Click here to watch a slide show of the 7th week of this year's legislative session in photos. It was an eventful and in many ways grueling week and made for lively discussion on this week's "Idaho Reports" program on Idaho Public TV, on which…
Idaho Congressman Walt Minnick has jarred the Army Corps of Engineers into speeding up its work on an environmental impact statement that had been holding up the giant Garwood to Sagle construction project on Highway 95 in North Idaho. "It has been out there a…
AP reporter John Miller notes that the House didn't consider a single bill today - no committee hearings at all, and their session lasted just long enough for a prayer. Action in the Legislature has ground to something of a stall, as lawmakers await word…
Legislation to allow Idaho Lottery retailers to get larger incentive payments for increasing sales barely passed the Senate today, after much debate. "I don't need someone asking me if I want to super-size my lottery ticket," said Sen. Brent Hill, R-Rexburg. "It's designed for ...…
It appears that Idaho will be able to replace the Dover Bridge in North Idaho, purchase a much-needed maintenance management software system for the Idaho Transportation Department, and pour millions into fixing roads statewide with federal stimulus funds, state lawmakers heard this morning. But there…
Legislative budget analyst Paul Headlee is now briefing JFAC on the impact of the economic stimulus bill on transportation funding for Idaho. The state stands to receive $181.9 million for highway infrastructure investment, plus $18.4 million for transit capital assistance. There are some requirements for…
The Idaho Education Association has issued a statement that there is “more than enough money” to avoid proposed cuts in public schools next year, between federal economic stimulus funds and state budget reserves. “Idaho is eligible to receive more than $300 million for K-12 public…
Here's a link to my full story on the Idaho Senate's near-unanimous passage today of legislation to help permanently disabled law enforcement officers like Mike Kralicek of Coeur d'Alene with health insurance costs for their families. Kralicek himself won't benefit from the bill; it'll help…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — House leaders say it will be a week — or longer — before the Transportation Committee votes on Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's proposal to raise Idaho's 25-cents-per-gallon gas tax by 10 cents over…
Idaho state schools Superintendent Tom Luna has come full circle on school budget cuts. First, he proposed $62 million in cuts in education next year that he called a list of "bad ideas." Then, when initial word came about the amount of federal stimulus money…
After five years of tries, Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, has won near-unanimous approval of his legislation to cover health insurance costs for the families of law enforcement officers who are permanently disabled in the line of duty. The bill, SB 1111, sets up a…
Sen. Jeff Siddoway, R-Terreton, asked legislative budget analyst Ray Houston if all the federal grant money being made available through the federal economic stimulus will prompt the hiring of more state employees to administer all the grants. "DEQ is thinking they may need some temporary…
A bewildering array of numbers, federal programs, individual titles and sections of the stimulus bill and changing rules was spun out to legislative budget writers this morning as they heard the first details on what the stimulus legislation means for Idaho's health and human services…
It may sound counter-intuitive, but the same economic stimulus bill that's promising a billion dollars in federal funds to Idaho also could cost the state $14 million in state tax revenue. That's because, as Idaho Falls Post Register reporter Nick Draper reported today, tax breaks…
Rep. Steve Hartgen's bill to ban Internet harassment ran into a blizzard of questions in the House Judiciary Committee today, which finally voted near-unanimously to hold the bill until next Thursday. Rep. Bill Killen, an attorney, asked Hartgen if the bill would cover his accessing…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on the rejection today of legislation to raise Idaho's beer and wine tax to pay for substance abuse treatment. Among the tidbits in the story: Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, suggested that rather than focus on…
Here's a news item from AP: "Idaho's public utilities are a step closer to being allowed to set up programs to help poor, cash-strapped customers pay their power and gas bills with help from other ratepayers. The Senate State Affairs Committee voted 7-2 Wednesday for…
Asked how he pulled it off, here's what lobbyist Bill Roden had to say about the lopsided vote today to kill the beer and wine tax increase bill: "It was a good vote." He added, "We worked at it. But you know legislators, they listen…
Here's the Rev & Tax vote that killed HB 140, the bill to raise the beer and wine tax to fund substance abuse treatment. The motion, by Rep. Ken Roberts, was to kill the bill:Voting yes (to kill the bill):Reps. Collins, Barrett, Moyle, Raybould, Roberts,…
After three days of long and intense hearings, the House Revenue & Taxation Committee has voted 13-5 to kill legislation to raise Idaho's beer and wine taxes. The measure, HB 140, was designed to raise a tax not raised in more than four decades, to…
Senate Transportation Chairman John McGee's message to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning had a marked difference from that of his House counterpart, House Transportation Chairwoman JoAn Wood, who addressed the panel last week. Wood said her idea was that Idaho should use the federal…
Both Senate Education Chairman John Goedde and House Education Chairman Bob Nonini had a similar message for legislative budget writers this morning: Preserve student-teacher contact time even as the state faces budget cuts in education. "The superintendent says it best - the students don't get…
Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, in his presentation to JFAC this morning on education budgets, said his committee reviewed the $62 million in cuts for public schools proposed earlier by state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna, and had concerns about whether one really…
Idaho faces a stark choice: Impose unprecedented budget cuts on public schools next year, or stave off those cuts but risk deeper ones the following year. "I think it depends on how big a gambler you are, and I'm pretty pessimistic," said Sen. Shawn Keough,…
The first two bills in Gov. Butch Otter's six-bill transportation package came up for hearings in the House Transportation Committee today, and while one passed unanimously - HB 96, to repeal the ethanol exemption - the other stalled. HB 150, to add a $20 fee…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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