Gov. Butch Otter will take his time figuring out what Idaho's share of the federal stimulus will be, AP reporter John Miller reports - a move that could delay budget-setting for next year and likely prolong the 2009 legislative session. Click below to read Miller's…
Idaho's senior U.S. Senator, Mike Crapo, addressed the Senate and House today, and was held up for about 10 minutes in the Senate as that chamber wrapped up a hot debate on sewage rules. "I think I just interrupted a debate on septic tanks," Crapo…
It was quite a debate for a resolution rejecting an agency rule, but the Senate has voted 27-7 to reject a Department of Environmental Quality rule, approved 6-1 by that agency's board, to stiffen requirements for new septic systems to protect water quality. You can…
State Schools Supt. Tom Luna was prepared to go to the mat with his fellow state Land Board members this morning to try to get an additional one-time, $30 million payout from the state endowment to ease Idaho schools through budget cuts next year, but…
State Labor Director Roger Madsen told lawmakers this morning, “The recession hit Idaho harder and faster” than other states. “After posting the lowest unemployment rate in the nation in 2007 … no state has seen as large a percentage increase in its unemployment rate as…
Here’s a link to my full story in today’s Spokesman-Review on the unanimous introduction yesterday of the new day-care licensing bill – the fifth straight year one has been proposed – and here’s a link to my full story on the reception in Rev &…
Gov. Butch Otter is planning to be back in the saddle - literally - by this spring, and riding on the rodeo circuit again by summer, reports Dan Popkey of the Idaho Statesman. Otter, 66, just returned to work last week from major shoulder surgery…
The room was as packed as it could be at the Senate Health & Welfare Committee today, where there were a whopping 12 bills on the agenda for introduction. It's the final day for introducing bills in non-privileged committees; the Senate plans to go back…
Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, says the first effect of the new federal economic stimulus legislation's passage could be that Idaho doesn't have to make two big transfers from its public education stabilization fund - one that's in HB 61 and already passed the…
HB 61, the legislation that makes Gov. Butch Otter's 4 percent holdbacks, or mid-year budget cuts, permanent, passed the House 68-1 a week ago, but when it came up for a vote today in the full Senate, Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, asked to…
It was a close 10-8 vote, but the House Revenue & Taxation Committee has agreed to introduce legislation that would hike Idaho's beer and wine taxes - which haven't been increased in more than 40 years - more than threefold to provide a stable funding…
Each year, three North Idaho state representatives - Reps. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, and Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake - take the lobbyists out to dinner on the reps' own personal dime. Last week, the annual dinner drew about 35 lobbyists, Nonini…
The fifth week of this year's Idaho legislative session was a tumultuous one, opening with Gov. Butch Otter's return to the legislative battlefield after shoulder surgery, pushing for his transportation package, and closing with painful decisions on deep new state budget cuts. But just hours…
State Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna said this afternoon that he's learned that Idaho schools are going to get lots of federal stimulus money "to the tune of $346 million over the next two years, and some of that money could be here as soon…
Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, now says his controversial bills to make permanent cuts in laws governing school funding and teacher contracts may not be needed at all, what with big money coming Idaho's way from the federal stimulus package. "It looks like Idaho could…
The three days of hearings that had been scheduled to start Monday on controversial education bills introduced yesterday have been called off. "We decided to hold off on the hearings for a week, refine some numbers and see if we can reach a consensus on…
The budget target adopted unanimously by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee today anticipates nearly $110 million in cuts to Idaho's public school budget next year. That's the $62 million already proposed by state schools Supt. Tom Luna, which included a cut equal to three days pay…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com, "Idaho slashes budget, considers pay cuts," on this morning's fast-moving developments at the Legislature today. And here's a link to my full story from yesterday on the House Environment Committee's rejection of legislation to repeal last…
A target for setting next year's budget of $2.5579 billion in general funds - a figure more than $100 million below the governor's recommended budget - has been unanimously approved by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. Getting there would mean a 5 percent cut in personnel…
The revenue figure recommended by the Joint Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee for next year - a figure $100 million below the governor's recommended budget - has just been adopted by JFAC. Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, told Rep. Cliff Bayer, R-Boise, who…
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee has just voted unanimously to transfer another $28.4 million from the public education stabilization fund "as soon as practicable" to protect public schools from mid-year budget cuts this year. "When we set up the public education stabilization fund, we did so…
"I hope people don't think there's a correlation between this motion and this being Friday the 13th," said Rep. Darrell Bolz as he made a motion just now in JFAC to set a 2009 revenue figure that calls for an additional $80 million reduction. That…
Gov. Butch Otter has imposed a statewide hiring freeze, a ban on all bonuses or pay increases, a ban on overtime pay without prior approval from his Division of Financial Management, and sharp limits on all purchasing. "I understand that implementing these instructions may be…
Among the possibilities for balancing next year's budget in light of dropping state revenues: A 5 percent cut in funding for personnel at all state agencies and institutions and public schools, which could come in the form of an across-the-board pay cut, furloughs or other…
January's state tax revenues came in $33.1 million below projections, which puts the state $43.6 percent million below projections for the fiscal year to date. That means more holdbacks. This morning, JFAC is scheduled to take up additional budget cuts for the current, 2009 fiscal…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
