Tuesday morning's House vote to kill a small fee hike on offenders sought by the Idaho state police academy "might just be the first big 'no new taxes or fees' vote of the 2011 session," writes AP reporter John Miller. "The 'no' vote on a…
The legislative task force on alternative funding for ISP and state parks reversed itself today, after voting two weeks ago to propose a $10 vehicle registration fee increase to make up the Idaho State Police's lost funding when it loses gas tax funds. Now, the…
Rep. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, is working on legislation to sell Idaho's official governor's mansion, the former Simplot home atop a grassy Boise hilltop, and turn over both the proceeds and the current balance in the governor's residence fund to Idaho's state parks. "As generous a…
The House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously this afternoon to introduce legislation to permanently ban the chemical components that make up "spice," a synthetic drug similar in effect to marijuana that previously was legal and sold in stores in Idaho. The Otter Administration earlier this year…
Rep. Rich Wills, R-Glenns Ferry, a retired longtime state trooper and the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he was "very disappointed" with today's House vote to reject a $1.50 fee increase on offenders to help fund law enforcement training. "I think a lot…
Every member of the House GOP leadership voted against HB 26 today, the bill to raise the POST fee to fund law enforcement training by $1.50 to $11.50, and House Majority Caucus Chair Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, led off the opposing debate. "I did serve in…
Idaho state Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa, was sponsoring her first bill in the House today when the measure, HB 26, failed on a 31-35 vote after an intense debate. "I thought it was a great debate," Perry said afterward, as other lawmakers - many of…
The Idaho House has voted down a proposed $1.50 increase in fees for the POST academy, where Idaho's police officers are trained, from $10 to $11.50. The fee increase, proposed by the Idaho State Police in HB 26, failed on a 31-35 vote after intense…
Since Idaho voters passed HJR 101 in November, eliminating a 120-year-old prohibition on charging tuition at the University of Idaho (UI has instead charged only "fees"), Idaho lawmakers now are moving legislation to match state laws to the constitutional change. HB 20 would permit tuition…
Idaho's state Fish & Game Department faces various challenges, from federal mandates to funding, Director Cal Groen told JFAC this morning. "Being a user-fee organization, we have many, many people that are benefiting that are not paying," he said. Among highlights in the past year,…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Lawmakers killed a bill that would have expedited plans for a professional-technical high school in northern Idaho and allowed construction to begin before the money was collected from taxpayers. The legislation failed to…
The YMCA has displays in the fourth-floor rotunda of the state capitol today, highlighting everything from sports and children's programs to weight-loss and programs for cancer survivors. Among the displays: Some historic letters home from Y camp.
Idaho state Department of Lands Director George Bacon gave his budget presentation to lawmakers this morning, and said, "The department has tried very hard not to cut our fire program." Still, budget cuts have forced some layoffs, and forced the department to hire on some…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on how Idaho's Idaho's cash-strapped state parks system will be looking to "tasteful" corporate sponsorships to try to keep the state's 30 parks open in the coming year. There's also a "Plan B" - park closures,…
Corporate sponsorships will be brought carefully and in a "tasteful" way into Idaho's state parks, parks director Nancy Merrill told lawmakers. "We do not want to over-commercialize our state parks," she said. She gave examples of what she has in mind: In California, Coca-Cola is…
As lawmakers question state Parks Director Nancy Merrill this morning, Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, said she didn't see anything in the state parks mission about advocacy, and questioned why the department spent $11,000 to send letters to 32,000 registered boaters about the possible closure of…
State Parks Director Nancy Merrill said her agency has ambitious plans for corporate sponsorships, higher fees and the like to fund state parks in the future. But, she said, "We have to have a Plan B, which includes park closure, park restructuring." She said, "We'll…
Idaho's state parks system is still going despite funding cuts, Director Nancy Merrill told JFAC this morning. "We did see successes," she said. "Our visitors recognized the efforts that were being done to keep all these parks open with lack of staff and lack of…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
