As Idaho lawmakers head back to their districts for the weekend, some face perilous driving conditions across the state, bad enough that a few are deciding to spend the weekend in Boise. Meanwhile, enough snow has fallen around the state Capitol to allow construction of…
Senate Assistant Majority Leader Chuck Winder, R-Boise, has launched his weekly prayer group for senators, which will start meeting Tuesday at 7 a.m. in the majority caucus room. “It’s a time to encourage one another,” said Winder, who’s had the weekly prayer meetings since he…
Gov. Butch Otter’s education stakeholders’ group has its first meeting today, running from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Yanke Family Research Park at 220 E. Parkcenter Blvd. The group has 31 members and is chaired by state Board of Education member Richard Westerburg.…
Now here's some news: Bogus Basin has announced that having received more than 9 inches of snow over the last few days, it now has enough to open the No. 3 Superior chair for night skiing. That high-speed chairlift, on the back side of the…
Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little felt at home at the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee when he came to present his budget this morning. “I started here in 1976,” he told the committee. “I interned in this committee in college in 1976.” He later went on to…
State Controller Brandon Woolf is presenting his budget request to JFAC this morning, and he highlighted the “Transparent Idaho” government transparency site that he and Gov. Butch Otter unveiled yesterday. “Historically, the greatest impediment to building a transparency site was the cost,” Woolf said in…
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted unanimously this morning to accept the report of the Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment Committee, which adopted Gov. Butch Otter’s revenue forecast of $2.7991 billion for fiscal year 2014, a 5.3 percent increase. The committee report says the figure “is…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A pre-trial hearing on a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of fees public schools charge for sports and other activities has been reset. On Thursday, 4th District Judge Lynn Norton scheduled a hearing for…
Here’s a link to my full story at spokesman.com on today’s launch of an Idaho government transparency website, unveiled by Gov. Butch Otter and state Controller Brandon Woolf. “We’ve always provided our public information whenever it’s requested, but this allows the citizens to quickly get…
This year’s Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment Committee process had a much different dynamic than recent years, in which lawmakers have sharply undercut the governor’s economic forecast, forcing much larger budget cuts. Instead, this year brought an extension by legislative leaders of an olive branch…
The motion to adopt the governor’s revenue forecast – made by Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill and seconded by House Speaker Scott Bedke – has been approved on a 14-4 vote. The only “no” votes came from Sens. John Goedde, R-Coeur d’Alene; Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa;…
“What my forecast reflects is a recovering economy,” Gov. Butch Otter’s economist, Derek Santos, told lawmakers on the joint revenue committee. “Gradually speeding up – now nothing extraordinary, but growth nonetheless, and acceleration nonetheless.” After a series of questions, Rep. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, moved to…
The Legislature’s Joint Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee has convened to set the revenue estimate it will recommend. If adopted by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, that figure would form the basis for next year’s state budget. After two days of hearings on the state’s…
Gov. Butch Otter has appointed Dr. David McClusky of Twin Falls to the state Board of Correction, to fill the seat formerly held by Jay Nielsen of Twin Falls, whose term expired. McCluskey is a surgeon who previously served on the State Board of Medicine…
Idaho State Controller Brandon Woolf and Gov. Butch Otter today unveiled a new state transparency website, “Transparent Idaho,” with extensive financial information about state government that’s automatically updated every night. The site features myriad charts and graphs, tons of detail to dig into, and is…
Condemned killer Joseph Duncan scored high on a test measuring paranoia, but was still legally competent to serve as his own attorney when he waived his right to appeal his death sentence, a forensic psychologist testified in federal court in Boise yesterday. Dr. Robert Engle…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: TWIN FALLS, Idaho (AP) — The Blaine County Republican Central Committee has passed a resolution supporting the legalization of marijuana in Idaho. The committee approved the resolution 6-2 earlier this week. Committee member Mike Connor told the…
Don Drum, director of the Public Employee Retirement System of Idaho, told JFAC this morning that PERSI is among the best-funded state pension systems nationwide; it’s among a dozen states that are 80 percent or better funded. As of Jan. 3, it was 87.7 percent…
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee is diving right into its agency budget hearings this morning, with six relatively small agencies on the docket. First up is the Legislative Services Office. LSO Director Jeff Youtz told JFAC that Idaho’s legislative staffing is far below the national average.…
Last year, Idaho Senate members disclosed conflicts of interest 36 times, Deputy Attorney General Brian Kane said during the legislative ethics training session this afternoon; House members made 50 such disclosures plus five requests to be excused from voting. Kane said while that might sound…
Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — One of Idaho's biggest companies, Monsanto, isn't pushing to eliminate the personal property tax, on grounds such a move could undermine services in its home county. Monsanto government affairs director Trent Clark said…
Ethics expert Scott Raecker shared a story at the legislative ethics training session this afternoon about proposing a bill as a new lawmaker, and being told bills with sponsorship only from minority-party lawmakers don’t get public hearings. He had brought together various stakeholders behind the…
Ethics expert Scott Raecker, a longtime Iowa state lawmaker and executive director of Character Counts in Iowa at Drake University, has a big crowd of lawmakers from both houses at the ethics training session this afternoon in the Capitol Auditorium. Raecker shared his favorite quote…
Today was the City Club of Boise’s annual Pundits Forum, in which I joined Dan Popkey of the Idaho Statesman and John Miller of the Associated Press, along with moderator Jim Weatherby, to discuss the upcoming legislative session. There was a huge, record crowd of…
As the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee went over its complicated rules this morning, Legislative Budget Director Cathy Holland-Smith highlighted JFAC Rule 13 – To reopen a budget, either to put more money in – a supplemental appropriation – or to take money out – a negative…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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