On tonight's "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public TV, I join host Thanh Tan, Marc Johnson, Dan Popkey and Jim Weatherby to discuss the events of the week, including Gov. Butch Otter's State of the State message and state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna's education reform…
Idaho Democrats have issued a statement slamming state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna's sweeping school-reform plan. Among their comments: "If after four years of his leadership, our public school system is 'broken,' why should any parent, student or voter put the slightest faith in any…
Bruce Reed, son of former state Sen. Mary Lou Reed of Coeur d'Alene and Coeur d'Alene attorney Scott Reed, was named Vice President Joe Biden's chief of staff today. You can read the official White House press release here. “I’ve known and admired Bruce for…
For the past five years, developers of geothermal, solar or wind power generation facilities have gotten a rebate from the state for the sales tax they pay on the major, permanent equipment that goes into their plants, but the tax credit will expire in June.…
The governor's office and his Division of Financial Management have eliminated pay for their interns, as part of money-saving moves, DFM administrator Wayne Hammon told JFAC this morning, as he presented the two agencies' budget pitches to lawmakers. "In 2012, the budget is flat compared…
Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, quoted John Maynard Keynes, saying, "It's better to be roughly right than precisely wrong," as she moved for JFAC to accept the revenue committee's report. Added Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, "The only thing that we're certain is that we're all wrong."
Rep. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, who serves on both the JFAC and the revenue projection committee and opposed its recommendation, said, "It gives me a great deal of concern that the number we picked has absolutely no relation to the projections of the experts. I guess…
Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment committee co-chairs Rep. Cliff Bayer and Sen. John Goedde are presenting the joint panel's recommendation to JFAC this morning. Bayer noted that the recommendation includes "that we maintain some flexibility in looking at these numbers as they come in." Goedde…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
