The Idaho Press-Tribune has published a correction to its Sunday story that reported that Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, would allow public testimony at the print hearing on the "Add The Words" human rights bill; instead, McKenzie says he won't allow public testimony. “If I don't…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Republican Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter has enlisted a former Democratic political operative to help develop his strategy for fighting to preserve new education laws that weaken teacher negotiating power and emphasize online learning.…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Shakespeare Festival and Catholic Charities of Idaho are among a handful of nonprofits around the state getting more than $650,000 from The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation. The Seattle-based foundation announced…
Idaho Fish & Game is reporting a rare Canada lynx sighting in the Salmon-Challis National Forest, the first direct evidence of lynx presence there since 1991. “This would be an extremely rare event, and we’re waiting to get genetic test results before we confirm it’s…
State schools chief Tom Luna told lawmakers, "The next step is implementing a one-to-one ratio of mobile computing devices to students and teachers in every public high school in Idaho. This is a critical step in making sure every student has equal access to the…
Idaho's "Students Come First" school reform laws have been in effect for about nine months, state schools chief Tom Luna told the House and Senate education committees this afternoon. "Since these laws passed, my staff and I have worked diligently with local school districts, and…
State schools Superintendent Tom Luna is addressing a joint meeting of the House and Senate education committees this afternoon, giving an update on his controversial "Students Come First" education reforms that lawmakers enacted last year; they're the target of a referendum on the November 2012…
At the urging of its chairman, Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Coeur d'Alene, the Senate Transportation Committee today voted unanimously to introduce legislation to ban texting while driving, making it an infraction. Hammond said the bill is needed "because of great concern among the driving public for…
A subdued House Speaker Lawerence Denney said after a 45-minute closed GOP caucus today that he apologized to the caucus for his handling of the attempted ouster of GOP redistricting Commissioner Dolores Crow. "Most of the comments were very, very supportive," Denney said. He said…
Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, says he decided that he'll run for the Senate next year because the new redistricting plan left his new district with three House incumbents and an open Senate seat. "There's three of us in the same district now, and we all…
The House has wrapped up its floor session for the day without hearing any bills, and the GOP majority has headed into a closed-door caucus; Speaker Lawerence Denney said last week that he planned to both apologize for his move to oust GOP redistricting Commissioner…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — State lawmakers have introduced a measure urging Congress to repeal the nation's governing education law. Republican Rep. Linden Bateman of Idaho Falls offered a list of complaints Tuesday targeted at No Child Left…
Legislative Democrats today unveiled their "iJobs 2.0" package, which includes seven pieces of legislation, from tax credits for new agricultural processing operations, to a "finders fee" tax credit for businesses that persuade vendors or partners to relocate to the state, to a "Buy Idaho First…
Idaho lawmakers would no longer be able to "spike" their retirement pensions by taking a high-paying state job for a short time after a long legislative career, under legislation introduced today at the urging of Rep. Dennis Lake, R-Blackfoot. Lake told the House State Affairs…
For only the second year ever, the Legislature's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee will hold a public hearing on the state budget this year and take public testimony. This year's will be a single hearing, set for this Friday, Feb. 3rd, from 8 to 10:30 a.m. in…
The Fish & Game budget request for next year shows a 20 percent increase, but that's due to a one-time project: $13 million to build the new Springfield fish hatchery with Bonneville Power Administration funding, for sockeye recovery. "Excluding the hatchery, our budget request is…
Idaho's Fish & Game Department receives no state general funds, instead operating solely on hunting and fishing license dollars, federal funds, power company mitigation funds and revenues from special license plate sales. Hunting and fishing license funds are 46 percent of the department's total funding,…
Idaho's Fish & Game Department has cut its workforce by 9 percent since 2008, Fish & Game Director Virgil Moore told legislative budget writers this morning. Part of that came through a plan lawmakers approved two years ago to consolidate temporary employees; that's saved the…
Idaho Fish & Game Director Virgil Moore told JFAC this morning that as of yesterday, Idaho hunters had killed 206 wolves during the state's wolf hunting season, and trappers had taken 60. "That's a total of 266 wolves taken so far in this hunting season,"…
Twin Falls county commissioners have announced that they've decided not to file any further challenge to Idaho's new legislative redistricting plan, though they're not entirely happy with it. The county led an earlier challenge to the Idaho Supreme Court that overturned the previous plan submitted…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Legislative auditors found several problems with how Idaho Treasurer Ron Crane oversaw his office's accounting, including how he documented trips to New York City where some costs were found to exceed allowable limits.…
Current Idaho law bans tobacco products from being sold to children, but doesn't cover a new product called "e-cigarettes," electronic cigarettes that contain no tobacco, but instead allow users to inhale a nicotine-infused mist without creating smoke. Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, lead sponsor of…
Two prescription drug manufacturers, Mylan Laboratories Inc. and Mylan Pharmaceuticals, have agreed to pay Idaho $625,000 in a legal settlement over allegations of overcharging the state's Medicaid program, without admitting wrongdoing. “This settlement addresses the harm incurred by Idaho’s taxpayers and the State,” said Idaho…
After four years of virtually no growth in Idaho's prison population, it's now growing again, state Corrections Director Brent Reinke told the House Health & Welfare Committee this afternoon. "We have really enjoyed this period of no-growth in the state of Idaho," the prisons chief…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — State senators today voted in favor of deleting a portion of Idaho's new education laws that defines an online course and says the instructor cannot be physically located in the same school in…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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