All four members of Idaho’s all-GOP congressional delegation are calling for "suspending bringing Syrian refugees to Idaho through the U.S. Refugee Resettlement Program until better assurances of security can be obtained," according to a joint statement issued by the four. Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim…
Jan Reeves, director of the Idaho Office for Refugees, told “Idaho Reports” co-host Melissa Davlin today that 35 Syrian refugees have been resettled in Idaho in the past six months, 20 of them children. He said his office has met with staffers for Gov. Butch…
The Legislature’s interim committee on urban renewal has wrapped up its all-day meeting after what Co-Chair Rep. Rick Youngblood, R-Nampa, called “great discussion today,” and the group will draft some possible changes to the state’s urban renewal laws for consideration at its next meeting on…
Gov. Butch Otter today sent a letter to President Obama calling for a halt to the entire U.S. refugee resettlement program, until “the vetting process for all foreigners crossing our borders can be fully reviewed.” In a statement, Otter said, “It makes no sense under...
This is getting pretty darn obscure, but here’s the gist of what the Legislature’s urban renewal interim committee has been wrestling with this afternoon: Two laws on the books appear to conflict, with one requiring a revenue allocation area’s base value to be “reset” to...
Sen. Dan Johnson, R-Lewiston, requested a legal opinion from the Idaho Attorney General on a question related to accountability measures a legislative interim committee is considering with regard to urban renewal agencies, and Johnson told the panel today the results were significant, pointing to conflicts…
Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur d’Alene, says she believes cities like Coeur d’Alene are using urban renewal as a “side-around” to avoid public votes on big new public projects, as would be required if the city asked voters to raise their property taxes to fund them.…
The Legislature’s interim committee on urban renewal is meeting this morning, and hashing through its ideas on how it proposes to change the state’s urban renewal statutes. First up: The question of the makeup of urban renewal boards. Current law simply allows mayors to appoint...
A special state fund created to help Idaho navigate state sovereignty conflicts with the federal government has paid out more than $2.1 million over the last two decades, nearly all of it spent on losing legal battles, according to an AP analysis. The Constitutional Defense…
As the Idaho Department of Lands auctioned off 20 state-owned lake cabin sites on Payette Lake today, the auction was marred by a clash between a cabin owner and a competing bidder. “There was a lessee who was upset that someone had bid against him,”…
Tonight’s “Idaho Reports” tackles public defense reform, which lawmakers on a joint interim committee struggled with for hours this week, as they reviewed possible legislation without reaching agreement. The program includes co-host Melissa Davlin’s interview with Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa, co-chair of the panel; and…
Gov. Butch Otter’s office said today that Otter didn’t mean comments he made about sage grouse in a speech earlier this week to be taken seriously, and he is not taking the position that it’d be better for the sage grouse to be listed as…
Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Only one of Idaho's four Democratic superdelegates has declared support for Hillary Clinton. An Associated Press survey found that the state's remaining three superdelegates are currently uncommitted in their public support. Clinton is…
The Associated Taxpayers of Idaho, a business group that long has held an annual conference in early December each year that’s something of a run-up to the legislative session and draws lots of lawmakers, lobbyists and local government officials, has commissioned a statewide public opinion...
Idaho, along with six other states and the federal government, has reached a settlement to resolve antitrust concerns with a merger between two financial services companies, Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced today. As part of the settlement, the two firms, Springleaf Holdings Inc. and OneMain…
Ten members of the Brother Speed Motorcycle Club, along with the club itself, will be splitting a $16,500 payment from the United States government, to settle their lawsuit over a 2013 raid on their Nampa clubhouse that yielded no charges. The club and its members...
The FBI is investigating the shooting death of an Adams County rancher by sheriff’s deputies for possible federal criminal violations by the officers. U.S. Attorney for Idaho Wendy Olson announced the federal investigation at a meeting with reporters at her office today in Boise. The…
Boise School District will spend nearly $200,000 on tests this year to supplement Idaho's new statewide achievement test. The Idaho Statesman reports (http://bit.ly/1RQQf0s ) that this year the district is administering 20-minute multiple choice tests in math and reading in grades three through 10 to see how students compare...
Gov. Butch Otter told the Idaho School Boards Association’s annual convention in Coeur d’Alene last night that he was starting another campaign - not for another term as governor, but to “campaign for the completion” of the 20 recommendations of his education improvement task force.…
Sen. Mike Crapo has released his survey of Idaho veterans and their experiences with federal services for veterans; overall, 52 percent of the 924 respondents rated their experiences with the VA as “satisfying” or better, while 27 percent rated their experiences “dissatisfying” or worse. When…
Members of a joint legislative committee charged with crafting reforms for Idaho’s public defense system reviewed draft legislation today, and though members of the panel objected to nearly every line and section in the bill, they’re calling it progress...
It’s snow time, folks. The mountains above Boise are frosted white, and Idaho ski resorts are reporting impressive snow totals and looking ahead to opening for the season. None are actually open yet, but Grand Targhee, just over the state line in Wyoming, has announced...
Idaho’s average gas price has dropped to $2.26, just five cents above the national average and the lowest price Idahoans have paid on this date since 2004, the AAA reports. “Idahoans have been on a wild rollercoaster ride this year, paying among both the lowest…
This week is College Application Week across the state, sponsored by the state Board of Education and proclaimed by Gov. Butch Otter. It’s also the week that thousands of letters from Gov. Butch Otter and state Board of Education President Don Soltman are expected to…
A group of Idaho workers have brought a civil rights complaint against the state's worker compensation agency for only providing services in English, the AP reports. Erik Johnson, an attorney with Idaho Legal Aid Services, filed the federal complaint against the Idaho Industrial Commission on...
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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