Former Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne emerged back on the Idaho political scene today, endorsing 1st District congressional candidate Vaughn Ward, introducing Ward at a Statehouse press conference officially announcing his candidacy, and traveling with Ward around the state for two days of Ward's planned four-day,…
Seventy-five to 80 part-time state employees have dropped health insurance since November, when the state sharply increased the costs for part-timers, state Department of Administration official Teresa Luna just told the Senate Commerce Committee. The panel is questioning her about a series of rule changes,…
Idaho is losing an estimated $35 million a year in sales taxes on Internet sales, says Hayden Lake Sen. Mike Jorgenson, and the state ought to join 23 other states in the Streamlined Sales Tax Compact as a first step toward doing something about it.…
The House has voted 64-1 in favor of HB 379, Rep. Lynn Luker's bill to eliminate the tax return checkoff that lets taxpayers send $1 of their taxes to the political party of their choice. "Unlike any other checkoff, this particular checkoff comes out of…
Legislative budget writers heard today about the medical residency programs in Idaho, which train medical residents in psychiatry and family medicine here though the state lacks a medical school. That's considered key because doctors tend to settle and practice where they finished training. The psychiatry…
Idaho State University President Arthur Vailas told lawmakers ISU has a record enrollment this year by headcount, which includes all students, full and part-time, professional-technical and academic, graduate and undergraduate. That figure at ISU this year is 15,553, and includes students from across the nation…
BSU President Bob Kustra displayed a pie chart to legislative budget writers showing the amount of state general funds per student that each Idaho four-year college or university receives. The amounts: $8,946 at the University of Idaho; $7,324 at Idaho State University; $5,459 at Lewis-Clark…
Rep. Darrell Bolz, R-Caldwell, House Appropriations vice-chairman, questioned BSU President Bob Kustra about the university's unrestricted net assets, just as he questioned University of Idaho President Duane Nellis about that a day earlier. "How much of that money could be used today to help us…
Boise State was able to cover the 6 percent holdback it took this fall from its reserves, BSU President Bob Kustra told lawmakers this morning, but he said, "Of great concern is a permanent base reduction for 2011." He noted that 10 years ago, the…
BSU President Bob Kustra opened his presentation to JFAC this morning with a video of the faked punt that the Broncos used to dramatically win the Fiesta Bowl this year. "There are some who call those trick plays," Kustra said. "We don't call trick plays…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on the University of Idaho's budget situation. The U of I and LCSC kicked off a full week of education budget hearings in JFAC, which continue tomorrow with BSU, ISU and health education programs. For next…
Here's a news item from the AP: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho police say the growing menace of graffiti merits felony punishment. They're pushing a bill to create stiff fines of up to $5,000 and 5 years in prison for recalcitrant taggers whose art work…
Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, persuaded the Senate Judiciary Committee today to introduce legislation prompted by the case of a 3-year-old St. Maries child whose severe abuse cost her both feet, a finger and a kidney, but whose abuser got just 10 years in prison, the…
Idaho Rep. Walt Minnick has announced that he'll refrain from seeking any earmarks in Congress in 2010, just as he did in 2009. He's the only one in Idaho's four-member congressional delegation who refrains from the earmark process, which lawmakers use to send federal money…
Rep. George Sayler, D-Coeur d'Alene, talks with members of the Idaho Hunger Relief Task Force at "Idaho Hunger Awareness Day" in the fourth-floor Statehouse rotunda today; fifteen hunger relief and nutrition groups from around the state are presenting displays and information about fighting hunger. They're…
To cope with additional budget cuts that loom this year, University of Idaho President Duane Nellis says the university is "looking seriously at the possibility of a furlough," and is examining a scaled approach, in which lower-paid workers would see less furlough, but higher-paid employees…
John Hammel, dean of the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at the University of Idaho, said deep cuts loom in extension funding. Responding to a question from Rep. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, however, he bristled at a contention in a recent Lewiston Tribune editorial that…
Legislative budget writers were very keen this morning to ask about the University of Idaho's net asset balances, which reports show at $38 million to $40 million. "How much of that unrestricted assets could be used in economic difficulties like we're in now, in order…
University of Idaho President Duane Nellis said the U of I has seen $22 million in budget cuts just in the past two years, and that doesn't count additional ones lawmakers are now mulling, or the elimination of $10 million for a dairy research center…
Rep. Jim Clark, R-Hayden Lake, has announced that he'll retire after this year, after serving 14 years in the state House of Representatives. Clark, who is the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he feels he's accomplished his goals. Seven years ago, in 2003,…
Dene Thomas, president of Lewis-Clark State College, told lawmakers, "Our goal is to train and educate productive citizens," and said, "We are an engine for economic development in north-central Idaho." Furthermore, she said, "We are the most affordable four-year college or university in Idaho." The…
Many of lawmakers' questions to State Board of Education President Paul Agidius focused on concern over rising costs for students to attend college in Idaho. But Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, asked him, "Earlier this year the board approved what I would consider significant salary increases…
Paul Agidius, president of the State Board of Education, is kicking off a week of education budget hearings by addressing JFAC on behalf of the board. His pitch: Cuts hurt, more will hurt more, and education can help lead the state out of the recession.…
Idaho is discovering the hidden costs of budget cuts, as major cutbacks in the state budget threaten to cost more than they'll save. One example: The $1.6 million the state would save by cutting off funding for Idaho Public Television may be less than the…
Here’s a link to the second 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. Also, on Idaho Public Television’s "Idaho…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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