Idaho House members questioned and debated the stuffing out of an early-reading bill today, then stuffed it all back in and passed it with just one “no” vote. HB 451 was the only bill the House got to during its hour-long floor session today. Rep....
Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden issued the following statement today on the proposed constitutional amendment to remove him from the state Land Board and replace him with the state treasurer: “It’s up to the Legislature to determine whether this is an appropriate policy direction for…
Rep. Terry Gestrin, R-Donnelly, reports that a 60- to 85-foot-tall tree will be cut from the Payette National Forest next November to serve as the “People’s Christmas Tree” and be displayed at the U.S. Capitol; he proposed a resolution today encouraging Idahoans to participate in…
The budget set by JFAC this morning for Idaho Public TV for next year contains an uncharacteristic 30.6 percent increase in state general funds – but the big boost is almost entirely because of some major equipment replacements that add up to $835,800 in one-time-only…
Rep. John VanderWoude, R-Meridian, wants to change the Idaho Constitution to remove the Attorney General from the state Land Board and replace him with the state treasurer. VanderWoude brought his proposed constitutional amendment to the House State Affairs Committee this morning, which voted unanimously to…
As budget-setting continues in the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee today, JFAC has drawn the line at putting state general funds into the National Guard “Youth Challenge” program, which it launched several years ago with the promise that it wouldn’t seek general funds. Guard officials said they’ve…
After three years and multiple bill drafts, small-scale suction dredge miners in Idaho are no closer to finding the regulatory relief they're seeking, reports Bill Spence of the Lewiston Tribune. Legislation exempting the miners and prospectors from state water quality regulations was killed on a…
Two bills that would ease the sting of an underage alcohol possession or consumption conviction are moving forward in the Legislature this year. HB 495, which sponsor Rep. John Gannon, D-Boise, called “an incentive to stay out of trouble, instead of hammering them with a misdemeanor for life for...
Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little cast the tie-breaking vote this evening after the Senate deadlocked 17-17 on SB 1264, legislation that sought to add new licensing requirements for durable medical equipment dealers, under the state Board of Pharmacy. It was stretching toward 6 p.m. when…
Legislation that would allow pharmacists to prescribe immunizations for children as young as 6 years old – the current limit is 12 years old – drew extensive debate in the Senate this afternoon, before finally passing on a 29-5 vote. Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood, said...
Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, says he wouldn’t encourage an introductory hearing on legislation unveiled by a horsemen’s group today to set up a state gaming commission that could authorize slot machine-like “instant racing” machines at Idaho racetracks to benefit the horse industry. “These…
Idaho Secretary of State Lawerence Denney proposed a scaled-back public records exemption bill today to replace HB 388, the bill he got introduced earlier, which didn’t advance, to make secret all email addresses and cell phone numbers submitted to the Secretary of State’s office as…
Rep. Melissa Wintrow’s “Right to Try” bill, which would let terminally ill patients use investigational drugs at their own risk, cleared the House Health & Welfare Committee today on an 8-2 vote, and now heads to the full House. The only “no” votes came from...
Legislation creating a $5 million startup funding account to be tapped if eastern Idaho voters agree to create a new community college in Idaho Falls has passed the House on a 62-6 vote. “There has been a feasibility study already which produced positive results,” Rep.…
Backers of Idaho’s horse industry gathered for a press conference in the Capitol today to release their proposed legislation setting up a new gaming commission that could authorize “instant racing” machines to benefit the industry, and also oversee gaming machines used in tribal reservation casinos…
After a glowing endorsement from state schools Superintendent Sherri Ybarra, the House Education Committee has unanimously passed HB 526, the new version of the governor’s $10.7 million early-reading intervention and literacy initiative. Ybarra, a former third-grade teacher, said the reworked bill focuses on the right…
There have been some close votes in JFAC this morning, as the joint budget committee continues setting agency budgets. But the differences being debated in competing budget proposals were small. For example, Rep. Phylis King’s budget motion for Medical Boards differed from Sens. Dan Schmidt…
Rep. Dan Rudolph, D-Lewiston, has announced that he won’t seek re-election to a second term. Lewiston Tribune reporter Bill Spence reports that Rudolph, who defeated incumbent GOP Rep. Thyra Stevenson by 26 votes in 2014, said he loves serving in the Legislature, but recently accepted…
Two bills carrying the recommendations of a legislative interim committee on broadband have cleared the Senate Education Committee on a unanimous vote, repealing the statutes that set up the now-defunct Idaho Education Network, and laying out Idaho’s new statutory structure, including grant funding to schools...
An interesting little bit of history in relation to the bill this session to remove the inflation indexing from Idaho’s homeowner’s exemption: Idaho first got the homeowner’s exemption in 1982 by voter initiative. At that time, it exempted 50 percent of the value of the…
Idaho Republicans are backing a measure that would exempt the acquisition of sawed off shotguns, machine guns and silencers from public records requests. The measure passed through the House State Affairs Committee Monday...
After years of resistance from Idaho lawmakers, there’s no longer any reason for Idaho to fear compliance with the federal Real ID Act, House Transportation Chairman Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, told lawmakers today. He said the two big fears – an unfunded mandate, and possible invasion…
The Senate Resources and Environment Committee voted 8-1 on Friday to approve industry-backed legislation designed to speed up the approval process for oil and gas production, the AP reports, by making the Idaho Department of Lands responsible for initial decisions and the five appointed members…
After much debate, a divided Idaho Senate has voted 22-13 in favor of SB 1248, legislation from Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, to strike from state law a requirement that public charter schools have written contracts with their teachers and administrators “in form as approved...
The Constitution Party of Idaho will hold a debate in Boise on Saturday featuring all three Constitution Party candidates for president – Scott Copeland and Patrick Ockander of Texas, and J.R. Myers of Alaska. The three are vying in Idaho’s Constitution Party presidential primary, which…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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