On tonight’s “Idaho Reports” program on Idaho Public Television, I join Jim Weatherby, Kevin Richert and host Greg Hahn to discuss the week’s developments in the Legislature. Plus, Jim, Greg and I interview Sens. Branden Durst, D-Boise, and Chuck Winder, R-Boise; Aaron Kunz has a…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Supreme Court justices ruled Friday phone consortium Syringa Networks can pursue its claim against the Department of Administration alleging the agency's bidding process violated Idaho statutes governing purchasing. Syringa sued Idaho…
Former Idaho gubernatorial candidate Rex Rammell has lost his second appeal over a 2010 elk poaching charge, with the Idaho Court of Appeals ruling unanimously that two lower courts correctly upheld Rammell’s misdemeanor conviction. He challenged it on multiple grounds, nearly all centering around his…
The Senate has now adjourned until 1:30 on Monday, but before doing so, it debated and passed SB 1040a on a 21-14 vote, allowing Idaho school districts to cut teacher pay from one year to the next. That replaces a similar bill to do the…
The most controversial of the Idaho School Boards Association’s array of bills this year to reinstate pieces of voter-rejected Proposition 1 has been withdrawn. Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene, asked for unanimous consent of the Senate to return HB 260, the “last best…
When the House got to its committee meeting announcements before its adjournment earlier this morning, Chief Clerk Bonnie Alexander said, “The only one that I have is for Education Committee, will meet subject to the call of the chair.” But House Education Chairman Reed DeMordaunt,…
HB 65, the “fix-it” bill to restore $30 million to the current year’s public school budget that otherwise would shift to a reserve fund due to the passage of Propositions 1, 2 and 3, has passed the Senate on a unanimous, 34-0 vote. Senate Education…
Here’s how senators voted on SB 1192a, the bill to exempt a state parking garage project near the Capitol from Boise city planning and zoning rules; it passed, 24-11, and now goes to the House: Voting in favor: Sens. Bair, Bayer, Brackett, Cameron, Davis, Fulcher,…
Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, told the Senate that SB 1192a would let the state override the city of Boise’s design review process if appeals can’t be resolved in a timely manner over a proposed state parking garage near the Capitol. “It was not the intent…
The Senate will not take up the two federal lands transfer measures today, HCR 21 and 22. Instead, it will suspend rules to consider three bills now on its 2nd Reading Calendar: SB 1192a, exempting the state parking garage project from local Boise city planning…
The Capitol Giftshop, located off the garden level rotunda of the state Capitol, is holding its “Sine Die Sale” starting today, on everything from “Idaho State Capitol” hooded sweatshirts to books signed by their Idaho authors. The gift shop sale runs through the day today,…
The House had wrapped up its business for the day by 8:35 this morning, and adjourned until 1:30 on Monday – which also happens to be April Fools Day. “There’s a good vibe in the room, and I think it has to do with the…
The House this morning is honoring Peter Morrill, the retiring general manager of Idaho Public Television. “There are just a few things in this vast state of ours that tie us together,” said Rep. John Rusche, D-Lewiston, a co-sponsor of the proclamation, HP 1, along…
Here’s a link to my full story at spokesman.com on how Coeur d’Alene Rep. Luke Malek's bill to make attacking a health care worker a felony - a measure requested in part by Kootenai Medical Center, which says violent attacks there are increasing - was…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — House lawmakers voted 35-33 against shifting money from hunting licenses to compensate ranchers for livestock losses and fund state efforts to kill wolves. Thursday's narrow rejection came after the Idaho Department of Fish…
Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little said not 10 minutes before he was called on to break a tie vote in the Senate today, he’d been talking with Senate pages, who asked him if he ever got to vote. He explained that he voted only in…
A federal judge today refused to dismiss a Federal Election Commission lawsuit against former Idaho Sen. Larry Craig for using $217,000 in campaign funds for his legal defense after his arrest in a 2007 airport bathroom sex sting, the Associated Press reports. Craig had argued…
Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, declined to respond to questions from a reporter about his debate against HB 292, the health worker assault bill, or his response to Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d’Alene, the bill’s sponsor, who said Nonini questioned his ethics for sponsoring the…
Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d’Alene, a former Kootenai County deputy prosecutor whose first bill as an Idaho state representative was defeated on a tied Senate vote today – a tie that was broken by a no vote from Lt. Gov. Brad Little – said, “I’m…
The joint meeting of the House and Senate Education committees that Senate Ed Chair John Goedde had announced earlier today - which was set for 8 a.m. Monday - has been canceled, at least for now. "It appears that the ideas being developed for the…
Rep. Luke Malek’s House-passed bill to make assaults on health care workers a felony has been defeated in the Senate, after Lt. Gov. Brad Little broke a 17-17 tie vote, voting against the bill and killing it. The bill, HB 292, was sought by Kootenai…
Rep. Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, urged passage of both lands-transfer measures. “For the management of the resource, I think this is a discussion that we have to start,” he said. Sen. Jeff Siddoway, R-Terreton, moved to approve HCR 21, the study committee resolution, and his motion…
Jonathan Oppenheimer of the Idaho Conservation League spoke against both public lands transfer resolutions, HCR 21 and HCR 22. HCR 21 would set up a study committee on a state takeover of federal land within the state; it passed the House on a 64-4 vote.…
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter said today that he’s no longer working on his $10 million “Hire One More Employee” or HOME tax credit this year; the bill, HB 88, passed the House on Feb. 14, but never got a hearing in the Senate Local Government…
House Resources Chairman Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, is pitching his two federal lands transfer measures to the Senate State Affairs Committee this afternoon. The measures, he said, “make the historic and legal case for the transfer of title of the public lands within the boundaries of…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
| March 2013 | ||||
| 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 |
| 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 | 18 |
| 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 |
| 08 | 07 | 06 | 05 | 04 |
| 03 | 01 |
