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Stories tagged: Eye On Boise

Eye on Boise: Idaho’s per-capita taxes among lowest in country

BOISE – Idaho’s tax burden per capita ranks 49th in the nation, according to the latest results from an annual study by the Idaho State Tax Commission. It’s the lowest …

Eye on Boise: Idaho cabin land swaps stall

BOISE – Three land exchanges designed to swap state-owned lakefront cabin sites for commercial property elsewhere were unexpectedly rejected by the Idaho State Land Board last week, after state lawmakers …

Otter has no plans to adopt liquor privatization laws

BOISE – It seemed fitting that when Gov. Butch Otter spoke to the annual convention of the Idaho Licensed Beverage Association last week, the meeting was in the “Characters” bar …

Eye on Boise: Opposing Idaho education reform views heard by joint committee

BOISE – A joint legislative committee tasked with looking at whether Idaho should keep three controversial – and temporary – teacher contract laws that lawmakers enacted this year got mixed …

Eye on Boise: Idaho’s first lady mending from surgery

BOISE – Idaho first lady Lori Otter is recovering from successful shoulder surgery after an injury suffered while calf-roping last month. Gov. Butch Otter reported this past week that the …

Eye on Boise: Sens. Crapo, Risch to host online town halls

Both of Idaho’s U.S. senators, Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, have scheduled “tele-town hall” meetings in the coming week. Risch’s will be on Monday, and Crapo’s on Wednesday, both starting …

Eye on Boise: With rodeo injury, first lady gains on Otter

BOISE – Idaho first lady Lori Otter dislocated her shoulder in a calf-roping accident and is facing surgery, Gov. Butch Otter revealed last week. “For those of you … who …

Eye on Boise: Tom Luna’s school fund push stalls

BOISE – Political fireworks flew at the Idaho state Land Board last week, as, for the second time in five years, state schools Superintendent Tom Luna sought to boost the …

Eye on Boise: Incumbency not an election guarantee

BOISE – Political scientist Eric Ostermeier of the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs has dug up some interesting numbers in light of 1st District U.S. Rep. Raul …

Eye on Boise: Gov. Butch Otter’s campaign loan a win-win

BOISE – Idaho Gov. Butch Otter has forgiven a $131,000 loan he made to his campaign, leaving his campaign fund debt-free and with a healthy balance as he continues to …

Eye on Boise: Idaho school Wi-Fi contract questioned by lawmakers

BOISE – A rare clash between two branches of Idaho’s government has been roiling Boise for the past week, after state schools Superintendent Tom Luna signed a five- to 15-year …

Eye on Boise: Funds suggest re-election on Labrador’s radar

BOISE – Idaho U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador is sitting on the second-biggest wad of campaign cash he has stockpiled since he has been in office, with more than $277,000 in …

Eye on Boise: Total Idaho crime down, but violence up

BOISE – Idaho’s crime rate dropped 1.5 percent in 2012, according to the new Crime in Idaho report, continuing a five-year decline, but the number of violent crimes – murder, …

Eye on Boise: Crapo, Risch oppose immigration bill

BOISE – Idaho Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch both voted against the landmark immigration reform bill that passed the U.S. Senate last week. “The triggers in this bill with …

Eye on Boise: Otter favors local control in anti-discrimination fight

BOISE – Idaho Gov. Butch Otter didn’t hesitate when asked about the Idaho GOP Central Committee’s new resolution calling on the Legislature to overturn local anti-discrimination ordinances, like those six …

Eye on Boise: Fewer DUI arrests made over long weekend in Idaho this year

BOISE – The Idaho State Police reported 31 DUI arrests statewide over last weekend’s Memorial Day holiday, from Friday night through early Tuesday morning. ISP also reported 23 crashes, including …

Eye on Boise: Crapo addresses losing campaign funds

BOISE – Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo is defending his former campaign manager who lost $250,000 in campaign funds in a risky investment, while also calling the incident “discouraging” and “distressing.” …

Eye on Boise: Otter’s housing stipend to resume

BOISE – Former longtime chief state economist Mike Ferguson analyzed the latest state tax revenue news – which showed revenues surging 13.2 percent over forecasts for April, the biggest tax …

Eye on Boise: April tax revenue well above forecasters’ expectations

BOISE – Because Idaho budgets based on forecasts and estimates of how much tax revenue will come in, there’s always some anticipation about how revenues fare in April, the biggest …

Eye on Boise: Pretty quiet on fundraising front, but Crapo’s war chest deep

BOISE – Idaho’s four-member congressional delegation didn’t do a ton of fundraising during the first quarter of this year, what with it not being an election year and all. But …

Eye on Boise: Two stream gauges escape budget ax

BOISE – It now looks like three stream flow gauges will be shut off May 1 in Idaho, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s Idaho Water Science Center, down from …

Eye on Boise: Slow growth seen in timber market

BOISE – Idaho’s state Land Board has approved a timber sale plan for 2014 that calls for harvesting 249 million board feet from state endowment lands, the highest logging level …

Eye on Boise: Risch knows value of early campaign launch

BOISE – It’s more than a year before the primary election, but Idaho Sen. Jim Risch announced last week that he’ll seek re-election in 2014. “When I ran for this …

Eye on Boise: Lawmakers ready if city won’t go their way

BOISE – The state Legislature makes the laws, including the ones that say cities can govern local planning and zoning issues. “So if we give them the authority, we also …

Eye on Boise: Lawmakers hear of Medicaid expansion’s upside

BOISE – Idaho’s House and Senate Health and Welfare committees heard rather stunning figures Friday, including this one: A University of Idaho economist estimates that Idaho’s economy would get a …

Eye on Boise: Private school tax break plan heads to House vote

BOISE – Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, says he believes his bill to provide $10 million a year in tax credits for scholarships to private schools would prompt 2,622 Idaho …

Eye on Boise: Universities get ‘small step’ toward deferred maintenance

BOISE – At the start of this year’s session, Idaho’s legislative budget writers heard a report on deferred maintenance at the state’s public universities, complete with shocking pictures showing rotting …

Eye on Boise: Federal cuts get panel’s attention

BOISE – A blizzard of numbers was presented to legislative budget writers Friday on the potential impact of the federal sequestration cuts on the state. Overall, it showed a potential …

Eye on Boise: Business tax’s end ‘devastating’ to public schools

BOISE – The draft bill released last week by Idaho Gov. Butch Otter to phase out the state’s personal property tax on business equipment would have a “devastating” impact on …

Eye on Boise: Donation pitch stirs ethics talk

BOISE – When the Idaho Freedom Foundation distributed its 2013 Idaho Report on Government Waste to every state lawmaker, complete with a color drawing of a cigar-smoking pig in sunglasses …