Senate Resources Chairman Gary Schroeder, R-Moscow, a fur trader, brought a large wolf pelt to the committee hearing today and had it hung prominently on the wall as the committee prepared to hear a briefing on wolves and consider a wolf-transfer bill that Schroeder's proposed.…
The Senate has voted 27-6 in favor of SB 1014, to repeal the 2005 law that set up a state licensing system for naturopaths. It's never gone into effect, because warring groups of naturopaths have disagreed on the necessary qualifications, meaning rules to implement the…
Jon Hanian, press secretary for Gov. Butch Otter, just released this statement about the governor's work to eliminate or consolidate state commissions, including the Women's Commission:“We have been studying the idea of consolidating the administration of a number of commissions – including the Women’s Commission…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: "Power lines and railroads could be eligible for a tax break passed last year by the Idaho Legislature to allow companies to exempt the first $100,000 of their business equipment from taxes, under a bill being considered…
Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, has introduced legislation to eliminate the Idaho Women's Commission, a state agency whose existence long has been controversial. "Thirty-nine years ago they were set out to get women to be more involved in social, political and economic areas of their communities,"…
The biggest news from Idaho's state prison system is the fall-off in inmate growth, which lawmakers heard about earlier in the session when they discussed funding for the state's substance abuse services. To meet proposed budget cuts next year, Corrections Director Brent Reinke said, "Instead…
Corrections Director Brent Reinke said Idaho's prison system saved the state $4.5 million in the holdbacks earlier this year. "That's a significant cut for this agency," he said. "We're hoping that we have no unanticipated maintenance expenses occur." Among the various cuts, which included terminating…
If Idaho were to privatize its state prison at Orofino, it'd go from 37 percent privately operated beds to 43 percent, state Corrections Director Brent Reinke told JFAC. The department has sent out a "request for information" to see if such a move could save…
Lawmakers learned new details this morning about the prison riot on Jan. 2nd in which inmates wrecked a new temporary housing unit that had been set up to allow out-of-state inmates to be brought back to Idaho. There were 199 inmates in the unit at…
Click here to take a look at the third week of the Idaho Legislature in photos, now that it's wound down and most lawmakers have hit the road back to their districts for the weekend. Tonight on Idaho Reports, which airs at 8 p.m. on…
Lt. Gov. Brad Little, who spoke out on statewide TV last week about how campaign fundraising during the legislative session is frowned upon and "generally" just doesn't happen, drew well over 300 people today to his campaign fundraiser, a lunch at the Rose Room that…
The Senate has voted unanimously, 33-0, to pass HCR 6, the resolution to reject the scheduled 5 percent raises and mileage reimbursement boosts for state lawmakers this year. The resolution earlier passed the House unanimously; the Senate's vote today was the final action, and the…
"We are about halfway through our hearing process, but we've gone through about 75 to 80 percent of the money, as far as what we've discussed," Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee at the close of its hearings today. "The…
Inside a live fire training simulator, which is the size of a semi-truck trailer but taller, it's smokey, it's slick, it's dark and it's ominous. It's also a crucial training tool for firefighters. A model of a couch smokes and catches fire; so does a…
Volunteer firefighters from throughout the state are out in front of the Capitol Annex today, for two days of live fire training (starting yesterday), using a fire simulator trailer borrowed from Wendover, Nev., and a chance to tell lawmakers their story. Greg Redden, executive director…
"Library services and programs are being rediscovered," Idaho Commission for Libraries Director Ann Joslin told the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning, citing "increased library use in the current economic downturn." She said, "In fact, this is a spike in the existing 10-year growth of library…
Idaho Historical Society head Janet Gallimore told lawmakers this morning that despite the governor's rejection of the agency's request to hire additional staff for fundraising, the agency felt it was so "vital" that it reorganized and reshuffled its staff to allow the appointment of a…
The numbers of students enrolling in post-secondary professional-technical education programs is up, right along with the economy going down, state PTE Administrator Ann Stephens told JFAC this morning. And, she said, “PTE programs are successful. Ninety-six percent of students who completed a PTE post-secondary program…
Here's a link to my full story in today’s Spokesman-Review on the school budget cuts proposed Thursday by state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna. Lawmakers were mostly receptive to Luna’s proposals; even local school officials said they don’t see any way to avoid some cuts.…
Eight fifth-graders from Post Falls are taking the state Legislature by storm today, making presentations to the education committees in both houses, greeting state Supt. Tom Luna after his budget pitch, and generally livening up the Capitol Annex in their white lab coats and laboratory…
At a press conference after his budget hearing, state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna, asked how he thought his proposed public school cuts were received by lawmakers this morning, said, "I think they were as somber, I think, as I am. I didn't enjoy putting…
Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, told state schools Supt. Tom Luna he's got a "nagging feeling" that Idaho's state tax revenues still will fall further this year. "The $80 million hole may actually be a $130 million hole," he said. "My gut tells me…
Wayne Hammon, budget chief for Gov. Butch Otter, said the Otter Administration is closely watching the federal stimulus legislation. "We've been following it very closely, and there's a lot of education money in both versions of the bill," he said. Otter and Luna have been…
State schools Supt. Tom Luna noted that other states are looking at far more drastic cuts in public education. Florida is looking at a 16 percent cut, he said. Oregon closed an elementary school and furloughed all the teachers, and is cutting P.E. and music…
JFAC members are now asking Supt. Tom Luna questions about his proposed cuts for the public school budget. The first came from JFAC Co-Chair Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, who wondered if Luna has worked with the House and Senate education committees on changes in state law…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
