Here's a news item from the Associated Press and the Idaho Statesman: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Attendees of an Idaho Board of Education hearing in Nampa largely panned a plan to require students to take two online courses to graduate, starting with the class of…
A now-defunct Idaho charter that sued the state because it wanted to use the Bible and other religious texts in the classroom has lost an appeal to the 9th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals. The appellate court rejected the argument from Nampa Classical Academy founders…
Idaho's redistricting commission spent some time trading ideas on two sticking points in legislative district maps - District 2 in North Idaho and District 31 in southeast Idaho - before breaking up in good spirits this afternoon. GOP commissioners offered critiques of how the latest…
At the Twin Falls County Jail, inmate visits are now virtual, rather than in-person, the Times-News reports today. Last month, the jail switched from traditional jail visitation to the new video system, which it got for free as a beta test of the new equipment.…
All Idaho high school juniors can now take the SAT for free, state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna announced today. Lawmakers in 2007 approved requiring completion of a college entrance exam by the end of the junior year as a graduation requirement, starting with the…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press and the Lewiston Tribune: LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) — State officials say cleanup crews are finally done removing massive rolls of unprocessed toilet paper that spilled off a truck and were lodged for weeks in the upper Lochsa…
Before the redistricting commission went at ease until 3 this afternoon, Democratic Commissioner Julie Kane shared a story, saying, "Maybe it'll help with our mindset when we take some time to go over maps." She said a friend of hers works for the Navajo tribe…
Idaho's bipartisan citizen redistrict commission convened briefly this morning, then took a break to allow for some "sidebar conversations." Before the break, GOP Co-Chairman Evan Frasure said he's hoping when the panel comes back it can "move the ball forward today in a significant way."…
A new report shows the well-being of Idaho's children has improved overall in the past decade, but the percentage of kids living in poverty and teens who have dropped out and don't have jobs has increased amid the recession, the Associated Press reports; click below…
Spirit Lake, Idaho, population 1,945, will be the state's "Capital for a Day" on Aug. 31, Gov. Butch Otter announced today. It's part of Otter's series of meetings in different Idaho towns, to which he brings a slew of senior state officials and members of…
Idaho's citizen redistricting commission got some good news today - it actually has two more days than it thought to reach an agreement on legislative and congressional district plans. A check of statutes showed that the first day, when the commission was convened, doesn't count…
Democratic members of Idaho's bipartisan citizen redistricting commission proposed a new legislative district plan today, L-46. The new plan divides seven counties, up from six in the Dems' original plan. "This represents an effort to comply more closely with the statutory guidance that we have,…
Idaho's state Land Board voted 4-1 this morning to distribute $47.5 million to state endowment beneficiaries including public schools next year, up 2.3 percent overall from this year's distribution of $46.425 million, but with no increase for schools, which would get $31.29 million, identical to…
Opponents of giant megaloads of oil equipment traveling on north-central Idaho's scenic U.S. Highway 12 have filed "exceptions" with the Idaho Transportation Department to the decision of a state hearing officer recommending issuing permits for 200-plus loads. "The director should reject the hearing officer's proposed…
The citizen redistricting commission, after hearing from former Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes, took up GOP Commissioner Lou Esposito's motion to waive a state law against precinct splits for one precinct split in the Idaho Falls area that's part of one of his proposed legislative…
Former Idaho Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes told the citizen redistricting commission today that when he co-sponsored legislation adding requirements that districts be connected with roads and precincts not be split without a five-of-six votes supermajority, "The Legislature did want to make your jobs easier."…
Redistricting commissioners spent a contentious half-hour discussing the proposed Democratic congressional redistricting plan, without reaching any agreement. GOP Co-Chairman Evan Frasure said the plan would move roughly 300,000 people from one of Idaho's two congressional districts to the other. "The public who just went through…
Idaho Redistricting Commission Co-Chairman Evan Frasure reopened the commission's deliberations this afternoon by saying he understands the Democratic commissioners' position, that statutes requiring five votes to split precincts or draw districts without connecting highways are unconstitutional. "We recognize that this is a point of contention,…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho is expecting its second year of big budget surpluses when the 2012 fiscal year ends, presenting conservative Idaho with tough choices that could include restoring programs or cutting taxes. Come July, Gov.…
Idaho's bipartisan citizen redistricting commission is meeting today, and went over three publicly submitted legislative district plans this morning before turning to the latest plan proposed by GOP Commissioner Lou Esposito – his seventh. The newest plan, L-45, is another version of his L-34, this…
The recent brouhaha over operation of a mini-storage business on Idaho state endowment land is expanding today, with a report on the Boise Guardian here headlined, “Land Board to build brewpub?” about the state Lands Department advertising for a restaurant construction manager for a downtown…
Idaho is docking its payment to a Medicaid claim processing company, Molina Medicaid Systems, by $3 million because of the major problems the company had implementing its new system last year, the Associated Press reports; meanwhile, the state is still trying to recover nearly $10…
The State Board of Education is standing behind embattled Idaho State University President Art Vailas, the Idaho State Journal reports today, while he remains deeply unpopular with some faculty members at the university in Pocatello. Board vice president Ken Edmunds said there are no immediate…
The three Democratic members of Idaho's redistricting commission today distributed a guest opinion to Idaho newspapers addressing the apparent impasse on the commission, which is split 3-3 among Democrats and Republicans. They're calling for honoring constitutional provisions – including the one-person, one-vote rule and keeping…
Tax-protesting Idaho state Rep. Phil Hart is arguing that a district judge abused his discretion by refusing to delay a court hearing when the state representative was in Boise, debating legislation to permit guns on state college campuses that he strongly supported. Hart, R-Athol, devoted…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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