The House Majority Caucus went behind closed doors this afternoon for an hour and a half, concerned about the latest state tax revenue figures and their implications on state budgeting. "What would be nice is to have the crystal ball," said House Majority Caucus Chair…
At a joint meeting of the House and Senate transportation committees this afternoon, state transportation officials told lawmakers they're scrambling to prepare for what they're calling "Stimulus II," federal legislation also known as the 2010 Jobs Bill that could potentially bring another $182 million to…
State employees would be able to donate twice as much leave time to other state workers, under legislation introduced in the Senate Commerce & Human Resources Committee today at the request of the Otter Administration. Wayne Hammon, acting human resources director for the state, said…
The U.S. Forest Service will get an additional $14 million to battle bark beetles in Idaho, where the bugs have chewed through 1.3 million acres, reports S-R reporter Becky Kramer; you can read her story here at spokesman.com. The beetles leave mountainsides covered with red…
Cleanup of contaminated residential yards and other properties in the Coeur d'Alene Basin is so far ahead of schedule that state lawmakers today authorized speeding up spending to do even more work this year. "We've been very, very pleased with what the contractors in North…
Here's why the Joint Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee canceled its meeting that was supposed to be today, the meeting at which the panel chooses a revenue figure on which it recommends setting the state budget: They're waiting for the latest state tax revenue…
The House State Affairs Committee has voted 13-4 to introduce legislation proposed by Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, to eliminate the current $1 checkoff on tax returns through which Idahoans can donate to political parties. The money doesn't come out of people's refunds, so doing the…
JFAC has voted to pay off its first big bill, the $7.2 million left from firefighting in the fiscal year that ended on June 30 of 2009. Last year, the Legislature changed its usual procedure for paying wildfire bills so it knows in advance what…
Legislative budget writers this morning reviewed Gov. Butch Otter's proposal to trim more than 400 positions from the state payroll, most of which already are vacant. Wayne Hammon, Otter's budget chief, presented a report showing a total reduction of 463, including 379 positions that already…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
