Idaho’s state tax revenues in December came in 5.4 percent, or $16.3 million, above forecasts, and 13.5 percent above the previous December. That puts general fund revenues for the fiscal year to date at 1 percent over the revised forecast and 7.8 percent above this…
Idaho’s average pay for classified state employees is 24 percent behind the private sector market and 14 percent below the public sector, according to the latest official state study; total compensation, including benefits, is estimated at 8 percent below private-sector rates and 11 percent below public-sector rates. That's among the data that's...
The annual “Rainbow Report” about the state’s workforce is out, and once again, it shows that the highest-paid state employee is Boise State University’s head football coach. Coach Bryan Harsin’s salary of $1.1 million is among those of 338 state employees who pull down salaries…
The Idaho Department of Fish & Game’s proposal to raise fees for most resident licenses and tags between $1 and $6 is included in Gov. Butch Otter’s proposed budget, writes Idaho Statesman reporter Rocky Barker, but Otter has stopped short of supporting it, saying it’s…
Idaho lawmakers want to clarify language inside a newly adopted constitutional amendment to ease legal concerns raised by Idaho's top elected officials. The first bill introduced in the legislature's new session Tuesday would define a brief clause in the constitutional amendment that expanded the Idaho Legislature's power...
Environmental groups are asking a federal court to halt 11 infrastructure projects on four lower Snake River dams in Washington state that could ultimately be removed if a pending review determines the dams need to come out to help salmon, the AP reports. The 45-page notice filed late Monday in Portland...
Top legislative leaders are no longer optimistic that the $8 million they squirrelled away last year will be used as a settlement in the state's ongoing school broadband legal disputes, the AP reports...
The Legislature’s joint committee on change in employee compensation – commonly known as CEC – will meet this afternoon at 2:30 in room EW 42 (agenda here) to review the latest state compensation report and the governor’s recommendation for 3 percent merit-based raises for state…
At a white-draped table in the well of the Senate, an unusual ceremony is taking place, as part of an unsuccessful Senate candidate’s formal protest of the election. Idaho Secretary of State Lawerence Denney and Chief Deputy Tim Hurst carried in a sealed box. “I…
Gov. Butch Otter’s budget director, Jani Revier, briefed the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning on the governor’s budget proposal for next year, running rapid-fire through line items and numbers. At the end of the briefing, surprisingly, there was just one question. JFAC Co-Chair Sen. Shawn…