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Eye On Boise archive for March 23, 2009

MONDAY, MARCH 23, 2009

Field trip change is permanent 

Legislation that cleared the House Education Committee today would permanently end state funding for field trips and change how school districts are reimbursed for student transportation. The move is designed to save $4.2 million next year; click below to read the full story from AP…

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Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, told the House on Monday that the United States is really a "confederacy." He was arguing in favor of his non-binding memorial, HJM 4, declaring the state's sovereignty from the federal government. (Betsy Russell / The Spokesman-Review)

Lawmaker: U.S. is a 'confederacy' 

Promoting his state sovereignty resolution on the floor of the Idaho House of Representatives today, St. Maries Rep. Dick Harwood declared that the United States is really a "confederacy." "To be accurate, we're a confederated republic," the fifth-term Republican then told the House. Political scientists…

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Sovereignty resolution passes House, 51-17 31 

HJM 4, a non-binding memorial sponsored by Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, to declare Idaho's sovereignty from the federal government and ask the feds to "cease and desist" from violating that sovereignty, passed the House just now on a 51-17 vote. Harwood read from the…

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House rejects survey of historic barns

House Agriculture Chairman Tom Trail's resolution encouraging the state Historical Society to conduct a study of the state's historic agricultural buildings was rejected in the House on a 20-48 vote, after House GOP Caucus Chairman Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, spoke out against the measure, HCR 26,…

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Carts could go faster

"Neighborhood electric vehicles" could putt along roads with speed limits of up to 35 mph, instead of the current 25 mph, under legislation that just passed the House on a 67-1 vote. They could also cross roads that have speed limits of up to 45…

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Kevin Settles, owner of Bardenay, testifies to the Senate State Affairs Committee in favor of reforming Idaho's liquor license system, as proposed by Gov. Butch Otter. Idaho's current system, he said, is "a horrible way to do business." (Betsy Russell / The Spokesman-Review)

Liquor reform clears committee

After more than two hours of testimony for and against the bill, the Senate State Affairs Committee has voted 6-3 in favor of SB 1148, Gov. Butch Otter's proposal to reform Idaho's liquor license system, which currently sets population-based quotas for liquor licenses but has…

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Members of the Idaho Women's Commission plan for their last meeting, after the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee eliminated their funding on Monday. From left are director Kitty Kunz, and commissioners Dawn Shepherd of Riggins, Sonna Lynn Fernandez of Nampa, and Fran Dingel of boise. (Betsy Russell / The Spokesman-Review)

Women's Commission planning last meeting 

"It's so disappointing" said several members of the Idaho Women's Commission, who gathered with Director Kitty Kunz in the Capitol Annex hallway after JFAC voted 15-5 to eliminate their funding and staffing. They were talking about scheduling their final meeting, and whether they had enough…

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Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, joined Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, on Monday to propose zero-funding the Idaho Women's Commission and eliminating the agency's operations from the state budget. (Betsy Russell / The Spokesman-Review)

JFAC votes to zero-fund Women's Commission 

The Idaho Women's Commission would receive no state funding next year and its only part-time employee would be eliminated, under a budget that just won 15-5 approval from the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, made the motion for zero funding. She said each…

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Zero funding for Rural Partnership

The Idaho Rural Partnership will be zero-funded next year, under a budget approved in the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning for the state Department of Agriculture. Several committee members objected to the move, but supporters of the budget motion said the partnership's executive director is…

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Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls, left, led a move to reject $150,000 in matching funds for Idaho Public Television to qualify for $450,000 in federal grants to preserve TV reception to six Idaho communities that otherwise will lose over-the-air signals in the digital changeover. Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, right, was among those supporting the funding, but it failed on a 13-7 vote Monday. (Betsy Russell / The Spokesman-Review)

JFAC rejects public TV matching money

Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, led a move in JFAC this morning to fund $150,000 for matching money for two federal grants for Idaho Public Television to take advantage of a one-time federal opportunity to get licenses for new translators to fill the gaps in the…

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State Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna watches the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee set his budget for next year. (Betsy Russell / The Spokesman-Review)

JFAC sets superintendent's budget

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee has set a budget for state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna that relies on a federal grant to fund a longitudinal data system, plus allows Luna to carry over $80,000 from this year's budget for that purpose. Gov. Butch Otter had…

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Eye On Boise

News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.