House unanimous on conformity bill
The House has voted 65-0 in favor of the IRS conformity bill, sending it on to the Senate side.
Eye On Boise archive for Feb. 2011
FRIDAY, FEB. 4, 2011
House suspends rules, takes up IRS conformity bill
The House has suspended its rules to take up the IRS conformity bill that cleared the House Rev & Tax Committee yesterday, the measure that has a $20 million fiscal impact on the state over the next two years - not the $70 million that…
Hart: 'I think the complaints will keep coming'
Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, said his decision to voluntarily step down as vice-chairman of the House Transportation Committee - in an effort to avoid an ethics vote removing him from the post - was the right step to take, a day after he apologized to…
Ethics panel dismisses complaint against Hart in exchange for loss of vice-chairmanship
Rep. Rich Wills, R-Glenns Ferry, moved that no further action be taken against Rep. Phil Hart by the House Ethics Committee, and the complaints are now considered resolved by the committee. "I believe what we've observed here today on Rep. Hart has just been a…
Hart: 'How many times might I be standing here?" 1
Rep. Rich Wills, R-Glenns Ferry, questioned Rep. Phil Hart as to whether he was "accepting as part of the responsibility for your actions" that he'd step down from his vice-chairmanship, or whether he just wanted the committee to take no action against him because he…
Hart: Hope to 'end it right here,' rather than debate his ethics case in full House
Rep. Phil Hart said he hoped his offer to step down as transportation committee vice chairman could "end it right here this morning," saying he preferred that his ethics case not be debated on the floor of the House.
Hart: 'I don't have a pristine past' 1
Lawmakers on the House Ethics Committee said Hart made a statement on the House floor yesterday about his ethics issues. "I listened to your mea culpa on the floor yesterday," Rep. Bill Killen, D-Boise, told Hart. "You did say, and I was glad to hear…
Hart: 'I apologize'
Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, said of his ethics problems, "It's been a learning process. The part of this that I drug out through my actions, I apologize for that."
Hart offers to step down from vice-chairmanship to avoid ethics action
Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, told the House Ethics Committee that he feels like he's become an unwilling expert on House Rule 76, the ethics rule. He said he's concerned about "a fourth complaint that I know is being prepared." Said Hart, "I'm concerned about my…
Barbieri, speaking for Hart, says ethics rules need to be 'cleaned up'
Rep. Vito Barbieri, an attorney who's not licensed in Idaho, is addressing the House Ethics Committee, saying he wants to offer legal perspective. "We're certain that there are going to be other complaints filed against Rep. Hart," he said. "We know there are future complaints…
Two citizen complaints dismissed
Rep. Dell Raybould moved to dismiss a complaint from Larry Spencer against Rep. Eric Anderson. "I would move that the committee dismiss this complaint as having been unfounded and a frivolous complaint against Rep. Anderson," Raybould said. The motion passed unanimously. Then, Rep. Bill Killen…
Hart arrives... 1
Rep. Phil Hart has arrived at the House Ethics Committee, accompanied by Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens.
Ethics panel now waiting for Hart
The House Ethics Committee is now ready to reconvene, but is waiting for Rep. Phil Hart to arrive, according to Chairman Tom Loertscher, R-Iona. "Just so you know, Rep. Hart wants to be here and it'll take him just a minute," Loertscher said.
Anti-assisted suicide bill introduced
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — State lawmakers have opened the door to an end-of-life debate this session with legislation to ban assisted suicide in Idaho. Republican Sen. Russ Fulcher introduced a bill Friday that would make it a…
Ethics committee emerges, takes break
The House Ethics Committee has come out of executive session after nearly a full hour. Chairman Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, said panel members need a break, so they're going to go at ease for about 10 minutes. "We will take up in open session at 10…
State prisons chief proposes new fees on convicted criminals
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Department of Correction director wants to hike some fees on convicted criminals, saying they should bear more of the burden of their punishment. Director Brent Reinke introduced three proposals to Joint…
IRS conformity bill on fast track
Click below for a full report on the IRS tax conformity bill that emerged from the House Rev & Tax Committee today, from AP reporter Todd Dvorak. The bill, which brightens the state's budget picture by $50 million from where it was last Friday, could…
It's still going... 1
The scheduled 20-minute executive session to kick off today's House Ethics Committee hearing is still going, nearly 40 minutes in...
House Ethics Committee convenes
The House Ethics Committee has convened, and gone into executive session to consider two preliminary complaints, one against Rep. Phil Hart from political opponent Howard Griffiths over a judges' meeting, and one against Rep. Eric Anderson from Hart supporter Larry Spencer. The closed-door session is…
THURSDAY, FEB. 3, 2011
Luna's bills include two changes made since public hearing 2
State Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna says he's made just two changes to his school reform plan since a public hearing two weeks ago that drew a huge outpouring of public input against the plan. The two changes both are in the requirement for online…
Second school reform bill also introduced on straight party-line vote
The second bill in state Schools Supt. Tom Luna's reform plan also was introduced on a party-line vote in the Senate Education Committee. "I know we're looking forward to some good debate on this next week," said Sen. Dean Mortimer as he moved to introduce…
School-reform bill, among far-reaching provisions, directs funds to online course providers 2
Under the second bill in state schools Supt. Tom Luna's school reform plan, class sizes would increase in grades 4-12, and high school students would be required to take online courses; when they do, the school district would lose two-thirds of the funding for that…
Otter names Tippets to Senate seat
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter has named former state Rep. John Tippets, R-Bennington, to the Senate seat that opened up when former Sen. Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs, was named chairman of the state Tax Commission. Click below to read Otter's full announcement.
Second school reform bill: 61 pages
Jason Hancock, aide to state schools Supt. Tom Luna, has begun presenting the second bill in Luna's school reform package, which stretches for 61 pages and includes increasing class sizes throughout the state and eliminating hundreds of teaching jobs.
First school reform bill introduced on party-line vote 1
The first bill for Supt. Tom Luna's school reform plan has been introduced on a straight party-line vote, with the two minority Democrats on the Senate Education Committee, Sens. Edgar Malepeai of Pocatello and Nicole LeFavour of Boise, voting no. Sen. Russ Fulcher, R-Meridian, made…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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