U.S. Sen. Jim Risch hoisted a tall stack of paper onto the podium in the state Senate as he wrapped up his address to lawmakers this morning. "This is the original health care bill - it's about 3,000 pages," he told the Senate. "There's no…
Sen. Jim Risch has been escorted into the Senate chamber to address lawmakers. "Well, gosh, it's good to be home," he told them. Risch is the former Senate president pro-tem, former majority leader, as lieutenant governor served as president of the Senate. He praised the…
Idaho Congressman Walt Minnick, in his speech to the Senate today, suggested that lawmakers set up a "bipartisan commission of experts, appointed by the governor and Legislature, who would be tasked with offering ideas for closing next year's budget deficit by taking a fresh look…
Congressman Walt Minnick was escorted into the Senate chamber, and is now addressing the Senate. "Washington is not at all like Idaho - after all, we in Idaho do know how to handle snow," he said to chuckles. He added that Idaho knows how to…
Both Congressman Walt Minnick and Sen. Jim Risch are scheduled to address both the Senate and House today; tomorrow, Sen. Mike Crapo is scheduled.
Every seat is filled, and people are standing around the back and sides of the room and spilling out the door at the state Land Board meeting this morning, where the state's top five elected officials are taking on what's always been a thorny issue…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press:BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho lawmaker wants to change the state law limiting the number of new charter schools to six each year, making exceptions for petitions targeted at underserved students. Sen. John Goedde's bill was introduced…
Lawmakers would declare an emergency and urge the governor to do the same and order the state's wolf population reduced, under a concurrent resolution introduced today in the House Resources Committee at the urging of Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries. "This bill is about legislators…
Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, says a constituent of his in North Idaho complained that when he found a bobcat dead in the road near his place, Idaho Fish & Game threatened him with arrest if he picked it up. "He wrote me, said you're…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Officials from Idaho cities criticized a bill in the Legislature meant to force the Boise City Council to ask downtown property owners for permission before charging them to help pay for a planned…
Several groups joined today to speak out against three pending bills that seek to penalize Idaho employers who hire illegal immigrants, saying the bills will be costly, will hurt businesses and won't help the nation with its immigration issues. "What the nation wants and what…
Today is the day that the House and Senate memorialize former representatives and senators who have passed away in the past year. The House gallery is full, where popular former seven-term Rep. Reed Hansen is among those being memorialized; he died on the last day…
Rep. Dennis Lake, R-Blackfoot, proposed a resolution this morning to block state retirees from receiving a scheduled 1 percent cost of living increase. The House State Affairs Committee agreed to introduce the bill, but balked at a proposal to send it straight to the full…
After a hearing lasting nearly two hours, the House Education Committee has voted overwhelmingly in favor of HB 493, the bill from Reps. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, and Branden Durst, D-Boise, to launch a pilot project to give kids incentives to move through school more quickly…
Rep. Jim Clark's proposal to allow liquor sampling at Idaho distilleries, just like wine-tasting now is allowed, was defeated on a tied vote this morning in the House State Affairs Committee. "HB 393 is a small-business jobs bill," Clark told the committee, noting that there…
Reps. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, and Branden Durst, D-Boise, are presenting HB 493 this morning, their bill that's up for a full hearing to create a "mastery" program that would, among other things, provide scholarships for students who graduate from high school early, along with other…
Idaho's state colleges and universities would get their own budget stabilization fund, under legislation introduced unanimously this morning in the House Education Committee. "It's such a good idea," said House Assistant Majority Leader Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, who proposed the bill and is co-sponsoring it with…
Here’s a link to the fifth week of Idaho’s legislative session in pictures, as a slide show. Let your cursor hover over the bottom part of the picture frame, and the captions will appear as the slide show plays. Tonight, on Idaho Public Television’s “Idaho…
The House Transportation Committee has approved the proposed new mountain biking special license plate, which will help raise funds to maintain and expand public trails open to mountain biking around the state. "Idaho has more trails than any other state in the lower 48," said…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on the revenue decision in JFAC today, which set a budget target that will force deep cuts in the state budget, including another $69 million to be cut yet this year.
The House has unanimously passed resolutions commending the Boise State football team and the University of Idaho football team on their bowl wins this year, amid much merriment, including some House members yelling out "Go Vandals!" instead of "aye" in the voice vote on the…
Wayne Hammon, Gov. Butch Otter's budget chief, said his boss is supportive of JFAC's decision this morning to adopt the Legislature's revenue committee recommendations as the basis for setting the state budget, both for this year and next year, though those figures fall $69 million…
JFAC has now voted along party lines to adopt the revenue figure for fiscal year 2011 proposed by the Joint Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment Committee, $2.29 billion. That's $59 million under what Gov. Otter has proposed spending next year in the budget he submitted…
Rep. Cliff Bayer, R-Boise, has now moved to set the 2011 revenue figure at the number picked by the joint revenue committee - $2.29 billion. Sen. Shawn Keough seconded the motion. Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, made a substitute motion to adopt the governor's revised forecast…
The Democrats' substitute motion failed on a party-line vote, 4-16, though Sen. Dean Cameron first mistakenly voted yes, then changed his vote amid some chuckling. Then, the motion for the lower revenue figure set by the Joint Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee passed, also…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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