The Idaho Transportation Department has just announced that a giant megaload will travel on U.S. Highway 12 starting tomorrow night, headed from east to west. The load, according to ITD, is a pipe that weighs 185,000 pounds, is 95 feet long, 22 feet wide and…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on Gov. Butch Otter's announcement that he'll see a third term in 2014. It includes this comment from longtime Idaho political observer Jim Weatherby: "Who knows whether it's for real or not? I suspect part of…
A federal judge has refused to unseal a settlement agreement between an Idaho inmate and a private prison company involving allegations of rampant violence at Idaho's privately operated prison, the Idaho Correctional Center south of Boise, the AP reports. The Associated Press had asked the…
Here's Idaho Statesman columnist Dan Popkey's take on Gov. Butch Otter's announcement that he'll seek a third term as governor in 2014: It's "gubernatorial bluster." Popkey wites, "My take: He hasn't made up his mind." He he notes that Otter is "keen to avoid a…
A few thoughts on Gov. Butch Otter's surprise announcement last night that he'll seek a third term as governor in 2014: First, it's awfully early for that news. Otter is just one year into his second four-year term; that election is three years away. Then…
Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, said despite the positive budget outlook lawmakers are facing with state revenues growing, he doesn't feel like the state's in surplus mode, with its revenue still below 2008 levels. "From my way of thinking, a surplus is when you…
Idaho's longitudinal data system for public schools is working better now, JFAC members were informed today. After the big data upload in November to calculate school enrollment, legislative budget analyst Paul Headlee said the state Department of Education is reporting that 141 school districts or…
Idaho's various reserve funds hit a high of $393 million total at the end of fiscal year 2008, but now they're projected to be at $30.4 million by the end of the current fiscal year on June 30. That includes the unendowed portion of the…
Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron noted that if lawmakers consider raises for state employees - known as CEC, or "change in employee compensation" in budgeting speak - the "Students Come First" school reform laws could complicate that when it comes to public schools. That's because…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter is telling supporters that he'll run for re-election in 2014. His former campaign manager, Debbie Field, told Boise television station KTVB that Otter made the announcement Wednesday night…
As Idaho lawmakers begin to plan for setting the fiscal year 2013 budget, they'll have a beginning balance left over from the current year, because state tax revenues came in so far above the amount for which they budgeted. Under current revenue forecasts, that'll be…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Transportation Department has approved a plan allowing large loads of Imperial Oil equipment to resume travel on the state's highways. The megaloads were suspended Dec. 6 after a driver tried to…
Legislative budget director Cathy Holland-Smith noted that there are differing views of the $16.2 million that state tax revenues have lagged behind forecasts since the start of the fiscal year on July 1. Though that's only a 1.6 percent shortfall from the forecast, and lawmakers…
Every member of the Legislature's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee has turned out for today's interim meeting, where the first agenda item is a general fund update. JFAC Co-Chair Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, told legislative budget director Cathy Holland-Smith that the lawmakers are looking forward to hearing about…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
