On tonight's "Idaho Reports" program on Idaho Public Television, I joined BSU political scientist emeritus Jim Weatherby, Rep. Cliff Bayer, R-Boise, House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, and Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, along with host Thanh Tan, to discuss the legislative events…
After the House passed the GARVEE bond bill today, handing Gov. Butch Otter a rare victory in his transportation initiative this year, House Speaker Lawerence Denney said, "I think we can finish next week - I hope we can finish." Denney said he's not planning…
Here's how the House voted in the 39-29 vote to pass SB 1186, the $82 million GARVEE bonding program for highways for next year:Voting in favor: Reps. Anderson, Bayer, Bell, Bilbao, Black, Block, Boe, Bolz, Burgoyne, Chadderdon, Chavez, Chew, Collins, Crane, Cronin, Durst, Eskridge, Gibbs,…
The House has voted 49-15 in favor of a small increase in state Fish & Game fees that targets only non-residents. The bill, SB 1141a, earlier passed the Senate and now goes to the governor.
The House has voted 39-29 on SB 1186, the Senate-passed bill to issue $82 million in highway bonds next year, passing the bill and sending it to the governor. The vote came after a long debate dominated by the bill's opponents. House Transportation Chairwoman JoAn…
So far, the debate in the House on GARVEE bonds is coming mostly from opponents. Rep. Lenore Barrett, R-Challis, said, "Borrowing money and passing the debt on to our kids - I sure don't want to be a part of something like that." Rep. Phil…
Rep. Leon Smith, R-Twin Falls, who sits next to Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, told the House, "I love my seatmate, but he's misguided." Smith, speaking against the GARVEE bonding bill, asked the House, "Should we be doing this huge GARVEE program, building highways with a…
The House has moved the $82 million GARVEE bonding program to the top of its calendar and begun its debate. "By the end of this construction season, 130 lane miles of road will have been improved with the aid of GARVEE," Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover,…
Don Soltman, vice president of Kootenai Medical Center, has been unanimously confirmed to the state Board of Education, to which Gov. Butch Otter nominated him. Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, told the Senate, "I've known Don for a number of years and I highly recommend…
Here's a link to my full story in today's Spokesman-Review on the governor's setbacks yesterday in his transportation initiative, a one-two punch with the House killing its last remaining bill to raise the state's gas tax and the joint budget committee directing a $17 million…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
