All future licensed car dealerships in Idaho, new or used, would’ve been required to have a permanent building on a foundation, permanent utilities, an operating restroom and a landline phone, under legislation that came up for a hearing in the Senate Transportation Committee this afternoon.…
Both the House and Senate had ceremonies today honoring Abraham Lincoln on what Skip Critrell, who dressed as Lincoln and delivered his Second Inaugural Address, noted would have been the 16th president’s 199th birthday. Lincoln fans are gearing up for the bicentennial of Lincoln’s birth,…
Volunteers from an array of churches and faith-based organizations are at the Capitol Annex today, urging lawmakers to correct what they say is a “crucial flaw” in Idaho’s current grocery tax credit: That poor people are disqualified from receiving it. Anyone who doesn’t make enough…
When Rep. Dennis Lake, R-Blackfoot, suffered a stroke during a House debate last Thursday, he was debating against a bill sponsored by his seatmate, Rep. Jim Clark, R-Hayden Lake, to shore up Idaho’s judges’ retirement system by creating a stabilization fund. Today, with Lake back…
A bipartisan group of lawmakers introduced legislation Monday designed to let Idaho judges waive mandatory minimum sentences for some drug offenders, if the crime stems from addiction that could be treated. “There are some people we don’t need to throw the book at,” said Rep.…
Two bills that already have passed the Senate unanimously have now also won near-unanimous support from the House Judiciary Committee. SB 1270 adds a fourth justice to Idaho’s three-member Court of Appeals in 2009, due to skyrocketing caseload. SB 1271 removes the requirement that the…
Idaho’s Capitol restoration special license plate is now the state’s third-largest selling specialty plate, Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs, told the Senate, and so the Capitol Commission would like to keep selling it. Otherwise, the law establishing that special plate would expire; HB…
John Foster, executive director of the Idaho Democratic Party, has decided to leave his post in mid-March after serving for just under a year. Foster, who said the job simply didn’t leave him enough time with his young family, said he’ll “leave on the high…
Tamarack Resort got a unanimous vote this morning from the Senate State Affairs Committee for SB 1382, legislation to allow the year-round ski and golf resort near Donnelly to get up to 12 non-transferable liquor licenses. It already was entitled to three under a law…
House members were just informed that Rep. Dennis Lake, R-Blackfoot, who suffered a stroke during a House debate yesterday, is due to be released from the hospital within the hour. “His condition is well,” Senate GOP Caucus Chairman Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, told the House. “His…
Senate Minority Leader Clint Stennett, D-Ketchum, who underwent brain surgery last week, returned to the Legislature this morning, attending a Senate State Affairs Committee meeting. Sen. Elliot Werk, D-Boise, was presenting a proposed bill on energy efficient school building design when Stennett came in and…
A new version of a boating safety bill from the state Department of Parks & Rec was introduced in the House Resources Committee today, though with several “no” votes. Under the new bill, no one under 14 could operate a motorized boat or watercraft in…
A group of school districts won a round today in an unusual federal lawsuit, in which the districts sued the Idaho Supreme Court justices who earlier ruled in their favor, declaring Idaho’s school funding system unconstitutional, but then failed to do anything about it. You…
Idaho legislators are expressing fears about whether they can fund Gov. Butch Otter’s proposed budget due to anticipated worsening economic conditions – and they got the first numbers today that bolster that fear. Though preliminary, state revenue figures for January show a sharp drop, coming…
County commissioners from Bonner, Boundary and Shoshone counties spoke forcefully against the proposed North Idaho water rights adjudication, in a Senate committee hearing this afternoon. Boundary County Commissioner Dan Dinning urged lawmakers to put the process on hold. “We have issues there that I don’t…
Sid Smith, press secretary for Idaho Sen. Larry Craig, has been named the new executive director of the Idaho Republican Party. Smith has worked for Craig for six years. He replaces Jayson Ronk, who went to work for the Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry…
The huge turnout for Idaho’s Democratic presidential caucuses last night came despite a major winter snowstorm in North Idaho, that at one point closed I-90 westbound at Fourth of July Pass. The freeway remained closed from 8:45 to 10 p.m., due to multiple semi-truck spinouts.…
With all Idaho counties’ votes tallied, Idaho’s Democratic presidential caucuses overwhelmingly favored Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who took 80 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton trailed with 17 percent, while 3 percent were uncommitted and John Edwards tallied 1 percent. Obama took 79 percent in…
With 67 percent of the caucus results tallied, Barack Obama had 81 percent in Idaho, Hillary Clinton had 15 percent, 3 percent were uncommitted and 1 percent were for John Edwards, according to the Associated Press. A candidate needs at least 15 percent to meet…
With 31 percent of Idaho’s caucuses reaching their final results, Barack Obama is sweeping the state with 74 percent. Hillary Clinton has 22 percent, 3 percent are uncommitted, and 1 percent are for John Edwards.
Boise Mayor Dave Bieter, who spoke for Obama at the Ada County caucus tonight, said he wanted to lead a cheer that wouldn’t be heard in Iowa or anywhere else, a “uniquely Boise” cheer. He also used that cheer at the Fiesta Bowl. The reason…
Ada County Democrats had printed up 9,000 ballots for their caucus tonight, and they ran out. “They had to go to Kinko’s and make more,” said Idaho Democratic Party spokesman Chuck Oxley. Another 5,000 ballots were copied off. Some caucus-goers were held outside by the…
With thousands in line, Ada County Democrats are scrambling to mobilize volunteers with clipboards to collect completed ballots from those still outside waiting in line for the presidential caucus. The Qwest Arena has a capacity of 6,500, and state Democratic Party spokesman Chuck Oxley said,…
Former Eagle Mayor Nancy Merrill has announced she’ll run for the state House from District 14, but the GOP candidate hasn’t decided which seat she’ll seek. The two seats from that district currently are held by House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, and freshman Rep.…
Legislation to change a single word in state law – changing “Albertson” to “The,” to reflect in the law regarding special license plates commemorating universities the recent name change of Albertson College of Idaho to The College of Idaho – passed the House today on…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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