An “informal working group” of lawmakers has been convened by House Speaker Scott Bedke and Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill to consider an overhaul to the state’s public school funding formula. The group doesn’t plan to propose legislation this year; instead, it will seek legislative...
The House Judiciary Committee this afternoon split 10-7 and rejected a proposed rule from the Idaho State Police about what constitutes “actual use” of a liquor license. It matters because if the licenses aren’t in use, they can be forfeited. The panel approved another ISP…
House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, brought legislation to the House Rev & Tax Committee today to make permanent a five-year tax break lawmakers enacted in 2012 for Idaho aircraft repair businesses, a measure originally enacted at the behest of the late Rep. Frank Henderson,…
Idaho and a few surrounding states are the last places where invasive quagga and zebra mussels haven’t taken hold, Montana Rep. Mike Cuffe, R-Eurka, told the House Resources Committee this afternoon, and a group of Pacific Northwest states and Canadian provinces want to make sure...
Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, is profiled by Idaho EdNews today, which reports that the new co-chair of the Legislature’s joint budget committee and the senior member of the Idaho Senate is being targeted by a group in her district that’s more closely aligned with arch-conservative…
An Idaho Democratic lawmaker is renewing his efforts to curb the number of children who die because their parents choose faith healing and not medical assistance for religious reasons. The Times-News reports that Rep. John Gannon, D-Boise, is working on a new bill after failing to get a legislative hearing for a similar proposal in 2014...
Idaho’s seven public health districts are facing a $1.27 million expense next year due to the 27th pay period on the state payroll, a quirk of the calendar that happens once every 11 years. The districts requested that the state pick up the full cost,…
A theater is suing the Idaho State Police for threatening to revoke its liquor license after the theater served alcohol while showing "Fifty Shades of Grey," saying the move violated the First Amendment. The Idaho Statesman reports Idaho law prohibits places licensed to serve alcohol from showing movies that depict sexual acts...
“You’ll notice in fiscal year 2015 there’s quite a significant decrease,” Catastrophic Health Care Fund board Chairman Roger Christensen told lawmakers on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning. It’s a trend the state is welcoming; both the case load and state payments have fallen precipitously…
Of the 2,593 people who applied for help from the state’s Catastrophic Health Care Program so far in fiscal year 2016, the current year, 432 were found to be eligible for Medicaid, or 9 percent. In fiscal year 2015, of the 5,683 people who applied…
The House Revenue & Taxation Committee has voted unanimously this morning to introduce legislation proposed by Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, and Rep. Reed DeMordaunt, R-Eagle, to add the new STEM Action Center to the list of educational entities to which donations qualify for a…
Idaho is changing its plans for Medicaid reimbursement rate cuts that had been scheduled to take effect Feb. 1, the Idaho Statesman reports, because of concerns that they will make it harder for people with severe disabilities to get in-home care. The Idaho Department of...
After Gary Moore, administrator of the Division of Family and Community Services at the Department of Health & Welfare, mentioned during his budget presentation on services for the developmentally disabled that one portion of the program, services for children with developmental disabilities, includes a service…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
