Here's a news item from the Associated Press: LEWISTON, Idaho (AP) — The governor got a pay raise this year, but he still earns less than half of what some of Idaho's public university presidents take home. The Lewiston Tribune reports (http://bit.ly/wkYE7H ) the state…
There was quite the spectacle in the House Health & Welfare Committee meeting this afternoon, where the committee's chairwoman, Rep. Janice McGeachin, R-Idaho Falls, had a string of pages bring in tall stacks of paper for committee members - a copy for each of a…
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter now says he misspoke when he said Idaho risks losing $300 million in federal matching funds for the state's Medicaid program if it doesn't set up a state-run health insurance exchange. Idaho could lose that money if it fails to complete…
Idaho legislative Democrats unveiled draft legislation setting up a new independent state ethics commission today, and they also announced that they've agreed with GOP leaders to set up a working group, with lawmakers from both parties and both houses, to agree on a bipartisan bill…
Each year, lawmakers have to authorize payment for costs that have been run up fighting forest and range fires on state lands. This morning, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee approved $4 million in fire deficiency warrants, the first state spending the budget committee has approved so…
For a simple, easy-to-understand explanation of the state health insurance exchange issue in a Q-and-A format, check out this report today from Idaho Statesman business reporter Audrey Dutton. Among the questions it answers: What is a health exchange, how would it work, why is it…
Gov. Butch Otter has named Sara B. Thomas, longtime chief deputy State Appellate Public Defender, to succeed Molly Huskey as head of that office; Huskey was appointed a 3rd District judge last month. Thomas, of Meridian, has been with the office for 13 years; she…
The Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho, PERSI, "has experienced two good years of returns and we're cautiously optimistic about the future," PERSI executive director Don Drum told legislative budget writers this morning. "Fiscal year 2011 was a very successful year for PERSI. ... We…
Presenting the budget requests for the governor's office and the governor's Division of Financial Management this morning, DFM chief Wayne Hammon said the governor's office has eight staff vacancies, and DFM has four. "We continue to do the same amount of work with less bodies,…
Idaho is one of just nine states with no independent ethics commission, but that may soon change. Democrats in the Idaho Legislature will unveil a new ethics commission bill this morning, and GOP House Speaker Lawerence Denney says he may end up as a co-sponsor.…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
