Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, is scheduled to introduce a new bill as part of the "Students Come First" school reform plan tomorrow morning in the Senate State Affairs Committee; asked why, he said it's because one of the bills introduced yesterday in the Senate…
The Senate Education Committee today has continued going over state schools Supt. Tom Luna's lengthy school reform bills in detail with Luna aide Jason Hancock, in a decidedly subdued process compared to the days of public testimony last week. Among items that have come up…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — As Idaho's cash-strapped school districts scour for creative ways to make ends meet, state lawmakers are looking to help them out. Senate Assistant Majority Leader Chuck Winder, R-Boise, introduced a bill this week…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on today's unanimous House vote to amend House ethics rules in the wake of four ethics complaints this year, three of them against tax-protesting Rep. Phil Hart. The change in ethics rules takes effect immediately; it…
Idaho Fish & Game Director Cal Groen has announced that he'll retire next month and move back to Lewiston; he's worked for the department for 21 years. "Four years ago, I made a commitment to the commission to be director for four years, and I…
The Idaho Republican Party has issued a statement decrying "the recent incidents of harassment toward Superintendent Luna," saying, "This is what happens when you step out and fight against the status quo. As Idahoans we cannot let these scare tactics win." Click below to read…
Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil is cutting down the size of 33 loads of equipment headed for an oil sands project in Alberta, Canada so they can be moved along interstate highways, the Missoulian and Lewiston Tribune newspapers reported today. "Because of delays in getting the oversized permits…
Here's some more info on that $1 million Powerball jackpot that went unclaimed this year: The winning ticket was sold at Huskey's in Irwin, near the Idaho-Wyoming border, for the March 6, 2010 Powerball draw. The Idaho Lottery issued multiple press releases to try to…
Gov. Butch Otter and state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna stood in the governor's office today to condemn personal attacks and call for "civil discourse" in the debate over school reform in Idaho. 'I've kicked around this building for a long time," Otter said. "The…
The Associated Press reports that vandals slashed two tires and spray-painted the truck of Idaho state schools Superintendent Tom Luna overnight, in a move he linked to his controversial school reform proposals. Click below for a full report from AP reporter Jessie Bonner; Luna and…
Prior to today's unanimous House vote to amend the House ethics rules - including clarifying that only a House member, not just anyone, can submit an ethics complaint - the House had received another ethics complaint from a citizen, House Speaker Lawerence Denney said. It's…
The House has put off consideration of HB 111, the Coeur d'Alene Tribe's policing bill, until Thursday. House Speaker Lawerence Denney said it was simply an issue of "time management." Tomorrow, HB 117, the health care nullification bill, is scheduled for a House debate and…
HB 126, legislation sponsored by the Idaho Chamber Alliance to grant a refundable tax credit for employers who make new hires for jobs that pay at least $12 an hour and have health insurance, has cleared the House on a 64-3 vote, but Rep. Lynn…
HR 2, the measure to amend the House ethics rules, has passed the House on a unanimous, 70-0 vote, after not only House Speaker Lawerence Denney and House Minority Leader John Rusche debated in favor of it, but so did Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, the…
House Democrats have issued a statement saying that by burying HB 57, the online sales tax bill, the House GOP leadership "places interests of out-of-state online retailers over homegrown Idaho businesses." You can read their full statement here.
House Speaker Lawerence Denney has handed the gavel over to House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, as Denney is sponsoring a bill that's coming up fairly soon on the House calendar, HR 2, making changes in the House's ethics rules. Before he left the speaker's desk,…
House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, tried a parliamentary maneuver in the House today to pull HB 57, the streamlined sales tax bill, out of the House Ways & Means Committee, where House Speaker Lawerence Denney has sent it to die without a hearing. "This…
The House State Affairs Committee has run out of time to vote today on the two Senate-passed anti-union bills, SB 1006 and 1007; there's still one person left to testify on SB 1006, the first bill it's taken up. Chairman Tom Loertscher just announced, "In…
There's a full house in the House State Affairs Committee this morning, where two Senate-passed anti-union bills, SB 1006 and 1007, are up for a hearing. The committee watched a video of loud, angry carpenters union pickets at the state capitol from two years ago,…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Since 2007, state lawmakers have rejected legislation to ban discrimination in Idaho against people who are gay, lesbian or transgender. And Republican Sen. Curt McKenzie says this year will be no different. McKenzie…
Idaho Lottery revenues are forecast to be down by 2 percent this year, state lottery Director Jeff Anderson told legislative budget writers this morning, because to date in fiscal year 2011, only 6 percent of advertised Powerball jackpots have exceeded $100 million. In the last…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
