Idaho's redistricting commission will take tomorrow off, after a glitch surfaced today with its "Maptitude" computer software. The commission's staff is working with the software company to fix the glitch, but it's not expected to be done until late tomorrow afternoon; the commission will reconvene…
Today, Idaho's new citizen redistricting commission is back at work, but its public session lasted only moments. "We're going to do much like we did yesterday," Co-Chair Dolores Crow announced - work in small groups on possible district lines for various parts of the state.…
The U.S. Attorney's office for Idaho posted its biggest collection ever today, when Hecla Mining Co. paid $77.5 million as part of a settlement involving the Bunker Hill Superfund site in North Idaho. The settlement was announced by the U.S. Department of Justice in June;…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: MOSCOW, Idaho (AP) — Moscow officials want a company transporting oil equipment for Exxon Mobil to pay $12,800 for police services. The Moscow-Pullman Daily News (http://bit.ly/mT5GWi) reports the costs are from police services from July to September.…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on the issue that came up this week at the "Students Come First" school technology task force about funding for online classes - that a quirk of the new reform laws means that online course providers…
Idaho is gearing up for what could be its first execution since 1994, now that the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to consider the case of Idaho triple murderer and death row inmate Paul Ezra Rhoades, effectively ending his appeals. Rhoades has a lawsuit pending…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Tamarack Resort homeowners want to buy two ski lifts that Bank of America has been trying to tear out. Tamarack Municipal Association director Tim Flaherty told The Associated Press on Tuesday he's been…
Idaho's citizen redistricting commission convened to start its deliberations this morning, and then immediately went at ease for caucuses. "We're going to be probably in small groups and caucuses all day today," said Co-Chairman Ron Beitelspacher, a Democrat from Grangeville. This morning's is the commission's…
A quirk of the "Students Come First" school reform law's complicated formula for shifting funds from school districts to online course providers means that the providers will get far more money for providing classes to students in some school districts than in others. For example,…
Idaho's school technology task force, charged with figuring out how to implement plans for buying laptop computers or other devices for every Idaho high school student and teacher and implementing state school Superintendent Tom Luna's "Students Come First" reform plan's new focus on online learning,…
Here's a link to my Sunday column on the redistricting hearings that the state's new bipartisan citizen commission held around the state last week; after crisscrossing the state, from Idaho Falls to Coeur d'Alene to Boise in three days, the commission will start its deliberations…
Though problems with bears have been all over the news this year - including the New York Times' recent suggestion that some of Idaho's slow-Internet problems are due to bears - this year is actually seeing far fewer bear complaints in North Idaho than last…
Idaho's general fund revenue report is in for September, and it's almost exactly on target, coming in very slightly over the forecasted level (about $69,400 above). That means state revenues for September of $229.1 million were on target at 9.5 percent higher than the same…
Idaho's redistricting commission has closed its Boise public hearing, after more than an hour and a half of testimony. "It's been very informative and helpful," Co-Chair Dolores Crow told the audience. "Thank you for coming. ... We will continue to do the very best we…
Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs told redistricters today, "The last commission ended with a plan that hacked Twin Falls county into four pieces. Well, that's clearly unconstitutional, because Twin Falls County, based on its size, must be divided, but must be divided only one…
Former state Sen. Rod Beck told the Idaho redistricting commission today that he never was in the Legislature during redistricting, but said, "I was one of those people in Ada County that was getting jerked around." He said as a young Boisean, he looked up…
Meridian Mayor Tammy DeWeerd told the Idaho redistricting commission that her city is the third largest in the state. "The proposal that the last commission left with divides our city in five different districts," she said. To the east, portions of Meridian would pair with…
The new redistricting commission has opened its Boise public hearing today, to a fairly light crowd of about 20; first to speak was Tom Faulkner, Gooding County commissioner. He said his county would prefer to be in a district with another county like Twin Falls,…
The Lewiston Tribune reports today that Sen. Joe Stegner, R-Lewiston, is among three finalists to replace the retiring Marty Peterson, longtime University of Idaho special assistant to the president for government relations and top lobbyist for the university in Boise. Stegner, a seven-term senator, current…
The new Idaho redistricting commission will hold a public hearing in Boise today, from noon to 2 p.m. at the Capitol Auditorium. The commission is inviting testimony relevant to the redistricting process, from areas of local community interest, demographics, and economics to geography, population trends…
Helo Hancock, legislative director for the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, told the redistricting commission tonight that the tribe is the largest employer in Kootenai County, with nearly 2,000 employees, 60 percent of whom are not Indian. "The tribe has a very significant and important interest in…
Republican James McMillan of Wallace told the redistricting commission that tonight may be the only time he agrees with Wallace Democrat Jon Ruggles - both expressed concerns about the large new District 7 proposed in legislative district Plan L-83, which includes Shoshone County. Others questioned…
Longtime Coeur d'Alene City Councilman Al Hassell told Idaho's bipartisan citizen redistricting commission that according to the latest census, Coeur d'Alene's population is now 44,137 - almost exactly the perfect legislative district population size of 44,788. "This makes your work quite easy, I think, keeping…
State Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, told Idaho's citizen redistricting commission at its hearing in Coeur d'Alene tonight that his current district is "gerrymandered" - including moving one woman's ranch into District 1 because she didn't want to be in District 2. "There was a…
At last night's Idaho Redistricting Commission hearing in Idaho Falls, among those testifying was Idaho Falls retiree Carrie Scheid, who told the commissioners she was upset to see that in L-83, the plan agreed on by the former redistricting commission after its deadline passed, Senate…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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