Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment committee co-chairs Rep. Cliff Bayer and Sen. John Goedde are presenting the joint panel's recommendation to JFAC this morning. Bayer noted that the recommendation includes "that we maintain some flexibility in looking at these numbers as they come in." Goedde…
ITD has filed its own response to the appeal from opponents of its decision to grant permits for ConocoPhillips to transport four megaloads of oil refinery equipment across U.S. Highway 12 in north-central Idaho; you can read it here. The ITD response says, "The hearing…
The revenue committee has voted 12-3 in favor of Lake's motion, to adopt the governor's recommendation. Before the vote, Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, proposed a substitute motion of $2,359.2 million for 2011 and $2,521.5 million for 2012, but her motion died for lack of a…
Rep. Dennis Lake has just amended his motion, not changing the amount, but "to include the fact that we need to come back if the chairs see something that would cause my number to be overstated, understated, and that we would meet again and revisit…
Rep. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, said, "I really would want to caution us against setting a number that's a lil too dire, because those really are substantial to the lives of a lot of people, when we start setting the Medicaid budget. I'm concerned that the…
The first motion, from Rep. Janice McGeachin, R-Idaho Falls, was for $2,305 billion for for fy 2011, and $2,376 million for fy 2012, but her motion died for lack of a second. Then, House Tax Chairman Dennis Lake, R-Blackfoot, moved the governor's recommendation, $2,359.2 for…
The Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee has started its meeting. The task: Set a revenue forecast on which the Legislature can base its budgeting for the coming year. Each member of the joint committee has turned in his or her forecast, as is customary.…
ConocoPhillips has filed its response to the appeal filed with ITD on Monday on a hearing officer's ruling upholding the issuance of ITD permits to Conoco for four megaloads of oil refinery equipment to travel U.S. Highway 12 from Lewiston to Billings, Mont. "The delays…
United Vision for Idaho, a coalition of Idaho nonprofit groups, convened a dozen of them, ranging from the Idaho Community Action Network to the Interfaith Alliance to Church Women United, to watch Gov. Butch Otter's State of the State message on Monday. The groups then…
The Idaho Judicial Council's executive director, Bob Hamlin, has retired after 29 years. The new director is Jim Carlson, who is now making the council's annual presentation to JFAC. A longtime attorney and former deputy Idaho attorney general, Carlson is the son of former state…
Idaho's court system isn't requesting any increased funding next year, and instead has agreed to a 1 percent cut to help balance the state budget, Patti Tobias, administrative director of the courts, told legislative budget writers this morning. The courts have three vacant magistrate judgeships…
Lottery ticket sales have jumped at Ady’s Convenience Store & Car Wash on Seltice Way in Post Falls, where the winning ticket for a Mega Millions $190 million jackpot was sold. The winner, Holly Lahti of Rathdrum, was a regular customer at the convenience store;…
Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa told JFAC, "As all agencies are doing, we're doing more with less. Various positions, especially in our commercial affairs area, remain unfilled, but yet our work continues to get done." He said, "We will start filling those hopefully when…
Sen. Dean Mortimer, R-Idaho Falls, asked ISP Chief Jerry Russell if it's true that ISP still has the same number of officers patrolling today as it did in 1977. "You're right as far as our staffing level," Russell responded. He said of the current patrol…
Gov. Butch Otter's budget recommendation calls for ISP to have a 20.7 percent increase in general funds from the state next year, but that equals out to a 1.9 percent reduction overall. Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, just asked ISP Chief Jerry Russell, "If you had…
Idaho is one of seven states receiving a Rural Methamphetamine Law Enforcement grant from the federal government, which is funding a "meth coordinator" for the state for 18 months to "draw together Idaho resources to further attack meth manufactured in, or traveling through, the state,"…
Col. Jerry Russell, director of the Idaho State Police, is up for his budget presentation to JFAC this morning. Not only is he in uniform, there are lots of dark uniforms in the audience as staffers are accompanying him. Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, who's chairing…
State Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna's school reform plan, just unveiled today, would eliminate the jobs of about 770 teachers over the next five years, according to Department of Education estimates. "Because we are requiring online courses and because we are going to increase the…
The winner of the $190 million Mega Milions Lottery from Idaho - half the full $380 million jackpot - is Holly Lahti of North Idaho, and the ticket was sold at Ady's Convenience & Car Wash on Seltice Way in Post Falls, Idaho Lottery Director…
Idaho's House Ethics Committee met behind closed doors for an hour and a half today, but reached no decisions and took no action. Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, the committee chairman, said much of the time was spent going over materials the committee had requested from…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on state schools Supt. Tom Luna's far-reaching school reform proposal outlined today, which would eliminate tenure for new teachers, limit all collective bargaining agreements with teachers to one year and raise class sizes in grades 4-12…
State Supt. Tom Luna said it's his election mandate that's prompting him to push forward with his far-reaching education reform plan. "The urgency that we're moving this with is based on what the governor and I experienced this past year ... going from community to…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho tax revenue missed forecasts in December for the first time in months, potentially complicating the effort to craft a budget for the coming year. State budget director Wayne Hammon said Wednesday it's…
Lawmakers on the House and Senate education committees are now asking questions of Supt. Tom Luna about his plan. Among the questions: Sen. Monty Pearce, R-New Plymouth, asked, "Student-teacher ratio - how do we compare now, with the rest of the nation?" Luna responded, "There…
State schools chief Tom Luna said the way he'd fund his new program is by shifts in the current school system, including enlarging average class sizes by 1.25 students per teacher in grades 4-12 to save $62.8 million. He'd bump that up another three-quarters of…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
| Dec. 2011 | Nov. 2011 | Oct. 2011 | Sept. 2011 |
| Aug. 2011 | July 2011 | June 2011 | May 2011 |
| April 2011 | March 2011 | Feb. 2011 | Jan. 2011 |
