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Eye On Boise archive for April 2010

MONDAY, APRIL 19, 2010

Hoffman: 'A rising leader' 

Wayne Hoffman, head of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, discusses his disenchantment with the mainstream media and his role as a political activist in an article by AP reporter John Miller, in which Hoffman refuses to disclose how his group is funded; click below to read…

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Why openness in government matters...

It was a great honor for me this weekend to be presented with the 2010 Max Dalton Open Government Award from the Idaho Newspaper Foundation; there's info here. Here are the other nominees for the award this year: * Melody Finley, who has been a…

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FRIDAY, APRIL 16, 2010

Discussing the week’s Idaho political developments on Idaho Public TV’s “Idaho Reports” program Friday are, from left, Jim Weatherby, Kevin Richert, Betsy Russell, Bill Roberts, Vickie Holbrook, and host Thanh Tan. (Courtesy photo / Idaho Public Television )

The week that was...

On Idaho Public Television’s “Idaho Reports” this week, we talk about the week's developments, from Tea Party rallies to campaign politics to school funding questions. I join analysts Jim Weatherby, Kevin Richert, Bill Roberts and Vickie Holbrook along with host Thanh Tan; the show airs…

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Furloughs, demotions hit Idaho prison system 

Idaho's state prison system is eliminating 24 more staff positions, bringing the number cut in the past two years to 102, and imposing far-reaching furloughs on all prison staffers in the coming year to cope with state budget cuts. Because of shifts of workers from…

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The latest numbers in 1st CD...

Quarterly campaign finance reports are in at the Federal Election Commission, and the figures for the 1st Congressional District show this: Incumbent Congressman Walt Minnick has raised $1.5 million to date for his re-election bid, including $231,917 this quarter. He's spent $641,879, including $159,504 this…

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THURSDAY, APRIL 15, 2010

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter addresses a Tea Party of Spokane rally at Riverfront Park in Spokane on Thursday, April 15, 2010. (Dan Pelle / The Spokesman-Review)

More on tea parties... 

Here's a shot of Idaho Gov. Butch Otter speaking at the Tea Party of Spokane rally today in Spokane, where he was the headliner. Otter drew standing ovation for his speech that focused in large part on the importance of states’ rights; he also stressed…

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Participants in the Boise Tea Party rally on Thursday, on the Idaho Capitol steps (Betsy Russell)

Sending a message...

Here's another shot of today's Boise Tea Party rally on the Idaho Capitol steps. The crowd was pretty mixed, with people of all ages, from young parents with toddlers to older people in lawn chairs to teens. There were a few campaign signs smattered among…

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Tea Party of Boise rally on the Capitol steps draws a crowd on Tax Day (Betsy Russell)

Tea Party rally draws crowd to Capitol 

There's a big crowd today for the Boise Tea Party rally on the Capitol steps, with speakers including costumed re-enactors representing such historical figures as Patrick Henry. Here's a sampling of the signs people are carrying: "King George didn't listen to us either" "Socialism=Slavery" "Legalize…

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WEDNESDAY, APRIL 14, 2010


Bills become law without guv's signature 

Gov. Butch Otter has allowed four more bills to become law without his signature, after earlier taking the same action for SB 1353, the "conscience" bill for health care providers. This time, the bills in question include HB 727 and 728, both of which regard…

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Cattle are rounded up at J.D. Aldecoa Ranch south of Boise Wednesday as part of the new "Beef Counts" campaign, a partnership between Idaho's beef industry and the Idaho Foodbank to provide "a consistent supply of much-needed, high-quality beef protein throughout the year" to the food bank. (Courtesy photo / David Proctor, Idaho Foodbank)

Beef for the hungry...

This may not look like a picture of a food bank event, but that's exactly what it is. Today, Idaho's beef industry joined with the Idaho Foodbank to launch "Beef Counts," a program designed to "provide a consistent supply of much-needed, high-quality beef protein throughout…

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The rest of the story... 

A reference in my story yesterday (about his upcoming address to a Tea Party of Spokane rally) to the fact that Idaho Gov. Butch Otter spoke to a militia group back in 1995 has raised some questions, so I want to clarify: Though Otter spoke…

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TUESDAY, APRIL 13, 2010

Idaho joins Montana firearms freedom case

Idaho has joined a federal court case in Montana arguing that locally made and used guns should be exempt from all federal laws, including registration requirements. It's a follow-up to the "Idaho Firearms Freedom Act" that state lawmakers enacted this year at the urging of…

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MONDAY, APRIL 12, 2010


Park lovers help keep 'em open 

The Brother Speed motorcycle club is among volunteers stepping forward to help maintain Idaho state parks in the wake of deep budget cuts, reports AP reporter Simmi Aujla. The biker group is working to maintain Thousand Springs, a state park near Hagerman where it's held…

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FRIDAY, APRIL 9, 2010

From left, Jim Weatherby, Jill Kuraitis, Kevin Richert, Betsy Russell and host Thanh Tan discuss the week's political developments on Idaho Reports, the Idaho Public Television show that airs Friday night. (Courtesy photo / Idaho Public Television)

The week that was...

This week on "Idaho Reports" on Idaho Public TV, I join Jim Weatherby, Jill Kuraitis, Kevin Richert and host Thanh Tan to discuss the political developments of the week, from office-closings and layoffs at Health & Welfare to the governor's race to college tuition hikes.…

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More bills quietly signed into law

Among the nearly 50 bills quietly signed into law yesterday by Gov. Butch Otter: HB 496, requiring Idaho voters to show a photo I.D. when they go to the polls; HB 531a, making secret the names of all Fish and Game hunting and fishing license…

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Eye On Boise

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