Idaho Power Co. gained more lobbying might from inside government, as another of the governor's former chiefs of staff registered to become a paid lobbyist for the state's biggest utility, reports AP reporter John Miller. Jason Kreizenbeck, who quit as Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's top…
The University of Idaho, the Idaho Wheat Commission and Limagrain Cereal Seeds have announced a new $2 million effort to boost wheat research at the university, including two faculty research endowments. The project will allow restoration of five research-related positions in Moscow, Aberdeen and Lewiston…
Tamarack Resort - which unlike Bogus Basin is open for skiing, thanks in part to snowmaking - is joining Brundage Mountain in offering discounts to out-of-luck Bogus Basin season passholders. The resort has announced it'll charge $25 on Thursdays with a Bogus pass, down from…
A 42-year-old homeless man has been charged with a federal crime of willful injury to government property, after he allegedly spray-painted "FU 1867 I'm not a terrorist" on windows on four different sides of the James A. McClure Federal Building and Courthouse in Boise on…
A coalition of 25 organizations, from the American Lung Association in Idaho to the Idaho Association of Counties, is backing a $1.25 per pack increase in Idaho's cigarette tax, Heidi Low, coalition spokeswoman, told the Legislature's Health Care Task Force today. "We don't yet have…
The Legislature's Health Care Task Force has voted 11-1 to endorse the draft legislation for an Idaho health insurance exchange, and to "send it to a germane committee to let them determine whether it's best for the state or not," in the words of Sen.…
State Insurance Director Bill Deal said the proposed health insurance exchange legislation would set up a "state-operated, market-driven health insurance exchange." Part of what that means has to do with a Dec. 16 bulletin from HHS that said states can decide the "benchmark plan" or…
Idaho State Insurance Director Bill Deal is presenting the draft legislation for a state health insurance exchange to the Legislature's joint Health Care Task Force; the room's about a third full, with lots of lobbyists in attendance. The nine-page bill includes an emergency clause, making…
The Legislature's joint Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment Committee continues meeting this morning; you can watch live online here. So far today, the panel has heard from Micron Technology, which reported that Micron's 2010 sales revenue came 70 percent from Asia, 21 percent from the…
Tonight's "Dialogue" program on Idaho Public Television will look at the upcoming legislative session; I'll be among those joining host Marcia Franklin for the discussion, along with John Miller of the Associated Press, Clark Corbin of the Idaho Falls Post Register and Greg Hahn of…
Click below for a full report from AP reporter John Miller on today's clash over a state health insurance exchange, which promises to be among the hottest issues in the Idaho legislative session that starts Monday. Miller reports that Ideological objections to federal health care…
Idaho's state Board of Education has named Marilyn Whitney its new chief communications and legislative affairs officer, replacing Mark Browning, who left for a position as a vice president at North Idaho College. Whitney was formerly the statewide community outreach coordinator for the Idaho National…
Idaho's Supreme Court justices were very energetic in their questioning of Deputy Attorney General Brian Kane over the discretion of the state's redistricting commission. At one point, Justice Daniel Eismann asked Kane what the maximum number of counties is that could be divided. When Kane…
Brian Kane, deputy attorney general, defending Idaho's new legislative district map, told Idaho's Supreme Court justices, "I think what the court has before it now is a plan that is not constitutionally suspect." Justices questioned him closely about the commission's discretion and when it can…
Idaho Supreme Court Justice Warren Jones said the court's job is just to decide if a redistricting plan is constitutional. "It's not our job to decide which is the better plan, is it?" he asked Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs. Loebs agreed.
Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs, who submitted his own proposed redistricting plan as part of a challenge to the Idaho's new legislative district plan, L-87, said, "I don't think you can adopt my plan, and I'm not asking the court to do that." He…
Twin Falls County Prosecutor Grant Loebs told the Idaho Supreme Court this afternoon, "You may not divide counties unless you must do so to satisfy the United States Constitution." Twin Falls is leading a group of counties that's challenging the state's new legislative redistricting plan,…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on how Idaho legislative leaders, from both parties, now say they're ready to strengthen the state's ethics laws. Among the proposals: Creating an independent state ethics commission, something 41 states have, but Idaho lacks.
Alex LaBeau, head of the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, said it's difficult for private businesses involved in different aspects of health care to agree on many issues, but they agree that "yes, the state should have a state-run exchange." He said, "We have…
Idaho Rep. Vito Barbieri declared, "This health care mandate is not good for the nation. It's socialism. ... A socialist America is a broken America." Speaking on a panel about a proposed state health insurance exchange at the AP Legislative Preview today, Barbieri said, "It's…
Idaho state Insurance Director Bill Deal says even if the U.S. Supreme Court rules the federal health care reform legislation unconstitutional, the state health insurance exchange that Idaho has in the works still could serve Idaho citizens and help them shop for the most affordable…
Senate Minority Leader Edgar Malepeai said, "This is not a time for us to play the politics, it's a time for us to look at what's best for Idahoans." Yet, it's also a year in which every seat in the Legislature is up for election,…
If Idaho's going to consider raising its cigarette tax, which is among the lowest in the nation, House Speaker Lawerence Denney said, the state also should address sales on Indian reservations in the state and sales over the Internet. House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston,…
Both Senate Minority Leader Edgar Malepeai and House Minority Leader John Rusche are calling for new ethics laws this year, and House Speaker Lawerence Denney indicated he's interested, too. "Throughout the year we've seen behavior that is unbecoming of public servants," Malepeai declared, saying Democratic…
Idaho Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill told reporters at the AP Legislative Preview today, "I think it's going to be a good session, for several reasons - one, the economy is improving." Second, he said, in this second year of the electoral cycle, lawmakers know…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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