As the Capitol Commission has its budget hearing this morning, Jeff Youtz, legislative services director, wrapped up the progress on the renovation of the state capitol by echoing an earlier comment from Capitol Commission acting Chairman Steve Hartgen: "Those four great words, on time, on…
Joseph Duncan, whose crimes against a North Idaho family in 2005 shocked the state, should stand trial for a 1997 child abduction and murder in California, a judge there has ruled. Duncan, who faces a possible fourth death sentence, is again asking to act as…
State Department of Administration Director Mike Gwartney was questioned by lawmakers this morning about his proposal to dip into the state's budget stabilization fund for $35 million next year to offset unfunded liability for state retiree health benefits - if his legislation doesn't pass to…
The state of Idaho gets 600 million emails a year, Greg Zickau, chief technology officer for the state Department of Administration, told JFAC this morning. "Five hundred and fifty million of those are spam," he said. And within those spam emails are threats - malware…
With lawmakers anxiously awaiting news on how state revenues fared in January, the preliminary version of the numbers - not yet final - is circulating like mad, showing a $35 million drop below projections. Final numbers should be coming soon. JFAC has been awaiting the…
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter’s plan to trim the duties of the state Board of Education by moving a slew of agencies out from under its oversight has hit a snag: the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. The division turns out to be one of the highest-performing…
When the Idaho National Guard's 116th Cavalry Brigade Combat Team deployed to Iraq in 2004, it was the largest deployment of any Idaho unit since World War II. Now, the same unit has gotten preliminary word that it could be going back to Iraq in…
Sen. Lee Heinrich, R-Cascade, said at one time he drove a groomer on snowmobile trails, and "I encountered motor vehicles trying to drive up groomed snowmobile trails." That's not a violation of the law now, he said, and counties can't cite folks for doing it.…
Kitty Kunz, executive director of the Idaho Women's Commission, says she personally disagrees with the idea that the commission has outlived its usefulness, as suggested by Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, who's proposed legislation to eliminate it. "We feel we still have a mission, even though…
Lt. Gov. Brad Little, at the close of his budget hearing before JFAC today, was asked by Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, "Do you and Gov. Otter plan on rodeoing at the same time?" Little responded with a chuckle, "He keeps telling me it was the…
Budget cuts at the Idaho State Police are hitting hard, Col. Jerry Russell, ISP chief, warned legislative budget writers this morning. “We are now well beyond trimming fat and we are cutting into the agency’s bone and muscle,” he said. Among the ISP’s successes in…
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research studied the status and well-being of women across the states in 2004, and gave Idaho poor grades – mostly D’s and F’s – for measures including social and economic autonomy, employment and earnings, reproductive rights and more. Idaho ranked…
House Appropriations Chairwoman Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, said she’s seen lots of attempts to eliminate the Idaho Women’s Commission over the years in JFAC. “It seemed like there were always those, especially the males on the committee, who did not see the value of funding the…
New Lt. Gov. Brad Little, who just was appointed to the office three weeks ago on Jan. 6, is now acting governor - at least for six hours. With Gov. Butch Otter going in for shoulder surgery this afternoon at 2, Little was assigned to…
Gov. Butch Otter went in for shoulder surgery today, after a recent team roping accident, according to the email message below that went out today to state agency heads. Click here to read a letter from First Lady Lori Otter about what happened, which says…
Senate Resources Chairman Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow, a fur trader, brought a large wolf pelt to the committee hearing today and had it hung prominently on the wall as the committee prepared to hear a briefing on wolves and consider a wolf-transfer bill that Schroeder's proposed.…
The Senate has voted 27-6 in favor of SB 1014, to repeal the 2005 law that set up a state licensing system for naturopaths. It's never gone into effect, because warring groups of naturopaths have disagreed on the necessary qualifications, meaning rules to implement the…
Jon Hanian, press secretary for Gov. Butch Otter, just released this statement about the governor's work to eliminate or consolidate state commissions, including the Women's Commission:“We have been studying the idea of consolidating the administration of a number of commissions – including the Women’s Commission…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: "Power lines and railroads could be eligible for a tax break passed last year by the Idaho Legislature to allow companies to exempt the first $100,000 of their business equipment from taxes, under a bill being considered…
Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, has introduced legislation to eliminate the Idaho Women's Commission, a state agency whose existence long has been controversial. "Thirty-nine years ago they were set out to get women to be more involved in social, political and economic areas of their communities,"…
The biggest news from Idaho's state prison system is the fall-off in inmate growth, which lawmakers heard about earlier in the session when they discussed funding for the state's substance abuse services. To meet proposed budget cuts next year, Corrections Director Brent Reinke said, "Instead…
Corrections Director Brent Reinke said Idaho's prison system saved the state $4.5 million in the holdbacks earlier this year. "That's a significant cut for this agency," he said. "We're hoping that we have no unanticipated maintenance expenses occur." Among the various cuts, which included terminating…
If Idaho were to privatize its state prison at Orofino, it'd go from 37 percent privately operated beds to 43 percent, state Corrections Director Brent Reinke told JFAC. The department has sent out a "request for information" to see if such a move could save…
Lawmakers learned new details this morning about the prison riot on Jan. 2nd in which inmates wrecked a new temporary housing unit that had been set up to allow out-of-state inmates to be brought back to Idaho. There were 199 inmates in the unit at…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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