Gov. Butch Otter has named Mary Hughes as acting director of the Idaho Department of Finance while the current head of the agency is in the hospital. Director Gavin Gee suffered a brain injury while jogging earlier this week...
This week’s night’s “Idaho Reports” on Idaho Public Television includes co-host Melissa Davlin’s interview with Rep. Maxine Bell and Sen. Shawn Keough, the two co-chairs of the Legislature’s powerful joint budget committee; an in-depth interview with Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden; and a a report on serious problems with non-emergency...
Here’s a news story from the Associated Press: By Kimberlee Kruesi BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The fight over Idaho's faltering horse racing industry is building into face-off between the Legislature and the governor's office. Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill emailed Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's...
Years of litigation over giant megaloads of industrial equipment that had been proposed to travel on scenic Highway 12 through north-central Idaho, along the Clearwater and Lochsa river corridors, has ended today with a settlement that bans future megaloads, but continues to allow, on a…
Legislative budget writers heard a pitch from a small but rapidly growing piece of the education system this morning, as STEM Action Center Executive Director Angela Hemingway presented her request for a $4.5 million budget next year – an 85 percent increase that’s backed by...
Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, rose on the floor of the House today and requested a personal privilege. “The lady has the floor,” House Speaker Scott Bedke said. Scott said, “Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I respectfully request that I be returned to my committees, so that…
More than two dozen people testified at this morning’s joint Health & Welfare “listening hearing,” and many more still wanted to speak. “I want to thank everyone for coming today,” said House Health & Welfare Chairman Fred Wood, R-Burley. “I know some of you didn’t…
In further testimony at today’s Health & Welfare public hearing: Ahniah Selene Summers of Boise told the lawmakers that he’s been in a wheelchair since breaking his back and neck years ago. His problem came when he needed his wheelchair replaced. He went back and...
In more testimony at today’s Health & Welfare public hearing: Josh Komenda, president of Veyo, a company based in San Diego that has contracts in six states and that took over the statewide non-emergency medical transport contract with the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare…
In more testimony at today’s health and welfare “listening hearing” in the Lincoln Auditorium: Dr. Kara Kuntz, a family physician and geriatrician from Boise, shared the story of a patient whose life was ruined due to illness and inability to pay for care, speaking with...
Among those testifying at the joint “listening session” of the House and Senate Health & Welfare committees this morning thus far: Darren Talley, with White Tail Transportation in Priest River, told the lawmakers that he and other non-emergency medical transport providers “request that you restore...
There’s a large crowd for this morning’s joint Health & Welfare public hearing. “We’re here to listen today,” said Senate Health & Welfare Chairman Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls. “We have a great many people that have signed the list today. … We welcome each of…
Here’s a link to my full story on today’s budget hearing in JFAC on the public schools budget – the single largest piece of Idaho’s state budget, at 48 percent of the general fund. Superintendent Sherri Ybarra told lawmakers Thursday that funding the third year...
The co-chairs of the Legislature’s joint budget committee gave state Superintendent Sherri Ybarra generally high marks for her public school budget pitch to lawmakers today, and said she’s come a long way from her first, truncated budget pitch to JFAC three years ago. Back then,…
Here’s the full AP story on the two tax cut bills introduced this morning in House Rev & Tax: By Kimberlee Kruesi BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho lawmakers ushered in the first tax cut proposals of the 2017 legislative session on Thursday with the hope…
Here’a link to my full story at spokesman.com on how 18 members of the Idaho House, including five from North Idaho, voted against a routine income tax bill Thursday over same-sex marriage issues, though the measure must pass before Idahoans can start filing their state…
The House and Senate Health & Welfare committees will hold a joint public hearing tomorrow morning, starting at 8 a.m., on health and welfare issues in Idaho, and are inviting all who are interested to come and testify. Public testimony will be limited to three…
On a cold night in November, a state contracted service “could have led to the death of a special needs child,” according to documents obtained by Idaho Reports. After a medical appointment, a driver with a transportation company for Medicaid clients dropped off a teenager…
The Idaho House has voted 52-18 in favor of HB 26, the annual IRS conformity bill, though several members spoke out against conforming the state’s tax code with federal rules on grounds that a now-invalidated clause in the Idaho Constitution forbids same-sex marriage, which the...
U.S. Attorney Wendy Olson will step down on Feb. 25, according to Idaho Reports. She’s served as Idaho’s U.S. attorney for the past six years, and has worked for almost 20 years in the U.S. Attorney’s Office, writes Idaho Public TV reporter Seth Ogilvie in…
After her budget pitch to state lawmakers today, state schools Superintendent Sherri Ybarra said, “I felt very supported – they’re very supportive of education and our students.” “This is my third session,” she said. “It was relaxing, it was enjoyable.” The difference from her first…
Idaho lawmakers have ushered in the first tax cut proposals of the 2017 legislative session. House Majority Leader Mike Moyle says that he wants to exempt the first $750 of income from taxation, as well as reduce the top income and corporate rate from 7.4 percent to 7.2 percent. Meanwhile, Rep. Janet Trujillo, a Republican from Idaho Falls, has...
Legislative budget writers had sharp questions for the governor’s school budget analyst, David Hahn, this morning on Gov. Butch Otter’s recommendation to set aside $15 million for health benefits increases in the public school budget. “Would this be added to that budget – would this…
Overall, state school Superintendent Sherri Ybarra told JFAC this morning, she’s requesting more than $1.679 billion in state general funds for Idaho’s public schools next year (not counting services for the deaf and blind, which will be presented next). Her request reflects an increase of…
Idaho’s new teacher evaluation system is in the midst of being implemented, state school Superintendent Sherri Ybarra told legislative budget writers this morning. “Deciding on and designing a model is the critical first phase, but implementation is hard and requires dedicated resources over time, any…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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