In the final round of candidate filing for today, incumbent Congressmen Walt Minnick and Mike Simpson formally filed for re-election, and Republican Harley Brown, a frequent candidate for office in Boise, filed in the 1st District race, listing an Idaho City address. In the governor's…
In addition to independent Jana Kemp and Republican Rex Rammell, Democrat Keith Allred now has filed to run for governor. Allred, who filed 1,079 signatures this morning to qualify for the ballot, promised "leadership" in his run for the state's top post. “Instead of listening…
The Idaho Secretary of State's office is posting the latest filings for state and legislative offices, and updating the list twice each day through the filing period, by 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. each day; you can check the list here. Among the first batch…
Legislation co-sponsored by Gov. Butch Otter, Senate Tax Chairman Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, and House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, cleared the House Revenue & Taxation Committee this morning and headed off to the full House, to boost an existing tax credit for donations to Idaho…
After the Senate State Affairs Committee overwhelmingly rejected his immigration legislation, Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, said, "We put up the good fight, and I feel good about that. As they say, there's always next year, if nothing else." He added, "I think people probably…
After a three-hour hearing with lots of testimony on both sides - but far more against the bill than in favor - Sen. Monty Pearce, R-New Plymouth, made a motion to send SB 1303, Sen. Mike Jorgenson's sweeping immigration legislation, to the amending order. Sen.…
Here's a sampling of the testimony offered so far:Brent Olmstead, lobbyist for the Idaho Business Coalition for Immigration Reform, testified against SB 1303, Sen. Mike Jorgenson's immigration bill. "The domestic workforce no longer wants to do a lot of these jobs, even with a 10…
Members of the Senate State Affairs Committee have pointed out an aspect of SB 1303 that concerns them: It'd require e-Verify checks even on an employer's own family members. "Most of our businesses are small family businesses," Sen. Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls. "This bill says…
Kris Kobach, a law professor and former counsel to then-Attorney General John Ashcroft, told the Senate State Affairs Committee that there are eight areas of the law within which states can constitutionally take action against illegal immigration, and Arizona is the state that's done the…
JFAC has approved a parks budget for next year that includes a 79.4 percent cut in state general funds from this year, a 25.9 percent increase in federal funds, and a 13.4 percent decrease in dedicated funds, for an overall reduction of 20.8 percent for…
Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, opened the hearing on his controversial immigration bill, SB 1303, this morning by saying, "Mr. Chairman, I want to thank you. You kept your promise - you said you would give this bill a hearing, and you're doing that, and…
People are filtering in for the immigration hearing in the Senate State Affairs Committee this morning, at which two bills are up for consideration: SB 1303, from Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, and SB 1271, from Sen. John McGee, R-Caldwell. Here, Jorgenson talks with committee…
As JFAC prepares to set a sharply reduced state budget for the Department of Parks & Recreation for next year, Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, is calling on parks supporters to buy $35 annual entrance passes to state parks. "I think everybody needs to buy a…
As this March 8th dawns, the 57th legislative day, there's a plump little slice of moon hanging next to the capitol, and the filing period for candidates for office is opening. Today through March 19 is the time for candidates for the state legislature and…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
