A federal judge has ordered Idaho to destroy all information collected from collars placed on elk and wolves obtained illegally by landing a helicopter in a central Idaho wilderness area. U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill in a ruling made public Thursday says it's such an extreme case that the only way...
Well, that was weird. An unusual siren sounded, and then a metal smoke-barrier door slid out and sealed off the Capitol basement corridor where House committee meeting rooms are located, blocking lots of people on the other side who filed outside and upstairs and stood…
Idaho's effective tax rate on natural gas and oil production is less than half the average when compared with eight other producing states, according to a tax-comparison study released Thursday. The study made public at the Idaho Oil and Gas Conservation Commission meeting found Idaho's rate at 4 percent compared with the 9.5 percent average...
Idaho’s average teacher salary has increased by slightly more than 5 percent since 2015, when the state adopted a five-year plan to boost pay, reports Idaho EdNews. After two years, and a $75 million infusion of new state money, Idaho’s average teacher salary now stands…
Asked about Rep. Heather Scott’s Facebook statement today blasting him for not yet restoring her committee assignments and her objection that forced the full reading of a bill during today’s House session, House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, said, “I’ll stick by my statement from the…
It seems all is not well in the House, where yesterday Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, issued a statement apologizing to every member of the House for her earlier disparaging comments about other female House members, but today she objected to a standard motion to waive…
The House has voted unanimously, 68-0, in favor of HB 1, the first bill of the session, which clarifies the meaning of “in whole or in part” in the administrative rules constitutional amendment, HJR 5, that voters approved in November. “HB 1 is a very…
Lawmakers on the Idaho House Revenue and Taxation Committee have introduced legislation to bring the state's tax code in line with federal rules. Tom Shaner, with the Idaho Tax Commission, said Thursday that the move is estimated to cost Idaho almost nothing – marking the first time in nearly a decade that bringing Idaho's tax code in line...
High school students are being invited to compete for cash prizes while learning about constitutional conflicts in a civics contest sponsored by the U.S. District Court in Idaho and the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The theme of the essay and video competition, which…
Idaho’s Department of Environmental Quality is proposing to add nine new employees next year as part of the phase-in of Idaho’s effort to achieve state primacy on the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System, though which Idaho would take over permitting and enforcement of discharges of…
With the big Women’s March on Washington planned Saturday, Idaho has seven women’s marches planned as well, including the Women’s March on Idaho in Boise, organized by two Boise high school students. Colette Raptosh, a Capital High School junior, and friend Nora Harren, a senior…
An Idaho House panel has introduced legislation that would exclude gasoline hybrid vehicle owners from paying an additional $75 registration fee. Two years ago, lawmakers passed a transportation funding plan that raised vehicle registration fees and the gasoline tax by 7 cents. Electric and hybrid vehicles faced higher...
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
