Fewer than 20 of Idaho’s 105 lawmakers attended a Statehouse presentation Thursday night on refugee resettlement featuring two anti-Islam speakers, as close to 100 protesters lined the hallway outside the meeting, carrying signs saying, “Love Your Neighbor As Yourself” and “Refugees Welcome.” The Rev. Shahram...
Shahram Hadian told the audience at the Capitol auditorium tonight, “Protesters and media can say what they want but I want you to hear it from my mouth – I’m not against refugees, but I’m against this particular program as it stands. … This program…
The Rev. Shahram Hadian introduced Christopher Holton, vice president of the Center for Security Policy, who told tonight’s audience in the Lincoln Auditorium it was his first trip to Idaho. “I wish that I was here for a more pleasant reason,” Holton said. “I go...
“We want to thank everyone for coming,” the Rev. Shahram Hadian said, opening his presentation in the Lincoln Auditorium tonight. “We’re here tonight because, at the request of citizens from Idaho who asked us to be able to present this information here at the Capitol,...
Close to 100 protesters have gathered in the Capitol hallway outside the Lincoln Auditorium, where two anti-Islam speakers are scheduled to address refugee resettlement issues in a 5:30 presentation today. The protesters are holding signs with messages including, “Refugees Welcome,” “Love Your Neighbor As Yourself,”...
It has not been an easy past few months to be a Muslim in America, reports Boise State Public Radio, including in the Treasure Valley, where the Muslim population may be well over 10,000. Reporter Dan Greenwood reports that on a recent Friday, about 40…
Lawmakers on the revenue committee have voted to accept Gov. Butch Otter's forecast of state tax revenues for the coming year, on a 13-4 vote. The four "no" votes came from Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, and Reps. Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, Christy Perry, R-Nampa, and Mat...
Each senator or representative on the Joint Legislative Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment Committee has set his or her own estimate of state tax revenues for the coming year; the median of the committee members’ estimates came in very close to Gov. Butch Otter’s: $3.1963…
The Legislature’s joint Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment Committee has convened in the Lincoln Auditorium this afternoon to set the state revenue projection; you can watch live here. Derek Santos, Gov. Butch Otter’s chief economist, told the lawmakers, “Instead of having a V-shaped expansion and...
More than two dozen labor unions from across the state are at the Capitol today and have booths set up in the 2nd floor rotunda; they represent firefighters, iron workers, electricians, sheet metal workers, postal workers and more. Leaders of 30 union locals met with…
Legislative budget writers have approved a boost in fire preparedness funding requested by the state Land Board, in anticipation that next year’s fire season will be just as bad as this year’s was, and offered high praise to the state Department of Lands firefighting operations...
The Idaho Transportation Department isn’t requesting any increase in state funds in next year’s budget. Though the governor’s total budget recommendation for ITD reflects a 30.8 percent increase over this year’s original appropriation, the difference is largely the funding increases that lawmakers approved last year...
Two big rallies have been announced for the Capitol steps in the coming days: An “Add the Words” rally on Saturday from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m.; and a “Stop Tuition Hikes” rally, supporting a ballot initiative to raise cigarette taxes and lower college tuition, is…
ITD Director Brian Ness told lawmakers this morning that looking ahead, “The key to maintaining Idaho’s infrastructure is to provide a sound, stable funding source. The key to investing that money wisely is to constantly improve our operations and effectiveness at ITD.” He said in…
When lawmakers approved a gas tax and fee increase last year, ITD Director Brian Ness said, “We had 27 projects ready to go. There are few agencies in the nation that could have acted so quickly, and I am proud of our employees for making...
JFAC is jumping right into agency budget hearings, with the Idaho Transportation Department up this morning. With a couple inches of snow on the ground and slick conditions in Boise, Director Brian Ness started by telling the lawmakers, “I’ll have you know we’re taking care...
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
