Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa told lawmakers, "Public policy needs to be set by the most participation - call me a turnout guy. ... I think this bill will accomplish it." Ysursa was testifying to the House State Affairs Committee in favor of HB…
Major election consolidation legislation is up before the House State Affairs Committee this morning, and the crowd, mostly in support, includes Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa, who long has advocated the move. The 98-page bill, sponsored by Rep. Dennis Lake, R-Blackfoot, would consolidate all…
Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, wants Idaho to declare its sovereignty from the federal government. He persuaded the House State Affairs Committee, on a 13-4 vote, to introduce his resolution this morning, though some members objected to his contention that it could save the state…
The House Transportation Committee took two and a half hours of testimony this afternoon on three different bills to raise vehicle registration fees in Idaho to fund road work - one, a phased-in five-year plan from Gov. Butch Otter, and the other two both single-year…
The Senate Resources Committee agreed today to hear a Fish & Game fee hike proposal that's been whittled down from an earlier one; the bill will be presented to a privileged committee for introduction, then return to the Resources Committee for a hearing. The new…
Here's a link to reporter Jared Hopkins' story over the weekend in the Times-News, on the education levels of Idaho's lawmakers. The story begins, "Ask a good portion of the Idaho Legislature about their alma mater, and they'll give you a stock answer that could…
Thanks to the federal economic stimulus bill, there'll be 70 new seasonal jobs in North Idaho's Silver Valley this summer and next as part of the Bunker Hill cleanup. "It's doubling the effort for two years," said Toni Hardesty, director of the state Department of…
The House hast voted 69-0 in favor of HB 96, the bill to eliminate Idaho's ethanol exemption. It's the first of Gov. Butch Otter's bills to raise money for road maintenance in Idaho to reach a vote in the full House or Senate. "Here's the…
Here's the bottom line from Sen. Brent Hill's report on the impact of tax changes in the stimulus bill on Idaho's state tax revenues: If the state conforms with most of the provisions, it would lose $14.1 million in state income tax revenue in fiscal…
The tax breaks in the federal stimulus bill include a new deduction for sales taxes on vehicle purchases, up to $49,500 of their cost. It phases out for higher-income taxpayers, Sen. Brent Hill explained to legislative budget writers this morning, and there's a specific date-of-purchase…
Senate Tax Chairman Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, is explaining to lawmakers this morning how the tax changes in the federal stimulus bill affect Idaho's state tax revenues. In his lead-in, he read a long and entirely incomprehensible passage from the law to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee.…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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