Here's a news item from AP: "Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's plan to add a 6 percent tax on rental cars died Wednesday, after the industry argued new costs would hurt agencies already being buffeted by the worst economy in decades. The House Transportation Committee ditched…
Today marked the first time - in five straight years of trying - that the day care licensing bill has made it out of committee and to the full chamber in either house. "That's a breakthough of sorts," said Rep. George Sayler, D-Coeur d'Alene. The…
Minimum licensing standards for small day care centers in Idaho survived a Senate committee hearing Wednesday and headed for debate in the full Senate. The sponsors are offering several minor amendments; one restores a word inadvertently left out from the National Rifle Association's suggested wording…
As the hearing on SB 1112, the day care licensing law, gets under way this afternoon in the Senate Health & Welfare Committee, the room is full and everyone's paying close attention. It's the fifth year in a row such a measure has been proposed.…
State Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna has released his recommendation to Gov. Butch Otter for spending federal stimulus money on education; you can read it here. Luna's conclusion is that Idaho still must cut education next year. Here's the lead-in to his executive summary:"The State…
There was quite the interesting exchange in the Senate today between Sens. Brent Hill and Dean Cameron - the Senate's tax and finance chairmen, respectively - over the twice-amended HB 64, the IRS conformity bill for 2008. It earlier passed the House overwhelmingly, then the…
The threat to Idaho from invasive zebra and quagga mussels is so great, according to Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, that Idaho needs to enact emergency legislation right away to make every boat owner in the state purchase a sticker that'd help fund wash stations…
House State Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Loertscher this morning asked his committee to introduce his bill to excuse pharmacists and pharmacies from any liability if they refuse to fill a prescription based on their conscience. Rep. Elfreda Higgins, D-Boise, noted that the bill covers any…
Rep. Judy Boyle's bill this morning - listed on the House State Affairs Committee agenda as being about "early termination of pregnancy" - turned out not to be about abortion after all. Instead, Boyle asked the committee to introduce a measure allowing mothers who miscarry…
Idaho Transportation Director Pam Lowe is briefing JFAC this morning on the ITD board's stimulus recommendations, adopted in a special meeting yesterday. "The board directed staff in January to get eight projects ready to go, and we've been doing that," she said. With Idaho's focus…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
