On tonight’s “Idaho Reports” program on Idaho Public Television, I join Jim Weatherby, Emilie Ritter Saunders, Aaron Kunz and host Greg Hahn to discuss the week’s developments in the Legislature. Plus, Greg reports on efforts to head off Idaho’s looming doctor shortage; interviews House and…
At the first meeting today of the governor’s 31-member education stakeholders task force, members spent some time hearing about the fiscal impact on the current year’s budget of the failure of Propositions 1, 2, and 3, and the ongoing programs in school districts for which…
Gov. Butch Otter today named Rich Jackson chairman of the Idaho State Tax Commission, replacing David Langhorst, who will continue to serve on the commission. Langhorst is a Democrat; Jackson a Republican. “David has done a great job of calming the waters, restoring public trust…
As Idaho lawmakers head back to their districts for the weekend, some face perilous driving conditions across the state, bad enough that a few are deciding to spend the weekend in Boise. Meanwhile, enough snow has fallen around the state Capitol to allow construction of…
Senate Assistant Majority Leader Chuck Winder, R-Boise, has launched his weekly prayer group for senators, which will start meeting Tuesday at 7 a.m. in the majority caucus room. “It’s a time to encourage one another,” said Winder, who’s had the weekly prayer meetings since he…
Gov. Butch Otter’s education stakeholders’ group has its first meeting today, running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Yanke Family Research Park at 220 E. Parkcenter Blvd. The group has 31 members and is chaired by state Board of Education member Richard Westerburg.…
Now here's some news: Bogus Basin has announced that having received more than 9 inches of snow over the last few days, it now has enough to open the No. 3 Superior chair for night skiing. That high-speed chairlift, on the back side of the…
Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little felt at home at the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee when he came to present his budget this morning. “I started here in 1976,” he told the committee. “I interned in this committee in college in 1976.” He later went on to…
State Controller Brandon Woolf is presenting his budget request to JFAC this morning, and he highlighted the “Transparent Idaho” government transparency site that he and Gov. Butch Otter unveiled yesterday. “Historically, the greatest impediment to building a transparency site was the cost,” Woolf said in…
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted unanimously this morning to accept the report of the Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment Committee, which adopted Gov. Butch Otter’s revenue forecast of $2.7991 billion for fiscal year 2014, a 5.3 percent increase. The committee report says the figure “is…