GOP congressional candidate Raul Labrador says he's opted out of the National Republican Congressional Committee's "Young Guns" candidate recruitment and training program, though he didn't say why; click below for a full report from AP reporter Jessie Bonner, who writes that Labrador's move is a…
Keith Allred, the Democratic candidate for governor, said the state's new highway cost allocation study, released today, validates his longstanding criticism that current Gov. Butch Otter has been favoring "special interests" over Idaho citizens, particularly when the governor proposed a big car registration fee increase…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on how Idaho motorists are paying more and more of the cost of maintaining the state's roads, while drivers of heavy trucks are paying less, according to a new state study, though the trucks are causing…
Consultant Patrick Balducci of Battelle Group told the governor's transportation funding task force just now that axle weights matter, not just total weight of a truck compared to total weight of a car, when calculating impact on pavement damage. But, under questioning from committee members,…
Part of the reason for the big disparity between heavy trucks and cars in Idaho on paying their fair share for roads: The repeal of the weight-distance tax in 2001, as a result of a lawsuit. Since then, heavy trucks have paid only registration fees.…
The trend in Idaho is clear, according to a new highway cost-allocation study presented to the governor's transportation funding task force today: "More and more overpayment on the part of automobiles and pickup trucks, and more underpayment on the part of combination trucks." That's what…
Lt. Gov. Brad Little, who is chairing the governor's transportation funding task force, says it could well be that a gas tax hike - which Gov. Butch Otter failed to convince state lawmakers to impose despite two years of pleas - could end up being…
Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, who serves on Gov. Butch Otter's transportation funding task force, had this thought on the task force members' overwhelmingly ranking a gas tax increase as the top potential funding source for road fixes in Idaho: "This was the first cut of…
A personal care provider in Bonners Ferry has received a five-year prison term and a $5,000 fine for Medicaid provider fraud, though a 1st District judge suspended the sentence and ordered Coral Mouser to serve 45 days in jail and pay $12,465 in restitution to…
The governor's transportation task force, after its last meeting, asked all 14 of its members to rank the various potential funding sources for transportation in Idaho on everything from fairness to public acceptance, and the results show a fuel tax increase came out on top.…
The House Ethics Committee has released its agenda for its Thursday meeting regarding Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol; you can see it here. The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the state Capitol with discussion of constitutional provisions and House rules, then include a review…
The hottest topic among states seeking transportation funding is imposing tolls on interstate freeways, consultant David Hartgen told the governor's transportation task force this morning. It's currently not allowed outside of demonstration projects, but he said he wouldn't be surprised to see it permitted to…
Transportation consultant David Hartgen said he doesn't think Idaho's revenues for transportation will get much higher than 3 percent annual growth, given current funding sources, and they could drop well below that "if economic circumstances don't turn around." The result: A "widening gap" by the…
As the governor's transportation task force opened its all-day meeting this morning, Lt. Gov. Brad Little, the panel's chairman, warned members that they were about to have "an out of body experience" with the first speaker, David Hartgen. The reason: He's the twin brother of…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
