Among those posing for pictures with Raul Labrador after his 1st CD announcement this morning were several other lawmakers who are supporting him: Sens. Russ Fulcher and Shirley McKague, both Meridian Republicans; and Rep. Cliff Bayer, R-Boise. "I'm supporting my House colleague. I think he…
Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, put out a press release this morning calling on Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Eagle, to withdraw from the 1st District congressional race, just as the GOP candidate was formally announcing his candidacy. "Raul Labrador is an immigration attorney and admits to…
It's been snowing like mad on and off all morning in Boise, and some roads are slick. But here's the odd thing: It's sunny up at Bogus Basin, our local ski resort, which still doesn't have enough snow to open. That's not how it's supposed…
Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Eagle, formally announced his candidacy for the 1st District congressional seat this morning, to a loudly cheering crowd in the rather cramped third-floor lobby of the Capitol Annex. Labrador, a second-term state representative who was an outspoken opponent last session of Gov.…
The TV commercial features images of women over 40, transforming into a large pink ribbon that fills the screen. "185,000! That's the estimated number of women who will be told they have breast cancer this year," a narrator intones. "Early detection is key to survival,…
Awoke this morning to three inches of fluffy new snow, arousing excitement in this household about possible skiing soon. However, we soon learned it was a localized phenomenon - Bogus Basin, where it's 1 degree this morning, got only half an inch, and most locations…
A retired senior postal inspector who held a high position with the Postal Service in San Francisco was sentenced in federal court in Boise today for mailing 64 separate parcels containing everything from his golf clubs to a microwave oven to Boise, where he had…
House Speaker Lawerence Denney has sent a memo out to all House committee chairs and vice-chairs asking them to take steps to wrap up the upcoming legislative session by April 1 to help the state save money. Denney told Eye on Boise he's "trying to…
Sen. Clint Stennett, D-Ketchum, announced today that his wife, Michelle, will sub for him for the first part of this year's legislative session. Stennett missed last year's session while undergoing treatment for brain cancer; former Sun Valley Mayor Jon Thorson filled in for him. Thorson…
Idaho public health officials have decided to open up the H1N1 swine flu vaccine to everyone under age 65 immediately, including healthy adults. This after vaccines through the season thus far have been limited to specific high-risk groups; the flu strain has contributed to the…
Anyone who was lucky enough to find a job in Washington or Idaho in 2008 likely ended up with one that doesn't pay enough to support a family, according to a new study out today. The Northwest Job Gap study, which the Northwest Confederation of…
Idaho GOP Chairman Norm Semanko has been tabbed for a seat on the Republican National Committee's budget committee, which state party executive director Jonathan Parker said "other than the executive committee, is the most influential committee on the RNC." The budget seat previously had been…
Idaho Sen. Jim Risch described the situation in Afghanistan as "a Rubik's cube on steroids" this morning while participating in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing in which committee members questioned Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and Chairman of the…
The governor's transportation funding task force has wrapped up its third all-day meeting, but it won't be proposing any road fixes in the upcoming Idaho legislative session. The panel set its next meeting for Feb. 18th. "They're not going to propose anything for this legislative…
The head of Idaho's POST Academy was fired on Nov. 5, the AP reports today, and the state didn't publicly acknowledge the dismissal until the Associated Press inquired about it this morning. Jeff Black, executive director of the academy and a former longtime state trooper,…
The Associated Press is reporting that the lawyer for Tamarack Resort, Steve Millemann, has asked a 4th District judge for permission to withdraw because the resort "no longer has funds available" to pay him. That's not a good sign for efforts by homeowners at the…
Rep. Raul Labrador, R-Eagle, said today that he'll announce his candidacy for the 1st District congressional seat on Monday, with announcements in Boise and Coeur d'Alene. Already in the GOP primary race is Iraq war veteran Vaughn Ward; state Rep. Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, dropped out…
Tom Cole, chief engineer for the Idaho Transportation Department, is presenting figures to the governor's task force on how much the state is falling behind on preservation and restoration of state and local roads and bridges. If our goal as a state were just to…
Light rail has been a big success in Salt Lake City, transportation consultant Tom Warne told Idaho's governor's transportation task force, in response to questioning from panel members including state lawmakers. The system has been largely funded by incremental increases in the sales tax in…
The governor's transportation funding task force got an overview of a "Utah case study," looking at what that state did to increase transportation funding. It started with a year and a half-long "growth summit" in 1995, which involved citizens across the state in envisioning how…
Transportation consultant Tom Warne is now reviewing what other states are doing to solve their transportation funding problems: Rental car fees - sometimes very significant ones; sales tax increases; tolls; vehicle taxes; state and local gas tax hikes; and more. However, more than half of…
The next transportation funding bill to pass Congress likely won't bring much of a bump to Idaho in funding, transportation consultant Tom Warne told Gov. Butch Otter's task force on transportation funding this morning. The bill likely won't be for as many years as past…
Idaho ranks 12th in the nation for relying on federal aid to fund its transportation program, according to transportation consultant Tom Warne, at 52 percent. State fuel tax supplies 26 percent, and registration fees, 13 percent. The least reliant states are Wyoming, 13 percent, and…
Toll roads are among the top proposals supported by the Obama Administration for increasing transportation funding, transportation consultant Tom Warne told Gov. Butch Otter's transportation task force, but, he said, "There are places like Idaho and Utah where there's probably limited opportunity for toll roads,…
Gov. Butch Otter's transportation task force has opened its third meeting this morning, with a full house. First up is a presentation from Tom Warne, former director of the Utah Department of Transportation and now a transportation consultant, on the regional and national transportation funding…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
