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Eye On Boise archive for Dec. 2, 2009

WEDNESDAY, DEC. 2, 2009

Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little, right, presides over a meeting of the governor's transportation funding task force on Wednesday. The panel won't be proposing fixes for Idaho roads in upcoming legislative session; members said its work will take longer than that. (Betsy Russell)

No Idaho roads fix this year... 

The governor's transportation funding task force has wrapped up its third all-day meeting, but it won't be proposing any road fixes in the upcoming Idaho legislative session. The panel set its next meeting for Feb. 18th. "They're not going to propose anything for this legislative…

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POST chief fired, no reason given

The head of Idaho's POST Academy was fired on Nov. 5, the AP reports today, and the state didn't publicly acknowledge the dismissal until the Associated Press inquired about it this morning. Jeff Black, executive director of the academy and a former longtime state trooper,…

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Labrador plans Monday announcement

Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Eagle, said today that he'll announce his candidacy for the 1st District congressional seat on Monday, with announcements in Boise and Coeur d'Alene. Already in the GOP primary race is Iraq war veteran Vaughn Ward; state Rep. Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, dropped out…

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How we're falling short on roads...

Tom Cole, chief engineer for the Idaho Transportation Department, is presenting figures to the governor's task force on how much the state is falling behind on preservation and restoration of state and local roads and bridges. If our goal as a state were just to…

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State lawmakers and others on Gov. Butch Otter's transportation task force drew a full-house audience for their meeting in Boise on Wednesday. (Betsy Russell)

What Utah did...

The governor's transportation funding task force got an overview of a "Utah case study," looking at what that state did to increase transportation funding. It started with a year and a half-long "growth summit" in 1995, which involved citizens across the state in envisioning how…

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Idaho relies on feds for transportation money 

Idaho ranks 12th in the nation for relying on federal aid to fund its transportation program, according to transportation consultant Tom Warne, at 52 percent. State fuel tax supplies 26 percent, and registration fees, 13 percent. The least reliant states are Wyoming, 13 percent, and…

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Tom Warne, transportation consultant and former Utah transportation director (Betsy Russell)

Expert: Toll roads won't work in Idaho

Toll roads are among the top proposals supported by the Obama Administration for increasing transportation funding, transportation consultant Tom Warne told Gov. Butch Otter's transportation task force, but, he said, "There are places like Idaho and Utah where there's probably limited opportunity for toll roads,…

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Gov. Butch Otter's transportation funding task force opens its meeting in Boise on Wednesday morning. (Betsy Russell)

'Huge need to invest in transportation'

Gov. Butch Otter's transportation task force has opened its third meeting this morning, with a full house. First up is a presentation from Tom Warne, former director of the Utah Department of Transportation and now a transportation consultant, on the regional and national transportation funding…

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Eye On Boise

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