Idaho Falls attorney and former state GOP party chairman Blake Hall has resigned from the state Board of Education after nearly nine years. His resignation was effective April 3, the board announced today. Click below to read the full announcement.
Jon Hanian, press secretary for Gov. Butch Otter, says the governor is "very pleased" with JFAC's decision this morning to eliminate a proposed 3 percent across-the-board pay cut for all state employees, instead opting to let agency directors decide on their own how to cope…
Here's what the governor's budget chief, Wayne Hammon, had to say about JFAC's vote this morning on statewide personnel cuts: "The flexibility part, section 1, is very, very good. The governor's very pleased with that. He's been saying from the the very beginning that he…
HB 252, the bill to allow various state laws to be temporarily suspended to allow cuts in education funding - including teacher pay - when a school district declares a financial emergency, got a vigorous debate in the Senate today, much different than the chorus…
Here's a news item from the AP: "The House voted 64-3 for a constitutional amendment to allow tuition at the University of Idaho, a move to help the Moscow school manage its budget. A law from Idaho's territorial days when the school was founded in…
There was heartfelt debate in JFAC before the vote on statewide personnel cuts. Here's a sampling:"I'm feeling very, very guilty costing the taxpayers of Idaho $30,000 a day to stay here and be stubborn." - Rep. Maxine Bell"Our issue all along as a committee was…
Here's how JFAC voted in the 12-8 vote on statewide personnel cost reductions, in which Sen. Dean Cameron's motion carried to reduce the cuts from 5 percent to 3 percent by tapping federal stimulus money:Voting in favor: Sens. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert; Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint; Joyce…
The substitute motion from Sen. Dean Cameron - offsetting the statewide personnel cut with stimulus money, so that it'll be reduced from 5 percent to 3 percent - has passed JFAC, 12-8.
Here are the two competing motions JFAC is debating: The original motion, from Reps. Darrell Bolz, R-Caldwell, and Cliff Bayer, R-Boise, sets a 5 percent personnel cost cut for state employees - excluding public schools and higher education, which already have been set - but…
JFAC is now debating between competing motions on state personnel cost cuts - both of which would eliminate the 3 percent across-the-board pay cuts for state employees the panel approved earlier, in favor of just leaving discretion to agency directors on how to make the…
JFAC has voted to transfer $30 million from the budget stabilization fund to the general fund, to balance the budget they've already set for next year. "This is what's required to balance the budget," said Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert. The transfer would be made by…
For fiscal year 2010, JFAC has passed a motion to give the governor authority to tap another $50 million in reserve funds if needed to make up budget shortfalls - half from the state's main reserve fund, the other half from the public education stabilization…
JFAC has decided to provide several "tools" to Gov. Butch Otter to use if state revenues continue to slip this fiscal year after lawmakers leave town. "We're looking at 2009 - we're going to be out of here before it ends," Co-Chair Maxine Bell, R-Jerome,…
Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley, has proposed a compromise resolution on funding for cystic fibrosis treatment for adults in Idaho. Legislation to cut the treatment off passed the Senate, but stalled in the House Health & Welfare Committee. Wood said the program serves fewer than 50…
You may have noticed that though Boise is in the Mountain time zone, I'm blogging in Pacific time, according to the time stamps on the posts. That's because the Spokesman-Review's servers are in Spokane - in the Pacific time zone. So just add an hour...
Before the JFAC meeting started today, Rep. Janice McGeachin, R-Idaho Falls, asked what would happen if the joint committee runs out of time this morning, with all the big decisions before it. Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron said the panel just needs to get its…
Among the technical fixes and trailer bills being approved by JFAC this morning is one to give Parks & Rec spending authority to run the new quagga and zebra mussel boat sticker program, which has passed both houses and has an emergency clause. The parks…
As JFAC got ready for its 8 a.m. (Boise time) meeting this morning, Co-Chair Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, noted that though it was past time, few members as yet were in their seats. "Would any of you in the audience like to join us?" she asked…
At their early-morning work session before JFAC this morning, lawmakers struggled a bit to be clear on what exactly the governor's favoring. "I'm not sure we know what makes him happy at this point," Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, commented, but noted that lawmakers still are…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
