The Senate Education Committee has voted to accept the State Board of Education's online course rule requiring two online classes to graduate from high school in Idaho, with the caveat that it'll be adjusted by the state board to remove a requirement that one of…
The Senate Education Committee started its meeting late this afternoon; first up is state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna, who said after yesterday's meeting, he met with representatives of the Meridian and Boise school districts, Idaho school superintendents and the school boards association, who indicated…
Bogus Basin has announced that it will open for the season tomorrow - Thursday, Jan. 19, the non-profit Boise ski resort's latest-ever opening; there's more info here. Charlifts 1, 2, 4, 7 and the Easy Rider carpet will operate; hours Thursday and Friday will be…
With today's decision from the Idaho Supreme Court leaving Idaho without a valid legislative redistricting plan just five and a half weeks before candidate filing is supposed to start for this year's May 15 primary election, the timing could lead to a delay in the…
The Idaho Constitution says that counties may be divided among legislative districts only to the extent necessary to comply with the U.S. Constitution, whose one-person, one-vote rule requires that districts be apportioned by population; a population deviation between legislative districts of more than 10 percent…
The Idaho Supreme Court has ruled 4-1 against the new legislative redistricting plan, L-87, developed by Idaho's second bipartisan redistricting commission this year, holding that it violates the Idaho Constitution. A court challenge led by Twin Falls County contended the plan was unconstitutional because it…
Snow update: Bogus Basin has gotten 9 inches of new snow, for a base of 12 inches and a summit depth of 16 inches. There's no announcement yet as to a possible opening for the local, non-profit ski resort that's gone dry so far this…
Krystal Esterline is among about 600 people in Idaho with both developmental disabilities and severe and persistent mental illness who had to choose between her developmental services and her mental health services, under one of this year's Medicaid cuts. The results were disastrous; after losing…
Former state chief economist Mike Ferguson estimates that the $35 million in state funds cut from Medicaid this year, which with federal matching funds adds up to $100 million, had a direct impact of eliminating about 2,000 jobs in Idaho. "Those dollars are no longer…
Kelly Buckland, the former director of Idaho's State Independent Living Council and now executive director of the National Council for Independent Living in Washington, D.C., is back in Boise today to lead a roundtable on the economic and other impacts of Medicaid in Idaho, including…
With nearly two dozen Occupy Boise supporters quietly looking on, the House State Affairs Committee voted 15-1 this morning to introduce legislation to ban camping on the Capitol Mall or other state lands - legislation aimed at booting the Occupy Boise encampment from its spot…
Mental health services are up today at JFAC, and committee members are expressing concerns about the impact of cuts. The state has cut staff, but is still seeing as many or more patients, and the level of the severity of their illnesses has increased. "We…
This morning, minority Democrats in the Idaho Legislature announced three new ethics reform proposals and called on Republicans to work with them on the bills - and by this afternoon, the Republicans had agreed. The Democrats called for requiring financial disclosure from public and elected…
Idaho's House Resources and Conservation Committee voted 16-1 today in favor of proposed new rules regulating oil and gas drilling in the state, reports Idaho Statesman reporter Rocky Barker, who reports that the lone "no" vote came from Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, who worried…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on today's new legislation to let big trucks drive 75 on Idaho's freeways, just like cars; Idaho's current truck speed limit on freeways is 65 mph. In Washington, the top freeway speed for trucks is 60…
The Senate Education Committee has adjourned for the day without voting on the State Board of Education's online course rule; vice-chairman Sen. Dean Mortimer said the panel would "hold this and all further rules 'til tomorrow." Committee Chairman John Goedde has a meeting at 5…
State schools Superintendent Tom Luna, testifying in favor of the state Board of Education's online course rule, told the Senate Education Committee, "Education all across the country is changing for the betterment and focus on our students." He said his goal is that Idaho's high…
Among the testimony at this afternoon's hearing on Idaho's new rule requiring high school students to take two online courses to graduate: Julie Browning of Boise, parent of two children enrolled in Idaho Virtual Academy, testified in favor of the rule. "We have to employ…
Among the testimony on the online course requirement rule this afternoon: Janet Orndorff of the Boise School Board asked to remove the requirement that one of the two online classes Idaho students would be required to take for graduation be "asynchronous"; she said the Idaho…
With lawmakers considering allowing big trucks to drive 75 on Idaho freeways, here's a comparison of Idaho's freeway speed limits to surrounding states, from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, December 2011: Idaho: 75 mph cars, 65 mph trucks Montana: 75 mph cars, 65 mph…
Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, said he has a rebuttal to the argument that requiring students to take online courses will send state education funds to out-of-state providers. "The objection to money being sent out of state - where are the textbooks published…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation has been under financial pressure after Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter moved to wean the agency from taxpayer support two years ago. Now, director Nancy Merrill is…
As the Senate Education Committee prepared to hold its hearing this afternoon on the administrative rule approved by the State Board of Education requiring two online classes for Idaho students to graduate from high school, committee Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, noted that lawmakers passed…
Big trucks could drive 75 on Idaho's freeways, just like cars, under legislation introduced in the Senate Transportation Committee today at the behest of its chairman, Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Coeur d'Alene; Idaho's current truck speed limit on freeways is 65 mph. "The intent of this…
Medical marijuana legislation was introduced in the Idaho House today, where Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, introduced HB 370 as a personal bill. He proposed similar legislation last year; it got an informational hearing from the House Health & Welfare Committee, but didn't proceed. HB 370…
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