A Washington state company with land holdings in Idaho will pay $6 million in a settlement with the federal government over the cleanup of a northern Idaho Superfund site. Potlatch Corporation and its subsidiary, Potlatch Land & Lumber, signed an agreement in early February with the Department of Justice, Environmental Protection Agency...
The Idaho Senate, which is back on the floor this afternoon, has voted 22-11 in favor of SB 1280, Sen. Mary Souza’s bill to move school board elections to November of odd-numbered years, the same time as city elections. The bill now moves to the…
A University of Idaho law professor is suing the Idaho Department of Correction under the state's Public Records Act for refusing to hand over documents about its use of execution drugs. Aliza Cover asked prison officials last fall for purchase orders, receipts, source paperwork and other documents on the drugs the state used in...
Low-income women in Idaho would have access to important health and family planning services under a proposal advancing inside the Statehouse. According to the measure, Idaho would be allowed to seek federal permission — known as a waiver — to expand family planning services to women ages 19-44...
The Idaho Senate has killed SB 1283a, the bill to allow only hands-free use of cell phones or other electronic devices while driving, on a 13-22 vote after a long debate. The bill, which would have replaced the state’s current ban on texting while driving,...
The House has passed HB 577, Rep. Dorothy Moon’s bill to legalize CBD oil for medical use, on a 59-11 vote. The bill now moves to the Senate side. Numerous representatives spoke out on the bill, with many citing people they know who use the...
The House has voted 64-6 in favor of HB 538, legislation from Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, to extend the state Wolf Depredation Control Board, which is charged with contracting to have problem wolves exterminated, for another year. Her bill would continue the board, and the...
After a lengthy and emotional hearing, the House State Affairs Committee has narrowly approved “Marsy’s Law for Idaho,” a proposed constitutional amendment on victims’ rights, on a 9-6 vote. Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, said, she had concerns over “heavy-handed tactics used” to push the legislation.…
A divided House Education Committee has voted 9-7 in favor of HB 590, to establish a new scholarship program for private schools only, to be administered by the State Board of Education. The narrow vote followed two hours of testimony for and against the bill,...
After a lengthy hearing Tuesday, a bill to forgive rural teachers’ student loan debt is headed to the House floor for unspecified amendments, Idaho EdNews reports. Pushed by Rep. Sally Toone, D-Gooding, HB 504 would provide $3,000 per year in student loan forgiveness for up to 500 qualified teachers working in rural...
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, on a unanimous 20-0 vote, has set a budget for Medicaid for next year that’s significantly below Gov. Butch Otter’s recommendation, even though it includes two provider rate increases that he hadn’t included in his budget proposal. The main reason for…
There’s lots going on in the Capitol this morning. The House Education Committee is holding a hearing in the Lincoln Auditorium, with an agenda that includes two controversial bills, HB 566, creating a certification system for heads of charter schools that doesn’t require traditional academic…
Builders, architects and local officials from across the state urged strongly against it – as did the state association of fire chiefs – but a House committee this afternoon passed legislation to forbid local communities from adopting any building code provisions that are more up-to-date or more stringent than those adopted by a state board....
Senate Republicans have killed an Idaho Democrat's bill that would have allowed women to receive up to a 12-month supply of prescribed birth control. Currently, most Idaho insurance providers currently have a one-month or three-month limit. Democratic Sen. Cherie Buckner-Webb...
The Senate has voted 25-10 in favor of SB 1279, the governor’s Opportunity Scholarship bill, which allows up to 20 percent of scholarships to go to “adult completers” returning to college to finish their degrees. “At the end of the day, if we’re going to…
The House has killed legislation from Idaho counties to allow an increase in a cap on property tax levies for county justice related services, from sheriff’s patrols to jail operations, from twenty hundredths of a percent of taxable market value, or .002, to twenty-five hundredths…
Gov. Butch Otter’s dual-waiver “Idaho Health Care Plan” has been pulled off the House floor and sent back to committee, after House Health & Welfare Chairman Fred Wood, R-Burley, said, “At this point in time the voters aren’t there to pass the bill.” House Minority...
Idaho officials pitched the state's plan for health care to federal officials, making a case to allow insurers to sell plans that don't comply with the Affordable Care Act. The Idaho Statesman reports Republican Gov. Butch Otter and Idaho Department of Insurance Director Dean Cameron met with top federal health care officials last weekend...
Instead of the $5 million increase in Idaho’s Opportunity Scholarship fund that Gov. Butch Otter’s been backing – which would boost the fund to $15 million a year – legislative budget writers today approved a $3.5 million increase. “The group settled on $3.5 million,” said…
The budget for Idaho’s four-year colleges and universities for next year was set by JFAC this morning with a 3 percent increase in state general funds for next year, higher than Gov. Butch Otter’s proposal for a 2.3 percent increase; the vote was unanimous, 20-0.…
Budgets approved by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee so far this morning for the departments of Lands, Water Resources and Parks & Recreation have mostly closely tracked Gov. Butch Otter’s recommendations. At the Idaho Department of Water Resources, Sen. Steve Bair, R-Blackfoot, proposed an additional position…
JFAC has voted unanimously this morning to transfer $20 million from the current year’s budget to the fire fund in the state Department of Lands budget, with an emergency clause. The state currently has $8.6 million in bills pending from the 2017 fire season. Rep.…
Here’s a link to my full story at spokesman.com on four bills dealing with gun rights or gun safety – not gun control – that were debated in the Idaho Legislature today. The bills include HB 565, Rep. Heather Scott’s bill to allow retired law…
Idaho lawmakers on Monday proposed a measure with strong Republican support that would dramatically change the state's independent commission in charge of re-drawing congressional and legislative maps every decade. Redistricting is important because it can decide which party gets the majority of congressional and state legislative seats...
Rep. Heather Scott says she has an answer to school shootings: More retired law enforcement officers carrying concealed guns when they pick up their grandkids from school. “Mass shootings in society seem to be on the rise, especially in the schools, as we saw this…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
| Feb. 2018 | ||||
| 28 | 27 | 26 | 23 | 22 |
| 21 | 20 | 19 | 16 | 15 |
| 14 | 13 | 12 | 09 | 08 |
| 07 | 06 | 05 | 04 | 02 |
| 01 |
