Gov. Butch Otter has signed legislation into law to help permanently disabled law enforcement officers like Mike Kralicek of Coeur d'Alene with health insurance costs for their families. The bill, SB 1111, actually won't help Kralicek, a Coeur d'Alene police officer who was critically injured…
Senate Republicans were in a closed caucus this afternoon for more than two hours, and a rather odd sight presented itself - a big chair, pushed up against the door, as if to block them all in. That prompted some speculation about just who pushed…
Former GOP Idaho Sen. Steve Symms is holding a fundraiser for Democratic Congressman Walt Minnick, according to this article by Dan Popkey of the Idaho Statesman. Popkey reports that Symms, now a Washington, D.C. lobbyist, is planning a $1,000-a-plate breakfast fundraiser for the Idaho Democrat…
SB 1142, legislation sponsored by Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden to revamp Idaho's Open Meeting Law after an Idaho Supreme Court decision in 2007 made parts of the law near-impossible to enforce, was signed into law today by Gov. Butch Otter. The bill, which passed…
The Senate has wrapped up its official business for the day, including suspending its rules and passing HB 281, the IRS conformity bill; and appropriation bills to fund the state Capitol Commission and the Agricultural Research and Cooperative Extension Service. Now, Senate Republicans have headed…
SCR 112, a resolution asking the state Department of Health & Welfare to make changes in its program that covers adults with cystic fibrosis, has passed the Senate on a unanimous vote, and now moves to the House. Earlier, JFAC agreed to the plan after…
Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, back fresh from a week of golfing in Palm Springs, says there's no truth to the rumor that he was summoned there by an angry Duane Hagadone over Nonini's opposition to the Coeur d'Alene Lake Management Plan. "I visited with…
The Senate has unanimously passed HB 264, the comprehensive aquifer management plan legislation. Senators also passed various bills on their calendar, but skipped over a slew of appropriation bills, moving them to the bottom of the calendar, and passed over HB 262, the controversial legislation…
Without suspending rules or taking up the liquor license bill, the House has adjourned for the day, a full hour before noon in the Mountain time zone. "We're way ahead," said House Speaker Lawerence Denney, who said the House didn't suspend rules to do more…
Freshman Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Idaho Falls, came in for a heavy grilling in the House this morning on his bill to protect companies from liability if they have policies letting employees store firearms in their vehicles in the company parking lot. Several attorney members of…
Statehouse reporters have been wearing ugly ties for some time to try to spur the session to end (tradition holds that lawmakers will be so dismayed by the press' hideous neckwear that they'll just want to leave town), but it hasn't worked yet. We're still…
For those who missed it, here's a link to my story from last week's Spokesman-Review on how the Sunshine law expansion, giving Idaho its first personal financial disclosure requirements for elected officials and candidates, is being held hostage in the House, though it's passed the…
There was some rueful laughter in the Senate during the roll call this morning, when, as the various senators' names were called, the name of Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls, came up. Dolefully, he responded, "Still here."
House Speaker Lawerence Denney is less optimistic this morning than he was last week, and now says, "I doubt that we get done this week." Both houses are preparing to go into session this morning and work through their calendars, which are populated largely with…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
