Four GOP presidential candidates have filed for Idaho's March 6 Republican presidential caucus, the Idaho Republican Party reports: Ron Paul, Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich. The party today issued a "final call" for others who want to participate, with Chairman Norm Semanko saying,…
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter is recruiting candidates to replace Norm Semanko as Idaho's GOP party chairman, reports Idaho Statesman reporter Dan Popkey; Semanko defeated Otter's favored candidate, then-Chairman Kirk Sullivan, in 2008. "I was roundly criticized by all you guys that I couldn't control my…
Backers of a $1.25-per-pack increase in Idaho's cigarette tax, now 57 cents per pack, delivered more than 8,000 postcards in support of the move from Idahoans to state lawmakers today, for a total of nearly 20,000 this year. Susie Pouliot, head of the Idaho Medical…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter backs taxing Internet sales to level the playing field between virtual businesses and brick-and-mortar establishments on Idaho's Main Street. Otter made the remarks to Idaho chamber of commerce leaders…
SCR 111, a resolution setting a long-sought minimum lake level for Cocolalla Lake in North Idaho, has been sent back to the Senate Resources Committee. "There's been some information that's come out, some folks have some concerns, and I think that it's only appropriate that…
The Idaho House has passed HJM 4, a non-binding memorial calling on Congress to add a third federal judge in Idaho, but only by a 47-21 vote and after objections on the floor to allowing a Democratic president to appoint another federal judge; you can…
Idaho's bipartisan citizen redistricting commission has submitted its new legislative district plan, approved on a unanimous 6-0 vote, to Idaho Secretary of State Ben Ysursa. Ysursa, joining the confab by phone from a meeting of the National Association of Secretaries of State, told the commissioners,…
Tops on the list of 2011 for Idaho's Department of Parks & Recreation: All 30 state parks remain open. Parks chief Nancy Merrill is giving her budget pitch to the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning. She said volunteers are contributing more than 86,000 hours to…
In response to questions from members of chambers of commerce around the state, Gov. Butch Otter this morning said the state recently had news from the feds that Idaho insurance companies actually would be able to participate in a federally operated insurance exchange, if the…
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter is addressing the Idaho Chamber Alliance this morning, and he told the group of business people from around the state, "I believe we're looking at a good year. I tried to get that across in my State of the State. ...…
House Speaker Lawerence Denney plans to gather the House GOP caucus this week and both apologize and explain his actions in trying to boot longtime GOP lawmaker Dolores Crow off the state's citizen redistricting commission, reports Idaho Statesman columnist Dan Popkey, who writes in his…
More than 1,000 people turned out for an "Add The Words" rally at the state Capitol on Saturday, reports the Boise Weekly, with hundreds then pouring into the state capitol and quietly posting sticky notes on glass doors inside with the message - asking support…
A company that, with the help of the American Legislative Exchange Council, has succeeded in winning protections from liability for asbestos claims from state legislatures in 14 states has brought its push to Idaho, the AP reports; the Idaho bill is sponsored by Rep. Brent…
A group representing Idaho counties and a group representing companies interested in tapping natural gas in the state announced an agreement Sunday on legislation they plan to introduce into the Idaho Legislature next month, the Associated Press reports. The Idaho Association of Counties and the…
On tonight's "Idaho Reports," I join BSU political scientist emeritus Jim Weatherby and host Greg Hahn to discuss the events of the week in the Legislature, from redistricting to school funding to the anti-Occupy Boise bill. The hour-long program also features Hahn's interviews three Idaho…
Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, says she's weighing her options, now that the new legislative redistricting plan shifts her into a different district, where she wouldn't have to face ally Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, if she ran for another term. "I haven't had a chance to…
Under the new legislative district plan adopted on a unanimous vote today by Idaho's redistricting commission, there are some notable matchups created between incumbents, including some that already would have happened under the previous plan, and some changes. Among the new contests: Senior Sens. Dean…
Sens. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, and Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, are no longer in the same district in the new legislative redistricting plan, Plan. L-93. Keough lands in the new District 1, but Broadsword ends up in the new District 7, along with Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood.…
Idaho's bipartisan citizen redistricting commission has agreed on a new legislative plan, dubbed L-93; it's now up online on the commission's website. The six-member commission voted unanimously in favor of the new plan. "What we did was we revised L-87 at the direction of the…
Idaho Republican Party Chairman Norm Semanko has sent out a guest opinion defending his attempt to try to fire GOP redistricting commissioner Randy Hansen, touting the party's Idaho electoral successes and announcing that he won't seek another term as party chairman. Semanko wrote that the…
Idaho's redistricting commission has convened again this afternoon after a lunch break, and plans to meet in open session all afternoon and work on its legislative district plan. "You will know exactly what we do," said Co-Chair Dolores Crow. The bipartisan commission has a working…
A concurrent resolution establishing a long-sought minimum lake level for North Idaho's Cocolalla Lake wasn't voted on in the Senate this morning, as Senate Resources Chairman Monty Pearce, R-New Plymouth, asked to hold off until Monday. Pearce, the lead sponsor of the measure who had…
The co-chairmen of the Legislature's joint Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment Committee presented their report to JFAC today, and the budget committee voted unanimously to accept the report, while noting that it'll decide later on setting the state's budget. Sen. John Goedde, R-Coeur d'Alene, told…
Idaho Public Television has had zero funding for capital equipment replacement for the past three years, and Gov. Butch Otter's budget recommendation calls for another year of zero funding next year, though IPTV requested $1.5 million. "Our operating model is not sustainable with current capital…
Richard Westerberg, president of the State Board of Education, told legislative budget writers this morning, "Obviously the last three years have been difficult economic times." At the state's colleges and universities, student fees have risen for the past four years while state funding has dropped,…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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