Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — U.S. Rep. Raul Labrador fired an aide who sent a tweet that appeared on the congressman's account commenting on a sexually provocative television advertisement during the Super Bowl. The Idaho Statesman (http://tinyurl.com/a3nj2sm) reports…
Coeur d’Alene Sen. John Goedde, chairman of the Idaho Senate’s Education Committee, introduced legislation Tuesday to require every Idaho high school student to read Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” and pass a test on it to graduate from high school. When Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene,…
Any Idaho school child who has been convicted of a violent misdemeanor or felony would be banned from enrollment in the state’s public schools, under legislation introduced in the Senate Education Committee this afternoon at the behest of Sen. Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls. Heider said…
Two Idaho children have now died from the flu, the state Department of Health & Welfare reports, bringing the total number of deaths for the flu season to 21. The other 19 people who died all were over age 50. Last year, Idaho had no…
The Idaho Sheriffs Association, which is holding its annual legislative meeting in Boise this week, has adopted an official position on gun violence, declaring that sheriffs “support the right of law-abiding citizens to keep and bear arms and we oppose any intrusion upon those rights,”…
An agriculture tax-credit bill for “value-added” ag products was killed today in the House Revenue & Taxation Committee, though the same panel approved the bill last year and it passed the House 62-6, only to die in the Senate, reports Twin Falls Times-News reporter Melissa…
This afternoon’s health exchange hearing has wrapped up after just one more member of the public, who gave his name as Gary Smith, testified; he called for charging people for using the emergency room as a way to deal with the cost of health care,…
Among those testifying on the health insurance exchange: Fernando Veloz of Employer Health Coalition of Idaho told the committee, “We believe in a market-driven system to manage the cost of health care.” He said his organization is “a firm believer and supports SB 1042,” saying,…
There’s only 20 minutes left for the 90-minute hearing, and senators have just finished questioning the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s Wayne Hoffman. “The bad news is we don’t have much time left today for the hearing,” Senate Commerce Chairman John Tippets said. “Some of you probably…
Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, questioned conservative activist Wayne Hoffman about the state’s legal position if it took no action to set up a state-based health insurance exchange and yielded to a federally run exchange. “A good example of that,” Cameron said, “(is) there’s a whole…
Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, co-chairman of the Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, had a question for Wayne Hoffman, Idaho Freedom Foundation chief and opponent of the governor’s health exchange bill: Cameron said two years ago, JFAC “passed a bill to try to get ahead of what…
Wayne Hoffman, executive director of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, is being given leeway to take extra time at this afternoon’s Senate committee hearing as the lead opponent of the governor’s health exchange bill, SB 1042. Hoffman, who delivered to the committee what he said was…
David Hensley, chief of staff to Gov. Butch Otter, told the Senate Commerce Committee this afternoon that the cost to build and set up a state-based health insurance exchange like the one Otter is proposing is about $20 million, and there is a federal grant…
There’s a very big crowd for this afternoon’s hearing on the governor’s health insurance exchange bill, SB 1042. David Hensley, the governor’s chief of staff, is giving an overview of the bill now. Before he began, Senate Commerce Chairman John Tippets, R-Montpelier, told the audience,…
The House has voted 61-9 in favor of HR 2, giving final approval to changes in the House’s ethics rule, Rule 76. They include creating a new, standing five-member ethics committee, with three members elected by the majority caucus and two by the minority caucus;…
Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, told the House this morning that it was back in 1919 that the lines were drawn to create Jerome and Minidoka counties, carving them out of Lincoln County. “It’s taken that long to find out we had an error,” Bell said.…
The Idaho State Police has launched an investigation into staffing levels at the state's largest private prison after state officials said they found discrepancies in the prison's monthly reports, reports Associated Press reporter Rebecca Boone. The Idaho Correctional Center south of Boise is run by…
Idaho state Corrections Director Brent Reinke, who is making his budget pitch to lawmakers this morning, noted that just yesterday, he withdrew the request for a new $70 million, bond-funded secure mental health facility. “The need is here, to meet the needs of mental health,…
Idaho’s prison system saved $5.5 million last year as a result of a 1999 law change that ended the practice of forfeiting all time spent on parole prior to a violation that returned the offender to prison; in those cases, that time out on parole…
When it comes to lawyers, some of Idaho’s budget cuts in recent years are proving penny-wise but pound-foolish. For a second straight day, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning heard that cutting attorney positions has resulted in the state spending much more to hire outside…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
