The House Education Committee is still hearing testimony this morning on HB 260, the latest version of legislation from the Idaho School Boards Association to revive a provision from voter-rejected Proposition 1 saying that if teachers unions and school districts don't reach negotiated labor agreements…
At the start of this year’s legislative session, legislative budget writers heard a report on deferred maintenance at the state’s public colleges and universities, complete with shocking pictures showing rotting window frames, cracked and deteriorating sidewalks, corroded and leaking boilers, and a professor lecturing to…
The House Revenue & Taxation Committee this morning introduced the sweeping personal property tax elimination bill proposed by the IACI, the Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry. Yesterday, the same committee introduced a much more modest bill from the Idaho Association of Counties, to instead…
Though state law requires people on food stamps to cooperate with the Department of Health & Welfare’s child support services office to ensure that child-support payments are made to non-custodial parents, state budget cuts in 2010 cut out the staff that used to enforce that…
Sen. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, proposed two additions to the “intent language” in the Medicaid budget, one to direct it to develop and report on strategies to keep patients from unnecessarily using the emergency room, and another to ask the division to report on its percentage…
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee has voted 17-1 on the budget for Idaho’s Medicaid program for next year, with just Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood, objecting. Sen. Dean Mortimer, R-Idaho Falls, said, “Many of us have struggled to get our arms around this budget. I do think…
The Medicaid division of the state Department of Health & Welfare is among the biggest agency budgets that’s set by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee; it’s up today, on the final day of agency budget-setting. Sens. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, and Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, worked together on…
The Department of Commerce had its budget set by JFAC this morning at the governor’s recommended level, which reflects a 0.6 percent increase in state general funds, and a 14.5 percent decrease in total funds, due to the removal of a big one-time expenditure last…
Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, proposed a substitute motion on the intent language for the public schools budget, in an attempt to ensure that teachers and their associations have a voice in local school district plans to distribute performance bonuses to teachers next year. Her alternative…
Today is the final day of agency budget-setting in the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee; first up this morning is the “intent language” for the public school budget that was delayed earlier this week at the request of Sen. Dean Mortimer, R-Idaho Falls. This is the language…
As Idaho prepares to debate two resolutions dealing with the pros and cons of the state wresting control of public land managed by the federal government, BSU professor John Freemuth, an expert on public land management policy and administration, offers some "starting points for conversations…
The Senate Local Government & Taxation Committee has unanimously approved HB 140, the bill to clarify that land owned by tribal governments on reservations is exempt from property taxes just like land owned by any other government entity, despite last-minute opposition from Benewah County. Benewah…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Butchers, this bill is for you. Legislation that would carve out an exemption in Idaho's concealed weapons law on knives has passed the House. The measure approved unanimously Thursday allows Idahoans to carry…
Idaho is the first of 10 states that have enacted 'fetal pain' abortion laws since 2010 to have its law overturned, the Associated Press reports today. Yesterday's ruling from U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill also struck down two other Idaho laws dealing with abortion. Arizona…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A House committee has introduced a resolution calling on lawmakers to study the pros and cons of Idaho wresting control of public land managed by the federal government. The House State Affairs Committee…
The Idaho Health Exchange Alliance, a coalition of businesses, trade associations and individuals backing a state-based health insurance exchange, is lauding today's passage of the exchange legislation in the House Health & Welfare Committee; click below for the group's full statement. The alliance also reported…
Idaho state tax revenues came in 19.7 percent above forecasts for the month of February, according to the latest general fund revenue report from the Division of Financial Management. That was partly because of individual income tax receipts for the month, which came in at…
The House has voted 43-25 in favor of HB 218, legislation that would update Idaho’s school bond statutes, both removing and clearing up outdated wording and extending the maximum term for a school bond from 20 years to 30 years. Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls,…
The Senate has killed SB 1082a, Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll’s bill to create a new specialty license plate for volunteer EMS providers, a measure designed to recognize them and provide them easy access when they respond to accident scenes. Unlike most of Idaho’s specialty license plates,…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Restaurant owners in Driggs and other Idaho resort towns will have to wait a little longer for a change in state law to make liquor licenses more accessible. The House State Affairs Committee…
The House Health & Welfare Committee has voted 10-1 in favor of HB 248, the state health insurance exchange bill. Only Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa, opposed it. Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley, chairman of the committee, compared the state exchange vs. federal exchange issue to…
Members of the House Health & Welfare Committee are giving heartfelt statements about their thoughts on the state health insurance exchange legislation. “This has really been a difficult process for me,” said Rep Paul Romrell, R-St. Anthony. “It’s one that didn’t come easily. I’m a…
The House Health & Welfare Committee has unexpectedly finished testimony this morning on HB 248, the state health insurance exchange bill, and the committee is now debating the bill. It had set aside up to four hours this morning for testimony, plus more time tomorrow…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Counties aim to dump Idaho's personal property tax for 90 percent of businesses this year, according to a bill introduced in the House. The Idaho Association of Counties' proposal, which got its initial…
Idaho’s three community colleges, North Idaho College, College of Western Idaho and College of Southern Idaho, got a budget boost today from the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, though it fell far short of the funding the colleges requested in the face of ballooning enrollment at the…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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