, has announced that he’ll retire at the end of his current term, his 10th in the Legislature. Richardson, who served two terms in the House and then eight in the Senate, said, “After 20 years, it’s just time. Health wise,…
Legislation introduced by Secretary of State Ben Ysursa this morning to clarify and expand Idaho’s lobbying laws has backing even from the lobbyists themselves, according to the Associated Press. AP reporter John Miller reported that Skip Smyser, head of the Legislative Advisors group at the…
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee had been scheduled to set the public school budget tomorrow morning, but now that’s been delayed to next week because of the Senate Education Committee’s passage yesterday of the revised iSTARS teacher pay legislation. “We don’t want to be out in…
The state Board of Education has sent out its schedule for meetings this week, and it includes “open government training” this Wednesday at 3:30 p.m., followed immediately by – you guessed it – a closed-door, executive session at 5 p.m.
Gov. Butch Otter has sent out a statement speaking out strongly in support of the annual “Governor’s Cup” golf tournament, a fundraiser for scholarships at which “there are opportunities for business people and government people to talk.” He wrote, “Yes, there is golf, trap shooting,…
The Idaho Senate was locked in debate much of the morning over a proposed amendment to the chain-up bill, SB 1379. The bill now would require tire chains in dangerous, snowy conditions only for interstate truckers on three specific North Idaho mountain passes – Lookout,…
In an eventful morning of budget-setting, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning nearly killed the funding for the Women’s Commission, stuck close to the governor’s recommendation on prison funding, left the conversion of a prison warehouse into treatment beds for a decision tomorrow, and trimmed…
Idaho would start a new field-burning regulation program that makes public health a priority, ends the state’s practice of keeping field-burn locations a secret and cuts off burning when pollution rises, under legislation introduced this morning. The new system is part of an agreement to…
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning shifted savings around, restored a federal grant, and added $10.5 million in one-time funds to the state Office of Drug Policy to bring statewide substance abuse treatment services for next year back up to this year’s level – rather…
The Idaho State Board of Education has issued this response to Attorney General Lawrence Wasden’s investigation of an open meeting complaint against the board:The State Board of Education accepts the findings and recommendations of Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, and would like to express its tremendous…
The Idaho State Board of Education may have violated the Idaho Open Meeting Law, Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced this morning, but because of a recent state Supreme Court decision, he couldn’t find that they’d “knowingly” done so. “The board would benefit from receiving…
Gov. Butch Otter seemed to be walking just fine during his first day back at work after his Jan. 29 hip surgery, and impressed legislative leaders – with whom he met early Thursday – as being rarin’ to go. Said Otter’s spokesman, Jon Hanian, “He…
The Senate Education Committee has just voted to reverse its earlier vote to hold the reconfirmation of state Board of Education Chairman Milford Terrell until after it calls the full board before the panel to explain financial problems. After the reconsideration carried on a 6-2…
The Idaho School Boards Association has announced that former Executive Director Cliff Green has “chosen to leave” his position “to pursue other employment opportunities,” and reported, “The Idaho School Boards Association Inc. and Dr. Green have reached an agreement which satisfies all parties.” Karen Echeverria,…
Rep. Sharon Block, R-Twin Falls, got an enthusiastic reception in the House Education Committee this morning for her bill to start a pilot project to give scholarships to kids who remain drug, alcohol and tobacco-free – and pass random drug tests to prove it. HB…
Frugal budgets were set this morning for Medicaid, the federal-state program that provides health care for the elderly and disabled. “There will be no rate increases for anyone,” said Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley. “The economic times would indicate that that’s what we have to do.”The…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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