Here's a link to my Sunday story on the upcoming legislative session and its challenges. The Legislature convenes at noon (MT) on Monday, and the governor's State of the State and budget address to a joint session is scheduled for 1 p.m. Mountain time, noon…
Thousands of Idahoans are streaming through their state capitol today, after a noon rededication ceremony that concluded when Gov. Butch Otter said, "I now declare the Capitol building officially open to conduct the people's business."Crowds poured up the steps and through the second-floor doors, and…
Idaho's state Capitol has been renovated and shined up, but it still looks pretty much like it always has - except better. It's cleaner and brighter, with more of the natural light it originally was designed to let in. It's bigger, too, with the addition…
There's been lots of news this morning, from Gov. Butch Otter's announcement about coming holdbacks on schools to university presidents' dire warnings about the impact of cuts on Idaho's higher education. Meanwhile, the joint Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment Committee continues to meet, taking testimony…
Officials from the UI and BSU say it's time for Idaho to look into a stabilization fund for higher education, to protect colleges and universities from big budget hits from year to year. "We need to get away from this thing of higher ed essentially…
University of Idaho President Duane Nellis opened his talk to the AP legislative preview this morning by congratulating BSU President Bob Kustra, who sat next to him, on BSU's Fiesta Bowl win. "I think it's just great for the state of Idaho," he declared, noting…
In comments earlier this morning at the AP legislative preview, House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, appeared to back off from a proposal he's put forth to phase in big tax cuts, starting this year, by reducing Idaho's individual and corporate income tax rates. With…
The Legislature's minority caucuses aren't calling for a tax increase, Senate Minority Leader Kate Kelly said. "There are many, many things we can do to improve our revenue picture without raising taxes," she said. "We have a tax system that has been very, very poorly…
Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes noted that at this morning's AP Legislative Preview, the new, spacious hearing room in the Capitol's new underground wings was full to overflowing. "We chose the wrong hearing room," he said, adding that now there are rooms big enough to…
Schools would be hit by any additional holdbacks imposed this year, Gov. Butch Otter said just now in response to questioning from reporters at his news conference this morning. Asked if he supports a proposal GOP legislative leaders put forth in a Dec. 7 letter…
Gov. Butch Otter said, "On Monday we will be announcing for 2011 a no-growth budget." He noted that even though he's not imposed additional holdbacks on the current year's budget since his September announcement of a 4 percent cut, state agencies have been put on…
Asked what percentage of holdback, or mid-year budget cut, he's planning to propose for the state's budget, Gov. Butch Otter said, "The percentage is Monday." That's the day he'll make his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature and unveil…
Gov. Butch Otter just announced that he's not imposing additional holdbacks now - but he will include a holdback in the executive budget he proposes to the Legislature on Monday. "It's a necessary joint effort by myself and the Legislature," Otter said. "We've worked on…
Idaho House Speaker Lawerence Denney and Senate President Pro-Tem Robert Geddes sent a letter to Gov. Butch Otter on Dec. 7 saying they thought an additional across-the-board holdback was needed on all state agencies including public schools, as first reported today by Dan Popkey in…
The Idaho Transportation Board has trimmed its proposal for GARVEE bond-funded road work in the coming year from $45 million to $26 million, because of savings in the program, which has seen bids coming in much lower than expected. The bond program is funding several…
Mike Ferguson, chief economist for Gov. Butch Otter, shared some of the most recent data on states' recovery from the recession with the Legislature's Joint Economic Outlook committee just now. Though Idaho was hit early and hard by the current recession, it appears to have…
In 2010, the state Department of Labor projects that 13 counties will have double-digit unemployment rates, with Clearwater County forecast the highest at 17.2 percent. In 2011, the department projects that 10 states will hit double digits, with Valley County highest at 16.9 percent. Said…
The first legislative hearing in the newly renovated state capitol has opened, with the Joint Legislative Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee taking testimony on the state of Idaho's economy, to help lawmakers decide where to set the state budget for next year. "Everyone's rather…
Citizens Against Government Waste and the Idaho Freedom Foundation today unveiled a "2010 Idaho Pork Report," pointing to ways the two groups said Idaho is wasting state and local taxpayer dollars and could make big savings. Among the suggestions: Cut health and pension benefits for…
Former GOP state Rep. Jana Kemp launched her independent campaign for governor today, addressing supporters at the Nampa Civic Center and saying she'll run on "a platform of jobs, education, energy, fairness and responsibility." Kemp cited a recent national poll showing most Americans don't have…
It's the last remaining department store in downtown Boise, and Macy's, formerly The Bon Marche, is a downtown institution. But today the department store chain announced that it's closing five stores around the country, including the downtown Boise store, as "part of the ongoing annual…
Keith Allred, Democratic candidate for governor of Idaho, has named former U.S. Attorney for Idaho Betty Richardson as his campaign manager. Richardson heads a Democratic Party candidate recruitment committee that helped persuade Allred, formerly a nonpartisan citizen activist, to become the Democratic standard-bearer. Allred also…
The AARP of Idaho is criticizing Idaho Gov. Butch Otter's threat to sue to stop federal health care reform legislation if it becomes law, saying it would hurt Idahoans struggling with health care costs; Otter made the threat last week in a letter to U.S.…
The University of Idaho has cleared professor and Caine Veterinary Center official Marie Bulgin of "scientific misconduct" after an inquiry into her writings and testimony denying that wild bighorn sheep contract disease from domestic sheep, despite earlier research by the center showing such a link.…
Here's a link to my full story on the class-action lawsuit against Credit Suisse over an alleged "predatory" lending scheme involving four failed luxury resorts, including Tamarack Resort in Idaho, the Yellowstone Club in Montana, Lake Las Vegas in Nevada and Ginn Sur Mer on…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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