House Speaker Lawerence Denney and Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes both confirm that they're co-sponsoring the new education bills, which make permanent changes to state laws to allow school cuts, with the House and Senate education chairmen. "Our names are on them," Denney told Eye…
Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, says he's co-sponsoring today's controversial education legislation with House Education Chairman Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, House Speaker Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, and Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs. "The bottom line in what we're proposing here, with a…
Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, says she's "distressed" by the far-reaching legislation introduced today to allow cuts in public education in Idaho, which include shifting all Idaho teachers to one-year contracts. "It looks as though a sledgehammer was used when a scalpel was needed," Keough said.…
Vice President Joe Biden has arrived in Boise for his visit to the Special Olympics, about four hours late due to weather delays. The welcoming party greeting him at his plane included Gov. Butch Otter, Lt. Gov. Brad Little, Secretary of State Ben Ysursa, Attorney…
Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, failed to persuade the House Environment Committee this afternoon to introduce his bill to repeal last year's much-negotiated, long-sought air quality vehicle emissions testing bill. The panel voted 6-5 to return the bill to its sponsor rather than introduce it.…
Schoolchildren and dignitaries pulled on the brightly colored, star-covered drape, and Idaho's newly restored and relocated Abraham Lincoln monument was unveiled in its new spot, near the corner of Capitol Boulevard and Bannock Street, just south of the state Capitol. The hour-long ceremony commemorating the…
With a scant 20 minutes to spare, the House has voted unanimously, by voice vote, in favor of SCR 102, the resolution to declare Abraham Lincoln the honorary governor of the former Idaho Territory today, his 200th birthday. It's a position he actually was offered…
Sherri Wood, president of the Idaho Education Association, received the new education bills that were introduced this morning by fax while attending a conference in Seattle, and immediately went into a conference call to examine them. "I'm outraged - angry," she said. "When the educators…
House Assistant Minority Leader James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, says Democrats and education stakeholders have been working with state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna for weeks on ways to find savings in the school budget, but were never informed about the far-reaching bills introduced this morning. "Suddenly…
Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, the House Education Committee chairman, proposed two far-ranging bills this morning to make permanent changes in state law to allow cuts in Idaho's public school funding. Among them: No state funding for field trips, including academic outings, ever again. All…
Idaho Transportation Department Director Pam Lowe told legislative budget writers this morning that a state audit is right that deteriorating roads should be fixed long before they've gotten so bad, the so-called "worst-first" approach to road maintenance. But, she said, "Because of the lack of…
It failed last year, but the Otter Administration is pushing forward again with legislation to cut back health benefits for state retirees. It got a chilly initial reception yesterday in the House State Affairs Committee, but the bill's not dead yet. Click below to read…
Vice President Joe Biden's visit to Idaho is being delayed a few hours due to bad weather, the AP reports. Biden is leading a Presidential delegation that is expected to arrive in Boise today, and the schedule features several events affiliated with the Special Olympics…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
