As the Legislative Task Force that's charged with finding new funding sources for state parks and the Idaho State Police to replace gas taxes they'll lose one year from tomorrow began its first meeting this morning, Co-Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, told the joint House-Senate panel…
Young Idaho mom Amanda Buchanan picked up an old copy of "Consumer Reports" in her local library in Weiser and began leafing through it last year, and saw a call for health care stories that people wanted to share. She had just the thing. Now,…
Gov. Butch Otter today named his task force to find solutions for transportation funding in Idaho - but said they'll bring their recommendations forward in December of 2010. That means nothing for the next legislative session - the election-year session that starts in January of…
The unsettled weather that's marked June in Boise so far this year has led to some dramatic sunsets, like this one on Friday night.
The Idaho Transportation Board wrapped up a two-day board meeting this afternoon, which included two executive sessions on personnel issues, without taking any action. That means they're not making any change in directors; ITD Director Pam Lowe, who drew political flak this legislative session as…
More than 30 years ago, Idaho's boaters, snowmobilers, dirt-bikers and ATV riders made a deal: They'd give up their gas tax refunds for gas burned off-road if the state would direct that tax money to trails, boat launches and the like. It worked. While farmers…
With all the thunderstorms and clouds floating around Boise this week, the weather has been changeable and mysterious. In this photo taken late yesterday afternoon, the sky appears to show right through this downtown high-rise, thanks to the reflections.
Swung by the Idaho parks & rec office and purchased my invasive species sticker, which I then plastered onto my sailboard. Now we'll see if it sticks. They were plenty busy, but it was a breeze picking up the $5 sticker (for non-motorized craft; Idaho-registered…
The failed Tamarack Resort near Cascade could have a buyer in the offing, Tamarack chief Jean-Pierre Boespflug told the state Land Board today. "We do have a very difficult situation," Boespflug told the board. The ski and golf resort boosted employment in Valley County by…
When Idaho Gov. Butch Otter was a legislator back in the ’70s, he was precisely the sort of outspoken, no-new-taxes, shrink-government conservative as those in the House who stymied his transportation initiative this year. Now he can’t understand why the young lawmakers don’t get his…
Soaring numbers of Idaho smokers are trying to kick the habit, the Idaho Department of Health & Welfare reports, to the point that they've used up the rest of the year's worth of funding for a free nicotine replacement therapy program. Since last July, Project…
Rex Rammell has had to change the colorful graphics on his giant, decorated "Conservative Express" RV twice in the last month and a half. First, he changed, "Time for a new kind of Senator" to "Time for a new kind of Congressman," when the former…
Musing on some of the things some lawmakers said about him this year, Gov. Butch Otter said this week, "In the heat of battle there's some passion that sometimes is released. I'd like an opportunity to set down and let 'em know where I thought,…
Idaho already had more than 70 options for special license plates, from breast cancer awareness to snow skier to Pearl Harbor survivor. Now it's got four more, as Gov. Butch Otter signed a bill into law today creating a "Gold Star Family" license plate for…
Here's a link to the final, 17th week of this year's legislative session in photos as a slide show. And you can click below to read the various limericks and haiku in which I chronicled events of the final, tumultuous week.
"I'm a user-pay guy, and the people that buy gasoline use the roads," Gov. Butch Otter said, explaining why he wanted a gas tax hike to fix roads. But he said more than that, he wants revenue to fix the roads, and he wants certainty…
Opening his press conference at the close of the legislative session, Gov. Butch Otter said he wanted to "run over" some of what happened, then stopped himself, amid laughter, saying perhaps that wasn't the best phrase. "I've already signed 313 pieces of legislation," he said.…
Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, asked the House to not concur in the Senate amendments to his bill, HB 286, and the House unanimously agreed. Henderson said lawmakers long ago signed onto policies stating that they wouldn't pick highway projects, they'd leave that role to…
The House Transportation Committee is holding a hearing this morning on a bill that actually hasn't yet passed the Senate. SB 1147a, from Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, would allow the Idaho Transportation Department to enter into design-build contracts, something that's been permitted for other public…
The Senate Transportation Committee has approved HB 32, for a task force to identify alternative funding sources for the Idaho State Police and the Parks & Rec Department; HCR 34, to approve a gubernatorial task force to look into overall transportation funding in Idaho; and…
There was some heated debate and a divided, 6-3 vote, but the Senate Education Committee has approved HB 374, Rep. Bob Nonini's latest education funding bill. The measure restores language about virtual education that the Senate amended out of a previous education funding bill, HB…
JFAC is now meeting to take up two topics: Authorizing spending authority to match the new transportation bills, and a shift in school funding for fiscal year 2009 to match a newly received directive regarding the use of federal stimulus funds. The shifting about leaves…
Both houses have gone back into session. So many lawmakers were milling around in the foyer that when the bell rang unexpectedly, signaling the need for House members to be at their seats for a roll call, groans could be heard. The House has a…
As lawmakers stand around waiting for something to happen - a new, corrected version of a bill, a delayed committee meeting, etc. - Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, recalled a favorite line from former state lawmaker Dane Watkins: "All we know is what we tell each…
The House Transportation Committee has passed SB 1130, a bill sponsored by Sen. Tim Corder, R-Mountain Home, to cap the number of temporary trip permits for truckers at three per vehicle per calendar year. Corder explained to the committee that some truckers abuse the self-issued…
