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Eye On Boise archive for Aug. 2009

MONDAY, AUG. 31, 2009


Genetics part of wolf debate 

One concern raised by U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy raised when he issued the 2008 injunction stopping wolf hunts in Idaho and Montana was the lack of evidence of genetic mixing between the wolf populations in the various states. "I don't think he was provided…

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Could be days or weeks?

Jenny Harbine, attorney with Earthjustice, the environmental law firm that's representing the conservation groups that sued over wolf delisting, said of today's court proceedings, "Well, obviously we didn't get a ruling, and the judge stated that he would issue a ruling expeditiously. We don't know…

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Idaho offers wolf arguments on the fly

Get this: Idaho wasn't supposed to be allowed to offer any oral arguments this morning at the wolf hearing in Missoula, but U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy surprised officials from Idaho and Montana this morning by shifting gears at the last minute, and agreeing to…

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U.S. Reps. Walt Minnick, left, and Mike Simpson, right, after they spoke together to the Boise City Club on Monday (Betsy Russell / The Spokesman-Review)

Ban health PAC contributions? 

Congressmen Mike Simpson and Walt Minnick were asked, in a question submitted by a City Club audience member, if they'd support banning health care industry PAC contributions while Congress debates health care reform. "I can answer that no, Mike, how about you?" Minnick responded amid…

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Democratic Congressman Walt Minnick, left, and Republican Congressman Mike Simpson appear together at a City Club of Boise forum attended by more than 400 people. At right is moderator Marty Peterson. (Betsy Russell / The Spokesman-Review)

Simpson: Got to listen to both sides

The City Club of Boise has an interesting double bill for its luncheon today: Republican Congressman Mike Simpson, and Democratic Congressman Walt Minnick, at a forum dubbed, "Red Elephant, Blue Dog, A Conversation." Sitting collegially side by side, the two said they do work together…

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Most state tort claims are denied

Here's what happens with most tort claims against the state, though the one filed by fired ITD Director Pam Lowe is hardly run-of-the-mill: Idaho's risk management office, in response to a public records request, reported that the state received 1,867 such claims in the last…

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SUNDAY, AUG. 30, 2009

FRIDAY, AUG. 28, 2009

Jim Palin, left, father of Todd Palin; Chuck Heath, center, father of Sarah Palin, and Vaughn Ward, right, an Idaho Republican congressional candidate discuss politics during a stop in Caldwell, Idaho, in which the two dads were campaigning for Ward. (Betsy Russell / The Spokesman-Review)

Dad: Palin is off writing her book 

While the national media wonders what Sarah Palin’s doing and what she’ll do next, she’s holed up working on her book, her dad said today. “Sarah’s been out of town for almost a month now,” said Chuck Heath, who is on a campaign swing through…

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Crapo: Rammell should apologize

U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo issued the following statement about the comments regarding shooting President Obama made by gubernatorial candidate Rex Rammell, who like Crapo is a Republican: “Rex Rammell’s comments are in very poor taste and should not have been said. Remarks like these should…

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Rammell's explanation 

GOP gubernatorial candidate Rex Rammell says "anyone who understands the law" would know he was just joking about buying a hunting tag to shoot President Barack Obama, "because Idaho has no jurisdiction to issue hunting tags in Washington, D.C." This after the Idaho Republican Party…

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THURSDAY, AUG. 27, 2009


Hmmm, Senator Harwood?

Oopsy. Ken Roberts' congressional campaign sent out a press release first thing this morning noting that Roberts, R-Donnelly, the current House majority caucus chairman who's running for the 1st District congressional seat, has now been endorsed by 30 legislators from the 1st District. The release…

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WEDNESDAY, AUG. 26, 2009


'Room for improvement' for stimulus sites

Every state has now created a “transparency” Web site to allow residents to track federal economic stimulus money, but according to a report by a good-government group, some sites are better than others. Washington ranked among the top three in the nation, while Idaho tied…

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Times-News: Blick a key figure in Lowe case 

The Times-News in Twin Falls reports today that its local member of the Idaho Transportation Board, Gary Blick, has repeatedly refused to comment to the paper since emerging as a key figure in the firing of ITD Director Pam Lowe. Lowe's tort claim against the…

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TUESDAY, AUG. 25, 2009

Pam Lowe's lawyers 

The law firm representing fired ITD Director Pam Lowe in her wrongful termination claim against the state, Strindberg & Scholnick LLC, specializes in employment law, and is the firm that last year won a $4.2 million settlement on behalf of more than 300 employees of…

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A look at Pam Lowe's tort claim

A look at fired ITD Director Pam Lowe's tort claim against the state for wrongful termination shows some explosive allegations, beyond sex discrimination and improper dismissal. Among them: That Jeff Malmen, then Gov. Butch Otter's chief of staff, called Lowe and ITD Board Chairman Darrell…

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MONDAY, AUG. 24, 2009

Why Butch didn't show up

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter has been saying for two years that he wanted to be the first to bid on an Idaho wolf hunting tag, but today, when unlimited sales of the tags opened at Fish & Game offices around the state, at vendors and…

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Defenders: 'It depends what happens Monday'

The court hearing in Missoula next Monday before U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy, on a possible injunction to block the impending first-ever wolf hunts in Idaho and Montana this fall, is following rather swiftly after the 13 groups that earlier sued in federal court over…

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Wolf tags sold so far: 4,196 

Here's the 4:45 p.m. total of wolf hunting tags sold today in Idaho: 4,196, of which 61 were to non-residents. All the rest went to Idaho hunters. There's no limit on the tags, and they continue to be sold both at vendors like sporting good…

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News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.



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