M 2012 Idaho Primary

BOISE – Idaho Department of Commerce Director Jeff Sayer is crowing about company expansions and recruitments that are running far ahead of expectations, just a month into the state’s new fiscal year. “We have probably 10 projects, all in different regions of the state, that will bring anywhere from 50 to 200 jobs per project,” Sayer said. “The best part is that they’re a combination of companies that are expanding and new companies coming into the state. So if that pace keeps up, this year should be a really exciting year for us.” Read more

MERIDIAN, Idaho – Idaho 1st District Congressional candidate Jimmy Farris released 10 years of his income tax returns Thursday and called on incumbent GOP Congressman Raul Labrador to do the same. Labrador immediately rebuffed the request. “He just said, ‘No comment,’ ” said Labrador’s campaign spokeswoman, China Gum. Read more

Idaho 1st District Congressional candidate Jimmy Farris released 10 years of his income tax returns today, and called on incumbent Congressman Raul Labrador to do the same. Labrador immediately rebuffed the request. “He just said, 'No comment,'” said Labrador's campaign spokeswoman, China Gum. Farris, ata news conference in downtown Meridian, declared, “In the spirit of George Romney and Frank Church, I think it's important that our elected officials show the utmost amount of transparency.” Romney, father of current GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, famously released 12 years of his tax returns when he was running for president in 1967. Longtime Idaho Sen. … Read more

MERIDIAN, Idaho — Idaho 1st District U.S. House candidate Jimmy Farris released 10 years of his income tax returns today, and called on incumbent Congressman Raul Labrador to do the same. Labrador immediately rebuffed the request. “He just said, ‘No comment,’” said Labrador’s campaign spokeswoman, China Gum. Read more

Terry Gestrin, a Donnelly businessman and former Valley County commissioner, has been appointed to the Idaho House to finish the four months left in the term of former Rep. Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, whom Gov. Butch Otter appointed to the Idaho Tax Commission. Otter announced the appointment today; Gestrin was the top choice of the GOP committee from the legislative district. … Read more

BOISE – It may already be too late for Idaho to set up a state-run health insurance exchange in time to meet federal deadlines, state Insurance Director Bill Deal told lawmakers Monday. “We’ve not been given the direction to move forward,” Deal told a joint task force of the Idaho Legislature. “So now our timelines are getting to the point that, is it realistic that we could put together a state-based exchange at this particular time?” Read more

Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on today's discussions in the Legislature's Health Care Task Force, at which state Insurance Director Bill Deal told lawmakers it may already be too late for Idaho to set up a state-run health insurance exchange in time to meet federal deadlines. Read more

BOISE - It may already be too late for Idaho to set up a state-run health insurance exchange in time to meet federal deadlines, state Insurance Director Bill Deal told lawmakers Monday. Read more

1st District Democratic challenger Jimmy Farris has a “buoyant” 60-second TV ad filmed and ready to go, but doesn't have the cash yet to actually run it, reports Idaho Statesman columnist Dan Popkey. Popkey reports that Farris, a former NFL football player and Lewiston native, is hoping to tap his former teammates in a fundraising push. … Read more

Idaho's 2nd District congressional candidates are raising big bucks for their campaigns, Boise State Public Radio reports today, with Democratic challenger Nicole LeFavour raising $156,016 so far for her run, and incumbent Republican Rep. Mike Simpson taking in $955,982. BSU radio reports that LeFavour has raised more than any Democrat who has challenged Simpson in years, but Simpson is on a record pace in his own fundraising as well; you can read their full report here. The figures reflect fundraising for the election cycle to date, as updated by the latest filing, the July quarterly report. … Read more

BOISE – When current Idaho House Majority Caucus Chairman Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, leaves the House to become a state tax commissioner on Monday, he’ll leave behind what’s shaping up to be a battle for leadership in the House GOP caucus. Roberts acknowledged that he had planned to run against current House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, for the No. 2 position in House leadership, up from his current No. 4 post; Moyle worked unsuccessfully to defeat Roberts in the May GOP primary. Read more

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter has named state Rep. Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, to the Idaho State Tax Commission, a full-time post; Roberts is currently the House majority caucus chairman. Roberts will resign from the House and begin his new job on Monday. Roberts will fill out the unexpired term of former Commission Chairman Royce Chigbrow,who later was replaced by former Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes; the term is up April 1, 2013. … Read more

Idaho 1st District Congressman Raul Labrador today defended his vote in the House to repeal the national health care reform law, saying, “Since my time in the Idaho State Legislature, it has become clear to me that Idahoans oppose every aspect of Obamacare. … This law forces Idahoans to purchase a product against their will under the threat of paying a tax for not doing so.” Meanwhile, his Democratic challenger, former NFL football player Jimmy Farris, criticized the vote, saying Congress shouldn't be backing repeal of help for uninsured Idahoans while its members enjoy health insurance benefits. … Read more

In a church pew, faith is divine. But is it any way to run a state? For almost two years, from Gov. C. L. (Butch) Otter on down, it was an article of faith that national health care reform - Obamacare - would be struck down as unconstitutional. … Read more

BOISE – Idaho leaders were stunned by Thursday’s ruling upholding the federal health care reform law, and they face big decisions on how to respond. State lawmakers this year refused to set up a state insurance exchange under the law, betting instead that courts would overturn it. They rejected $20 million in federal grants for the exchange. Read more

BOISE – Idaho state legislators should get a 2 percent raise next year, a citizens committee decided Monday. The same committee also tightened rules about compensation for a lawmaker’s second residence near the capitol. Read more

Idaho state legislators should get a 2 percent raise next year, a citizens committee decided Monday, while also tightening up rules about compensation for a lawmaker's second residence near the capitol. “They've not had a raise since 2007,” said Eva Gay Yost, a member of the panel. “They rejected the last one. State employees got 2 percent, so I thought it was appropriate.” Lawmakers this year approved 2 percent raises for all state employees performing to standards in the coming year, the first state employee raise they've funded in four years. The committee's recommendation takes effect unless lawmakers reject it - which they did in 2009, when the panel recommended a 5 percent raise. … Read more

Idaho state legislators should get a 2 percent raise next year, a citizens committee decided Monday, while also tightening up rules about compensation for a lawmaker’s second residence near the capitol. Read more

With his closely cropped hair resembling a military buzz cut one would think Denton Darrington (pictured) was a former U.S. Marine. He’s not, but he is the living personification of the Marine motto —Semper Fi (Always faithful) — with his fidelity to family, friends, LDS faith, his state and country, the Idaho legislature and the teaching profession. … Read more

Idaho Democrats recruited more than 90 candidates to run for office this year, and there were nine contested Democratic primary contests across the state last month, Democratic Party Chairman Larry Grant told his party's state convention today. Now, there are 82 Democratic candidates on the ballot for legislative seats. “Some are placeholders,” Grant acknowledged. … Read more

Idaho Democrats are gathered for their state party convention today and tomorrow in Boise, while Idaho Republicans will gather for their state convention next Thursday through Saturday in Twin Falls. At today's Democratic confab, 1st District congressional candidate Jimmy Farris was the luncheon speaker, drawing an enthusiastic response from a crowd of about 100. … Read more

Campaign finance reports show that Idaho state Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood, has reimbursed the Senate for the cost of an end-of-session letter she sent out to Republican voters that touted her record and thanked supporters as she seeks re-election. Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, said he initially thought the letter only skated close to the line between campaign material and mere information, but after learning that it was sent only to Republicans, he called Nuxoll to discuss it. “We just visited about it, and I said I thought it would be best if she reimbursed for all of it,” Hill said this week. … Read more

Campaign finance reports show that Idaho state Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood, has reimbursed the Senate for the cost of an end-of-session letter she sent out to Republican voters that touted her record and thanked supporters as she seeks re-election. Read more

The Legislature's Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee is holding its interim meeting in north-central Idaho today and tomorrow, and today the lawmakers, along with State Board of Education members, state Division of Financial Management officials and staffers, toured the University of Idaho's research facilities and labs in Moscow and talked with professors and students. … Read more

When the state of Idaho made out its paychecks for tax-protesting state Rep. Phil Hart twice a month for the past seven years, the money didn’t go to Hart - it went straight to the IRS. That’s what Hart reported in documents filed this week in his bankruptcy case, in which he lists more than $600,000 in debt, most of it to the IRS and the Idaho State Tax Commission. … Read more

The incident that cost Sen. John McGee his Senate seat, his role in legislative leadership and his future in Idaho politics resulted in a criminal charge Tuesday. Ada County Prosecutor’s Office issued an arrest warrant for former state Sen. John McGee of Caldwell on a misdemeanor charge of disturbing the peace in connection with a complaint from a former secretary. … Read more

House Assistant Majority Leader Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, is poised to do something Idaho hasn't seen in 30 years, reports Idaho Statesman columnist Dan Popkey: Defeat the top leader of a house of Idaho's Legislature. Popkey reports that Bedke is in good position to challenge weakened House Speaker Lawerence Denney, who's served three terms as speaker; such a toppling hasn't happened since 1982, when Jim Risch beat then-Senate President Pro-Tem Reed Budge. … Read more

Here's a news item from the Associated Press: RIGBY, Idaho (AP) ― Police say a 22-year-old eastern Idaho driver was looking at a text message on his phone when he hit a sheriff deputy's parked patrol car. Brian J. Anderson, of Idaho Falls, was treated Tuesday for non-life threatening injuries. Idaho State Police say Anderson was traveling on U.S. … Read more

Tonight on Idaho Public TV's “Dialogue,” host Joan Cartan-Hansen will host a reporters and pundits roundtable discussion on the primary elections results, Idaho politics and more; on the panel will be Idaho Statesman editorial page editor Kevin Richert; Idaho Falls Post Register editorial page editor Corey Taule; Greg Hahn, hostof IPTV's “Idaho Reports,” and myself. … Read more

Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) ― A news story on Sunday saying a candidate for the Legislature could become Idaho's youngest-ever lawmaker prompted a history lesson. If Nate Murphy of Pocatello is elected in District 29 in November, the 22-year-old would become a young lawmaker, just not the youngest. The Idaho secretary of state erroneously told The Associated Press the titleholder was former Rep. … Read more

Nate Murphy knocked on 8,000 doors and spent just $10 on his successful 2011 campaign for Pocatello's school board, but the 22-year-old's current bid to become one of Idaho's youngest-ever legislators is exacting a higher price, reports AP reporter John Miller. Murphy is running for Pocatello's District 29 House seat as a Democrat in a Republican-dominated state. … Read more

BOISE – A Democratic candidate for Congress in Idaho says he’s learned a lesson, after he didn’t actively campaign during his primary race and ended up with only a 5 percentage point lead over a mentally ill candidate who’s facing felony charges. “You can’t take anything for granted,” said Jimmy Farris, a Lewiston native and former NFL football player. “We made a conscious decision not to campaign against her. … We chose not to debate or do anything that would really put her situation kind of in the public or highlight it more than it already was.” Read more

Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on how Democratic congressional candidate Jimmy Farris says he's learned a lesson, after he didn't actively campaign during his primary race and ended up with only a five percentage point lead over a mentally ill candidate who's facing felony charges. … Read more

A Democratic candidate for Congress in Idaho says he’s learned a lesson, after he didn’t actively campaign during his primary race and ended up with only a five percentage point lead over a mentally ill candidate who’s facing felony charges. Read more

Idaho Democratic 1st District congressional candidate Jimmy Farris, whose 53%-47% win over Cynthia Clinkingbeard in the primary was something of a stunner, given that Farris was the party's anointed choice and Clinkingbeard didn't campaign, after an arrest for pulling a gun on employees at a Staples store, had these thoughts when asked today when asked about the unexpectedly close margin: “I think, ultimately, for me, I learned a lesson: You can't take anything for granted,” Farris said. … Read more