The Missoulian newspaper today has a look at what comes next in the Montana lawsuit over Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil's proposed megaloads on Highway 12. Montana Department of Transportation officials say they'll continue to fight the lawsuit, to defend their move to grant permits for the loads,…
A northern Idaho company that aims to transform U.S. highways into a vast, energy-producing network is getting $750,000 from the federal government for the next phase of its project: a solar parking lot, the Associated Press reports. Solar Roadways of Sagle has received a Small…
A Montana judge has ruled against transport of 200-plus Imperial Oil/ExxonMobil megaloads through Montana, saying the state's Transportation Department violated the Montana Environmental Policy Act because it approved an insufficient environmental assessment. Idaho has approved the transports to the Montana line, though that decision is…
Idaho has changed its election laws after a prison inmate in Texas successfully made the Idaho ballot for president in 2008, and a Ralph Nader supporter from Arizona won a discrimination lawsuit over the state's nominating petition laws. The fixes were rolled into an innocuous…
After Democratic Commissioner George Moses went at length through his legislative district proposal, L-28, the redistricting commission adjourned for the day; they're not scheduled back again until Monday. When Monday rolls around, Republican Co-Chair Evan Frasure, rather than Democratic Co-Chair Allen Andersen, will be chairing…
The redistricting commission has reconvened, and GOP Co-Chair Evan Frasure said, "We had an objection on the table, and we would like to withdraw that objection." Now, Commissioner George Moses is presenting a legislative district plan; it calls for 35 legislative districts, with a total…
Now that the five congressional district plans under consideration have failed to be adopted, Democratic redistricting Commissioner George Moses said he'd like to present a legislative district plan. Commissioner Evan Frasure objected. Democratic Co-Chairman Allen Andersen ruled that because the agenda for today's meeting calls…
Redistricting Commissioner Evan Frasure moved to adopt C-43 as the congressional district plan, the revised version of the Five Mile Plan. "It is absolutely the cleanest line," Frasure said. "It makes it very easy for the citizens of Idaho. ... It appears to be an…
GOP Redistricting Commissioner Evan Frasure, butting heads with Democratic Commissioner George Moses, moved to approve plan C-45 as the new congressional district plan, one of two options offered today to slightly revise the earlier compromise plan C-38 from GOP Commissioner Lou Esposito. All three GOP…
Idaho's citizen redistricting commission seems to have reached something of an impasse - it looks like both sides would support one of the five congressional district plans on the commission's short list, but the three Democrats are saying they don't want to vote today on…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The state attorney general's office says Idaho residents are eligible for restitution from a Utah-based payday loan lender that was not licensed to practice in the state and attempted to garnish the wages…
The federal government intends to take over the role of reviewing increases of health insurance premiums in Idaho, the Idaho Statesman reported today; the federal decision may be the first real effect of Gov. Butch Otter's executive order barring the state from carrying out any…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Marking his close ties to Puerto Rico, Idaho Republican U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador made campaign stops in April and May on the island where he was born. According to his July Federal Election…
Idaho redistricting commissioners have decided to move five plans to the top of the list for consideration: C-38, the compromise plan proposed yesterday by GOP Commissioner Lou Esposito; three new plans submitted today, two of which are minor revisions of C-38 and one of which…
Idaho's citizen redistricting commission has convened this morning, and GOP Commissioner Lou Esposito has proposed several additional options on congressional district plans. The first, C-43, is a slight revision of the earlier Five Mile Plan proposed by the Republicans, aimed at cleaning up and straightening…
Idaho's Constitutional Defense Council, which includes the governor, attorney general, secretary of state, state controller, and the House speaker and Senate president pro-tem, has voted unanimously to pay more than $54,000 in attorney's fees and costs, plus interest, to an Arizona man who successfully challenged…
Idaho's citizen redistricting commission has adjourned for the day and will reconvene at 10 a.m. tomorrow; no one was ready to make a motion, though both sides had indicated possible support for a compromise congressional district plan proposed by GOP Commissioner Lou Esposito. Like today's,…
The redistricting commission has reconvened; Democrats wanted to move ahead with starting to consider legislative district plans while they mull a compromise plan on congressional districts, but Co-Chairman Evan Frasure of Pocatello refused, saying that would "confuse the issue" as "they're two separate tasks." For…
Idaho Supreme Court Justice Roger Burdick has been elected chief justice by his colleagues, succeeding current Chief Justice Daniel Eismann, who will continue to serve on the state's highest court. Burdick, who will begin his four-year term as chief justice on Aug. 1, said he…
A compromise congressional district plan proposed by GOP redistricting Commissioner Lou Esposito is getting good reviews from commissioners of both parties. "Clearly we're going to need more time to understand all the details on this, but I want to congratulate Commissioner Esposito on an effort…
GOP Commissioner Lou Esposito has proposed a new congressional district plan that sounds like it might be something of a compromise: It uses I-84 as a dividing line between the districts, like the Democrats' earlier plan did, but it divides only one county, Ada, and…
Democratic redistricting Commissioner Julie Kane has proposed another new congressional district plan, C-37. This plan, like C-36, has a population deviation of just one person. "This plan keeps the counties whole except for a little jog there that pulls over precincts ... to try to…
GOP redistricting Commissioner Lorna Finman has proposed a new congressional redistricting plan, plan C-36. It's similar to the earlier GOP plan, but makes some shifts in the line; she called it the "Boise County North" plan. "It moves precincts out of the south and kind…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A former Idaho Transportation Department director was asked to resign in 2006 following a whistleblower complaint, a detail hidden from the public until court documents were released last week in a separate case.…
The National 9/11 Flag is on display in Idaho's state capitol today, where the tattered American flag that was destroyed in the collapse of the World Trade Center 10 years ago is being repaired with a patch from each of the 50 states; today is…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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