An Idaho Senate panel has narrowly agreed to introduce legislation allowing parents to opt out of vaccinating their children with a simple letter rather than using a state form. Sen. Dan Foreman, a Republican from Moscow, argued Tuesday that the bill clarifies state law...
A special informational hearing on the Idaho Health Care Plan, the dual-waiver proposal from the Otter Administration, will be held Wednesday morning, starting at 9 a.m. MT in the Lincoln Auditorium. All legislators are invited; it also will be streamed live online. No public testimony…
Retiring Boise State University President Bob Kustra, in his final budget presentation to lawmakers today, said heading the state’s largest university for the last 15 years has been “a job of a lifetime.” Kustra is the former elected lieutenant governor of Illinois; served in both…
When Boise State University President Bob Kustra addressed JFAC this morning, lawmakers asked him about the proposal for a higher education CEO. Kustra pulled no punches, saying BSU’s estimates of the savings of consolidating “back-office” services across Idaho’s public universities came in at $6 million,…
A northern Idaho lawmaker says he apologized to seven fellow legislators for an inappropriate comment he made during an anti-sexual harassment training earlier this year. Republican Sen. Bob Nonini from Coeur d'Alene said Tuesday that his remark...
With no debate, the Senate voted unanimously today – 33-0 – to pass HB 335, the bill to lower the unemployment insurance tax and save Idaho employers $115 million over the next three years, without any impact on the state general fund. The bill, which…
Lewis-Clark State College President Tony Fernandez, the second of three outgoing college and university presidents who are making their final budget pitches to lawmakers today, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning that LCSC is marking its 125th anniversary this Saturday. “It seems like we…
Idaho State University President Arthur Vailas, in his final budget presentation to lawmakers this morning, said he supports Gov. Butch Otter’s budget recommendation – though it provides zero funding for Vailas’ top budget request for next year, to add 21 full-time positions and $3.4 million…
The Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning agreed by a voice vote to accept the report from the joint Change in Employee Compensation Committee, which agreed with Gov. Butch Otter that state employees should get merit raises averaging 3 percent next year, but rejected the...
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
