Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) ― Some Idaho lawmakers want to bid adieu to "Occupy Boise," whose campers erected tents on state-managed land surrounding the old Ada County Courthouse starting in November to protest social and economic inequality. On…
Among neighboring states, Idaho ranks lowest for state and local financial aid per college student, according to a new report out today from the state's Office of Performance Evaluations. Yet, more than $1.3 million in scholarship funds that Idaho lawmakers appropriated in the past two…
A new statewide survey shows that 87 percent of Idahoans favor a ban on texting while driving – including 78 percent who say they'd strongly support it. “It's higher than we would've guessed,” said Dave Carlson, spokesman for AAA of Idaho, which commissioned the statewide…
Idaho's grocery stores are putting up $100,000 of their own money and asking state lawmakers to change back to multi-day distribution of food stamps each month, after having to throw out a million dollars worth of food over the last two years because of the…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) ― Idaho's road-killed wildlife could become fair game. The Senate Resources Committee on Monday got a glimpse of a proposed rule allowing legal recovery of big-game species run over by cars. Right now, animals…
Last year, legislation to beef up Idaho's anti-bullying laws, in party by clarifying that school officials are "authorized and expected to intervene" in cases of bullying, harassment or intimidation of a student, passed the Senate with just three "no" votes and cleared the House Education…
Idaho's state prosecutors association got legislation introduced today to add drive-by shootings to the state's "felony murder rule," meaning killings committed in drive-by shootings could be charged as first-degree murder even if the shooter didn't have the specific intent to kill the person he or…
"We've made historic strides since Rosa Parks refused to go to the back of the bus," Idaho Gov. Butch Otter declared today at the state's official celebration of Martin Luther King Jr./Idaho Human Rights Day in the state Capitol rotunda. The holiday, he said, is…
Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, asked state Health & Welfare Director Dick Armstrong what the cost will be once 100,000 more people are eligible for Medicaid in Idaho in 2014, under the federal health care reform law. "Because of the way the law was written, the…
Idaho's big challenge, state Health & Welfare Director Dick Armstrong told lawmakers this morning, is this: "Where do we go from here to make Medicaid sustainable?" He said it's unrealistic to think Idaho can continue to make pricing and benefit reductions to balance the budget.…
Food stamp benefit payments are up more than 380 percent in Idaho since 2007, according to state Health & Welfare Director Dick Armstrong. That's led to huge rushes at Idaho grocery stores on the first of the month, when recipients get their payments. H&W is…
Idaho's Department of Health & Welfare, the state's largest agency, has seen its employees' workload soar in recent years as caseloads have risen, it's had furloughs, staff reduction and office closures due to budget cuts, and turnover was 13.6 percent in fiscal year 2011, Director…
Idaho's catastrophic health care program, also known as the CAT fund, had 1,286 cases approved in fiscal year 2011, at an average cost per case of $24,329, CAT board chairman Roger Christensen told JFAC this morning. The number of new cases dropped slightly in 2011,…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
