Opponents of giant megaloads of oil equipment traveling on north-central Idaho's scenic U.S. Highway 12 have filed "exceptions" with the Idaho Transportation Department to the decision of a state hearing officer recommending issuing permits for 200-plus loads. "The director should reject the hearing officer's proposed…
The citizen redistricting commission, after hearing from former Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes, took up GOP Commissioner Lou Esposito's motion to waive a state law against precinct splits for one precinct split in the Idaho Falls area that's part of one of his proposed legislative…
Former Idaho Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes told the citizen redistricting commission today that when he co-sponsored legislation adding requirements that districts be connected with roads and precincts not be split without a five-of-six votes supermajority, "The Legislature did want to make your jobs easier."…
Redistricting commissioners spent a contentious half-hour discussing the proposed Democratic congressional redistricting plan, without reaching any agreement. GOP Co-Chairman Evan Frasure said the plan would move roughly 300,000 people from one of Idaho's two congressional districts to the other. "The public who just went through…
Idaho Redistricting Commission Co-Chairman Evan Frasure reopened the commission's deliberations this afternoon by saying he understands the Democratic commissioners' position, that statutes requiring five votes to split precincts or draw districts without connecting highways are unconstitutional. "We recognize that this is a point of contention,…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho is expecting its second year of big budget surpluses when the 2012 fiscal year ends, presenting conservative Idaho with tough choices that could include restoring programs or cutting taxes. Come July, Gov.…
Idaho's bipartisan citizen redistricting commission is meeting today, and went over three publicly submitted legislative district plans this morning before turning to the latest plan proposed by GOP Commissioner Lou Esposito – his seventh. The newest plan, L-45, is another version of his L-34, this…
The recent brouhaha over operation of a mini-storage business on Idaho state endowment land is expanding today, with a report on the Boise Guardian here headlined, “Land Board to build brewpub?” about the state Lands Department advertising for a restaurant construction manager for a downtown…
Idaho is docking its payment to a Medicaid claim processing company, Molina Medicaid Systems, by $3 million because of the major problems the company had implementing its new system last year, the Associated Press reports; meanwhile, the state is still trying to recover nearly $10…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
