Idaho House Speaker Lawerence Denney and Senate President Pro-Tem Robert Geddes sent a letter to Gov. Butch Otter on Dec. 7 saying they thought an additional across-the-board holdback was needed on all state agencies including public schools, as first reported today by Dan Popkey in…
The Idaho Transportation Board has trimmed its proposal for GARVEE bond-funded road work in the coming year from $45 million to $26 million, because of savings in the program, which has seen bids coming in much lower than expected. The bond program is funding several…
Mike Ferguson, chief economist for Gov. Butch Otter, shared some of the most recent data on states' recovery from the recession with the Legislature's Joint Economic Outlook committee just now. Though Idaho was hit early and hard by the current recession, it appears to have…
In 2010, the state Department of Labor projects that 13 counties will have double-digit unemployment rates, with Clearwater County forecast the highest at 17.2 percent. In 2011, the department projects that 10 states will hit double digits, with Valley County highest at 16.9 percent. Said…
The first legislative hearing in the newly renovated state capitol has opened, with the Joint Legislative Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee taking testimony on the state of Idaho's economy, to help lawmakers decide where to set the state budget for next year. "Everyone's rather…
Citizens Against Government Waste and the Idaho Freedom Foundation today unveiled a "2010 Idaho Pork Report," pointing to ways the two groups said Idaho is wasting state and local taxpayer dollars and could make big savings. Among the suggestions: Cut health and pension benefits for…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
