The first-floor rotunda of the State house was packed just now for a reception honoring longtime University of Idaho chief lobbyist Marty Peterson upon his retirement; the talk of the crowd as it milled around, amid congratulations to Peterson, was this afternoon's Idaho Supreme Court…
The Idaho Supreme Court has issued an order denying the petition from House Speaker Lawerence Denney and Idaho GOP Chairman Norm Semanko asking the court to order Secretary of State Ben Ysursa to declare two vacancies on the state's citizen redistricting commission; you can read…
Rep. Dennis Lake, R-Blackfoot, persuaded the House Commerce Committee today to introduce his bill to stop counting per-diem payments to legislators who live within 50 miles of the state Capitol into PERSI retirement calculations; they have been included thus far because the $49 daily payments…
Former Idaho Gov. Phil Batt, who also is a former Idaho state GOP chairman and widely considered the architect of the party's dominance in the state, has submitted a guest opinion to the Idaho Statesman newspaper decrying the moves by current party Chairman Norm Semanko…
Idaho Statesman reporter Dan Popkey reports that as Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Burdick visited the Statehouse today, he indicated the court will have something to say soon on the ongoing redistricting dispute. "We're workin' on it," Burdick told Popkey. "That's all a guy…
Idaho Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Burdick is giving the annual State of the Judiciary address to both houses of the Legislature today; he spoke first to the House, then to the Senate, shown here. Among his points: Idaho's judges have seen a 30 percent…
In his budget pitch this morning, University of Idaho President Duane Nellis told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee that raises for university employees are his top budget priority for next year. "Enrollment's gone up, funding's gone down, and because of this we're doing more with less,"…
Dozens of University of Idaho students, professors, and officials, including every college dean, are at the state Capitol today, where displays about the various UI offerings and programs fill the fourth-floor rotunda; they're there until 11:30 today, visiting with lawmakers and others. It coincides with…
Among other subjects Gov. Butch Otter addressed in his Q-and-A with the Idaho Press Club this morning: Otter said he's in discussions with lawmakers about making a switch in priorities in his budget proposal, switching state employee raises or bonuses from being a "surplus-eliminator" that…
While the Legislature debates pushing back Idaho's primary election from May to August, Gov. Butch Otter said today he doesn't like the idea. "It would cause a lot of problems in Idaho, including Bone," he said, referring to the hometown of the measure's sponsor, Rep.…
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter told the Idaho Press Club today that he's all but given up on establishing a state-based health insurance exchange, unless the federal government gives Idaho more time. "Quite frankly, the clock is running - I don't know that we've got time…
Gov. Butch Otter didn't sound too upset this morning at lawmakers yesterday setting their revenue estimate for next year's budget at $33.3 million less than his. "We can still fund all of my priorities within that," Otter told the Idaho Press Club this morning, at…
Budget hearings for the University of Idaho are up in JFAC today, starting with UI President Duane Nellis making his budget pitch at 8 a.m.; you can watch live here.
The "Add the Words" campaign, which is pushing to add the words "sexual orientation or gender identity" to the Idaho Human Rights Act to ban discrimination on that basis in housing and employment, has continued to post sticky notes in the state Capitol with its…
Reviews of last night's State of the Union speech from Idaho's congressional delegation: “He had a good delivery, as he always does,” said Sen. Jim Risch, R-Idaho. “But this was clearly a political speech.” Said Congressman Raul Labrador, R-Idaho, “A lot of lofty rhetoric, but…
The day has ended without word from the Idaho Supreme Court on its next move on the Idaho GOP's lawsuit challenging the makeup of the state's bipartisan citizen redistricting commission. Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa contends the panel can reconvene on Thursday as planned…
Idaho has been losing $645,000 a year administering oversize-load permits including those for so-called megaloads, Lewiston Tribune reporter Bill Spence reported today; the news came out when an ITD official briefed a legislative committee on pending ITD rules, which include fee increases designed to try…
The joint Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment Committee's decision today to set a revenue figure for next year that's $33.3 million below the governor's estimate could have a variety of impacts. House Assistant Majority Leader Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, noted that state chief economist Derek Santos…
Rep. Dennis Lake, chairman of the House Rev & Tax Committee, has moved to approve the governor's recommendation for 2012 revenues, then a figure for fiscal 2013 that's a 4.5 percent increase over that at $2.667 billion - $33.3 million short of the governor's figure…
Several members of the joint economic outlook committee have questions for state chief economist Derek Santos, who presented his projections – he's dropped his forecast for state tax revenue growth for this year from 6.4 percent to 4.4 percent, then predicted that next year, revenues…
The Legislature's Joint Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee is beginning its meeting now; this is when lawmakers will decide on a revenue figure on which to peg the state budget. If they go lower than Gov. Butch Otter's figure, that pushes part of what…
The Senate Education Committee has voted unanimously in favor of SB 1237, a proposal from the state Board of Education to delete a line from the “Students Come First” reform law that, in a definition of what an “online course” is, added the line, “in…
About half an hour ago, House Speaker Lawerence Denney and Idaho GOP Chairman Norm Semanko filed a Petition for Writ of Mandamus in the Idaho Supreme Court, calling on the court to “immediately” order Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa to declare two vacancies on…
The Idaho Republican Party says its chairman, Norm Semanko, and House Speaker Lawerence Denney have made their choices for two new redistricting commissioners: Denney's chosen former state lawmaker Bob Forrey of Nampa, and Semanko has chosen Angela Cross of Post Falls. The party also said…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) ― The Republican Party is suing the secretary of state over redistricting in the Idaho Supreme Court, contending the party's chairman and the speaker of the House of Representatives have the power to fire…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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