Here’s a link to the seventh week of Idaho’s legislative session in pictures, as a slide show. Let your cursor hover over the bottom part of the picture frame, and the captions will appear as the slide show plays. Tonight, on Idaho Public Television’s “Idaho…
As Idaho lawmakers gear up for their biggest budget decision of the year on Monday - cuts to public schools - teachers are bracing for pay cuts, Democrats are fixing for a fight and some conservatives on the Legislature's joint budget committee are looking at…
House Democrats went behind closed doors for an hour-long caucus today, and afterward, Caucus Chair Bill Killen, D-Boise, reported that the upcoming school budget vote on Monday dominated the discussion. "I guess I'd call it the 'low-ball budget,' and there's a possibility that an even…
The state Department of Health & Welfare has announced that its already-planned "furlough Friday" half-day office closures will be expanded to full-day closures, due to additional budget reductions announced last week. The closures will begin next week and continue through June 11; click here to…
SB 1353, the "conscience" bill, has passed the Senate on a 21-13 vote, but only after strong objections to the bill were expressed by many senators. "I probably could support this legislation had the authors not included the 'end-of-life' portion," said Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle.…
Boise State needs more dorms, and with the state of the state budget, it's not looking there. Instead, BSU has come to lawmakers for authorization to do a public-private lease-back deal. Here's a report from the AP on the bill, HB 596: BOISE, Idaho (AP)…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A House lawmaker has made several changes to his bill aimed at stopping Boise from charging property owners for a new streetcar without asking them first. Rep. Raul Labrador, an Eagle Republican, introduced…
The Senate is debating SB 1353, the health care provider "conscience" bill regarding abortion, emergency contraception and end-of-life care, specifically permitting any licensed health care provider to refuse to provide a treatment or medication on "conscience" grounds. "The intent of this legislation is not to…
The House Republican leadership has sent out a guest opinion to Idaho media defending its push to try to block a 1 percent COLA for state retirees, a move that failed in the Senate. "Our biggest concern is the health of the Public Employees Retirement…
While praising the JFAC co-chairs for bringing in education stakeholders to work on the public school budget, Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, said, "I'm sure that those stakeholders you invited in were very happy to have the opportunity to have their input considered. Should this be…
In anticipation of the budget-setting for public schools on Monday, JFAC members have been given a breakout of the blueprint that a group of JFAC members and education stakeholders have arrived at after hours of meetings. The handout includes several items that Senate Finance Chairman…
This morning, while setting budgets for several smaller agencies for next year, JFAC got to the first of the seven agencies for which Gov. Butch Otter had proposed phasing out all state funding over the next four years, in this case, the Commission on Hispanic…
The budget set this morning for the Idaho Historical Society shows an 11.7 percent cut in state general funds, but just a 0.1 percent cut in overall funding. The reason: "They've started doing their own fundraising, and they're really doing a good job," said Rep.…
Unanimous votes have set the budgets so far this morning for the Department of Fish & Game, the Office of Species Conservation, and the Soil Conservation Commission. Fish & Game, which gets no state general funds, saw an overall 2 percent budget increase; the agency…
Several JFAC members huddled after their meeting yesterday, and now the move to cut off deficiency warrants as a means to fund the invasive species program in the coming year is off the table. "We did come to a meeting of the minds," said Rep.…
Gov. Butch Otter made an unprecedented visit to the state Capitol's fourth floor today to huddle behind closed doors with the House GOP caucus over the recent House-Senate clash over a 1 percent cost-of-living increase for state retirees; House Republicans pushed through a measure to…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on the bill introduced today to ban purchases of additional retirement service for state employees to get them to retire early - a practice that resulted in $125,000 in such state expenditures in 2009, including $72,781…
A new informal Idaho Attorney General's opinion, issued today in response to a request from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Clark, R-Hayden Lake, says there are no constitutional problems with HB 500, the cooperative law enforcement legislation proposed by the Coeur d'Alene Tribe. "It's perfectly…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on the budget blueprint that the JFAC co-chairs laid out for the joint committee and the public today, and here's a link to the numbers - the five pages of figures that legislative budget director Cathy…
The Senate Local Government & Taxation Committee was unanimous this afternoon, agreeing to send the full Senate SB 1381, the bill from Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, to require the Legislature to review all sales tax exemptions at least every five years, and put a five-year…
A new private non-profit group called "Friends of Idaho Parks & Recreation" has formed to fight budget cuts to parks, work to increase volunteerism in state parks and generate long-term funding. The group's formation was announced at today's Parks Board meeting, at which the board…
There wasn't time in the hour-and-a-half committee hearing to get to everyone who wanted to testify, but the Senate Transportation Committee has voted unanimously to send SB 1352, the bill to ban texting while driving, to the Senate's 14th Order for amendments. Sponsor John McGee,…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Adults caught in a car without their seatbelts on in Idaho could see their costs rise five-fold. Rep. Rich Wills, a Glenns Ferry Republican, introduced a bill Thursday to add court costs of…
High school students are among those testifying this afternoon in favor of SB 1352, legislation to ban texting while driving, and all testimony so far is in favor. Senate Transportation Chairman John McGee, R-Caldwell, lead sponsor of the bill, thanked Sen. Les Bock, D-Boise, for…
Jan Vassar has been unanimously confirmed by the Idaho Senate for a full six-year term on the Idaho Transportation Board, after earlier being appointed to serve for just six weeks to complete the term of the late Bruce Sweeney. Vassar, former Lewiston city manager, administrative…