Tonight’s “Idaho Reports” rounds up the happenings of the third week of this year’s legislative session, including co-host Melissa Davlin’s interview with Rep. Wendy Horman, state Board of Education President Don Soltman and College of Southern Idaho President Jeff Fox on “K-through-Career” education, and a…
Here's my full story on today's fight in the House over the tax-conformity bill and same-sex marriage: BOISE – North Idaho Rep. Heather Scott tried unsuccessfully Friday to kill an income tax bill over same-sex marriage issues, though the measure must pass before Idahoans can...
Following today’s House vote to pass the tax conformity bill, the House went at ease for a bit of a tongue-in-cheek ceremony: The “crow,” a statue of a crow that’s ceremonially passed to the House member who gets the least support on a bill or...
Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, staunchly defended her unsuccessful move to kill the tax conformity bill today, saying the measure shouldn’t permit same-sex couples to file joint Idaho tax returns unless the Idaho Constitution is amended to remove the court-voided ban on same-sex marriage. “I just…
Rep. Janet Trujillo, R-Idaho Falls, told the House, “I also took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the state of Idaho and the Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the land.” The House then voted 54-16 to pass HB 425,...
Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, moved to “lay on the table” HB 425, the tax conformity bill, a motion that would prevent the bill from being taken up with a two-thirds vote. “The problem I have with this bill is by conforming to the federal definition...
Rep. Janet Trujillo, R-Idaho Falls, in her opening debate for HB 425, the tax conformity bill, told the House, “This is a bill that our CPA community is anxiously awaiting. This is our annual conformity bill and it relates to Idaho income tax. The internal…
The House has voted 62-6 to suspend its rules and take up HB 425, the new version of the IRS tax conformity bill. The six "no" votes came from Reps. Scott, Nate, McCrostie, Jordan, King and Wintrow, two Republicans and four Democrats.
A long list of newly introduced bills was read across the desk in the House today, prior to the break, including an array of personal bills sponsored by individual lawmakers; today is the deadline for personal bills in the House. Among those introduced today: *…
The House has gone at ease for 10 minutes to allow minority Democrats to caucus; after that, Majority Leader Mike Moyle announced, it’ll reconvene and suspend rules to take up HB 425, the new version of the tax conformity bill.
The Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy has released an analysis of HB 380, the proposal from House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, to cut the state’s corporate and individual income tax rates by a tenth of a percentage point while raising the grocery tax credit…
Legislation that would ban powdered alcohol in Idaho is headed to the full House for amendments, after members of the House State Affairs Committee raised various questions about the bill on Thursday. So far, 27 states have already prohibited the substance, marketed as Palcohol, state…
Here’s a link to my full story at spokesman.com on state schools Superintendent Sherri Ybarra’s budget pitch to lawmakers yesterday, in which she told lawmakers she wants a new education culture in Idaho, “to provide high-quality education while moving way from a very rigid philosophy…
Idaho’s current Opportunity Scholarship program is falling far short of meeting the needs of qualified college students, reports Idaho EdNews. A $5 million cash infusion, proposed by Gov. Butch Otter, would help bridge the gap, State Board of Education executive director Matt Freeman told legislative…
The first specialty license plate bill of the year was introduced in the House Transportation Committee Thursday afternoon, honoring the Orofino High School Maniacs, reports Bill Spence of the Lewiston Tribune. Rep. Paul Shepherd, R-Riggins, sponsored the measure; he also proposed a similar bill last...
Idaho is expecting a “significant labor shortage” by the year 2025, state Professional-Technical Education Director Dwight Johnson told legislative budget writers this morning. From 2015 to 2025, Idaho’s workforce, aged 16 to 64, is expected to grow by about 55,000 people. But the number of…
A new version of the annual IRS tax conformity bill has cleared the House Revenue & Taxation Committee this morning – this one co-sponsored by House Speaker Scott Bedke, Majority Leader Mike Moyle, Assistant Majority Leader Brent Crane and GOP Caucus Chairman John Vanderwoude. It…
Twin Falls Sen. Jim Patrick wants Idaho to do away with the requirement for a front license plate on cars. “There’s 19 other states that do this,” he said. Idaho already doesn’t require front plates on ATVs, old-timer classic cars and some other types of...
The home of tax-protesting former Idaho state Rep. Phil Hart was auctioned off on the Kootenai County Courthouse steps for back taxes this morning, and sold for $182,000 to a Spokane real estate investor; Hart, who is still living in the log home, attended the...
Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, said today that he’s declined to schedule either a full hearing on minimum wage legislation proposed by Sen. Maryanne Jordan, D-Boise, and Rep. Mat Erpelding, D-Boise, or an introductory hearing, which would allow the bill to be printed and get a...
The House has just voted 54-15 – with all 14 House Democrats plus Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, voting no – to return HB 354, the IRS tax conformity bill, to the House Revenue & Taxation Committee. Scott was among three members of the committee who voted against the bill...
The Idaho Legislature will hold its first-ever hearing on a Medicaid expansion bill next week, giving the public an opportunity to weigh in on one of the most politically contentious issues facing the state, reports Bill Spence of the Lewiston Tribune. Senate Health and Welfare…
Idaho’s state Department of Education has agreed to cut 30 minutes each off the time required for ISAT testing in both math and English language arts, state Superintendent Sherri Ybarra told lawmakers today; she’s hoping a budget request she’s made for $50,000 for a committee…
The budget request for the office of the state superintendent of public instruction is actually $2.6 million less than the current year’s budget, Superintendent Sherri Ybarra told legislative budget writers this morning. That’s largely because of the drop in costs for broadband service to schools...
As legislative budget writers question state schools Superintendent Sherri Ybarra this morning, questions have ranged from teacher evaluations to literacy programs to early-childhood education. Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, asked Ybarra how her literacy initiative differs from others that have been discussed. Ybarra said it’s...
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
| Jan. 2016 | ||||
| 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 |
| 24 | 22 | 21 | 20 | 19 |
| 18 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 |
| 11 | 10 | 08 | 07 | 06 |
| 05 | 04 |
