“We did hear the legislation, but we did not intend to make a decision,” Senate Health & Welfare Chairman Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls, said after this afternoon’s Medicaid expansion hearing; my full story follows. “What we haven’t heard is the governor’s proposal, really the details of that. We don’t...
Senate Health & Welfare Chairman Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls, has ended this afternoon's hearing on two proposed Medicaid expansion bills, without any motion or vote. “Thank you, Sen. Schmidt, for bringing this bill, for printing this bill, for hearing this bill,” Heider said. “Thank you,...
Among those testifying at this afternoon’s Medicaid expansion hearing: Boise Mayor David Bieter said, “I think this is the most important public policy decision in the state of Idaho by far. ... I think every Idahoan believes that when we see suffering, we have a...
Dr. Kenneth Krell, director of critical care at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls, offered chilling testimony to senators today about Idaho’s failure to expand Medicaid to cover 78,000 Idahoans who now fall into a coverage gap. “I see those patients on a…
Dr. Ted Epperly, president and CEO of the Family Medicine Residency of Idaho, told senators this afternoon, “I applaud Gov. Otter for continuing to seek solutions for those who fall into Idaho’s coverage gap. It is a credit to our governor’s leadership that he appointed…
Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, told the Senate Health & Welfare Committee today that he’d like the panel, at this point, to consider both SB 1204 and SB 1205, the two Medicaid expansion bills, together. “I’m very thankful, Mr. Chairman, committee members, that we can have…
Here are links to the two Medicaid expansion bills up for hearing today, both sponsored by Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, a physician: SB 1204, full expansion of Medicaid to cover Idahoans who earn up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level, which would save…
Senate Health & Welfare Committee Chairman Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls, told the crowd at today’s Medicaid expansion hearing, “We’re certainly happy that all of you have come today. We have two options. There’s one that I would like to pursue, and that is to have…
Hundreds of people have filled the halls of the state Capitol's garden level this afternoon for the hearing on two bills to expand Medicaid in Idaho, SB 1204 and SB 1205. Only those who are testifying and a few others have been allowed into the…
The Idaho Department of Fish & Game announced today that it has secured a permanent public easement along two miles of Silver Creek, the famed fly-fishing preserve in Blaine County. Fish & Game secured the easement through an exchange with the Purdy family, which owns…
It turns out that voters who want to change their party affiliation at the polls for Idaho’s March 8 presidential primary will be able to do so after all. Legislation proposed by Idaho Secretary of State Lawerence Denney to move up the affiliation deadline...
President Barack Obama has signed a second disaster declaration for Idaho and ordered federal aid. The president signed the declaration on Monday due to severe winter storms in December in northern Idaho that...
A pending rule covering new science and humanities standards is in limbo after members of the House Education Committee complained about the public input process surrounding the creation of the standards, Idaho EdNews reports. Committee Chairman Reed DeMordaunt, R-Eagle, led the effort to reject the…
The House has voted 66-2 in favor of launching a computer science education initiative in Idaho’s public schools, with just Reps. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, and Shannon McMillan, R-Silverton, objecting. The legislation, sponsored by House Education Chairman Reed DeMordaunt, R-Eagle, calls for the state’s STEM Action…
Idaho’s state parks aren’t requesting any increase in state funding next year – Gov. Butch Otter’s budget proposal actually calls for a 2.1 percent decrease in state funding – but they have a long list of plans for park improvements and repairs coming from other…
As the presidential race focused on Iowa yesterday, Idaho Sen. Jim Risch was at an elementary school in Iowa Falls campaigning for Marco Rubio in the Iowa caucuses; Rubio finished third, with Ted Cruz in the lead and Donald Trump second. Risch called Rubio “the...
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
