On tonight’s “Idaho Reports” program on Idaho Public Television, I join Rocky Barker, Jim Weatherby, Bill Spence and host Greg Hahn to discuss the week’s developments in the Legislature, from the new personal property tax proposal to the Senate’s historic rejection of the governor’s Fish…
The University of Idaho’s McClure Center for Public Policy Research is inviting the public to a Symposium on Federal Fiscal Issues on Tuesday evening, with panelists including Sen. Mike Crapo, Congressman Mike Simpson, Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, retired Sen. Alan Simpson of Wyoming and…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — More gifted Idaho high school students are one step closer to having an expedited path to one of the state's public universities under a bill approved by the Senate. The Senate signed off…
At the request of Idaho’s high-tech businesses, the House Revenue & Taxation Committee agreed this morning to introduce legislation to clarify that “cloud computing” services delivered over the Internet are services – not tangible goods subject to the sales tax. That’s been an issue for…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho cities could have an additional $3 million in tools to attract businesses to their communities through a bill approved by the House. The Idaho Opportunity Fund passed through the House on a…
Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, said she didn’t object in JFAC this morning to a budget-setting framework for state agency budgets that doesn’t include raises for state employees because “the number that the committee agreed to budget to didn’t have any room for CEC,” or change…
One of Gov. Butch Otter’s most controversial proposals in his budget – to provide zero funding for raises for state employees – has been endorsed by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, for purposes of building its budgets for each state agency. Otter recommended increases only to…
The joint budget committee is now debating a series of items that will play into every agency budget it sets for next year: Benefit changes, inflationary items, replacement items and more. So far, JFAC has agreed unanimously to include the governor’s recommendation for benefit cost…
JFAC has voted unanimously, 20-0, to set a target for its appropriations for next year, fiscal year 2014, that’s 3 percent above 2013 appropriations, matching Gov. Butch Otter’s recommendations. That puts the total general fund spending target for next year at $2,783,010,200. “This is a…
The Idaho Farm Bureau Federation has brought in a new version of its bill to make it tougher to get initiatives or referenda on the Idaho ballot, this time requiring signatures to come from 6 percent of residents of 18 of Idaho’s 35 legislative districts,…
Under the proposed legislation to eliminate the personal property tax on business equipment, urban renewal districts in Lewiston and Moscow would lose as much as 39 percent of their annual property tax revenues, reports reporter Bill Spence of the Lewiston Tribune. "If we don't generate…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
