Legislation proposed by the state Board of Education to extend a popular tax credit for donations to schools has been hung up in a House committee for more than six weeks as a freshman North Idaho lawmaker pushes for amendments...
An analysis of Gov. Butch Otter’s proposed budget for next year by the Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy concluded that when ongoing state expenses are taken into account, from firefighting bills already incurred to the out-year impacts of Otter’s proposed phased-in cut in state income…
Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A bill seeking to expand parental rights in Idaho has sparked concerns from attorneys who say its implementation could spark a new slew of lawsuits. Family advocates who support the measure, HB 113,…
After much debate, the House has voted 43-26 in favor of HB 95, the bill from Sen. Jim Rice, R-Caldwell, to exempt materials used in public roads from the sales tax. There was bipartisan opposition to the move; the bill now moves to the Senate…
Sen. Jim Rice’s bill, HB 95, to exempt materials for public roads from the sales tax, as a way to indirectly try to get more money routed to road maintenance by lowering private contractors’ bids, is drawing much debate in the House today. “This appears...
After suspending its rules to take the bill up immediately, the House has voted 68-1 in favor of HB 168, the stopgap funding bill for high school broadband service to replace the defunct Idaho Education Network.
Rep. Mat Erpelding, D-Boise, was listening to state Commerce Director Jeff Sayer present his bill in Rev & Tax today to make changes to the “Tax Reimbursement Incentive Act,” which already is giving big tax credits to companies that add or bring in jobs that...
CenturyLink has issued this statement this morning with regard to the Idaho Education Network, for which it provided the broadband service to Idaho high schools: “CenturyLink will not shut down the IEN on February 22. Because our primary focus is on the students of Idaho…
Legislative budget writers are making the overall decisions this morning that define the starting point for every agency’s budget bill that they will set this year, including one that makes the public school budget tighter than expected. After adopting the governor and joint Economic Outlook…
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, after hearing from five more germane committee chairs this morning, is preparing to set the state budget, and is starting with some overall decisions about how each agency budget bill will be crafted. The biggest: JFAC has voted unanimously to accept…
Former Idaho Gov. Phil Batt, delivering the keynote speech at the Canyon County GOP Lincoln Day banquet last night in Nampa, made waves with a stirring call to action for Republicans on civil rights for gays. Batt recalled his illustrious career as a Republican politician…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
