On tonight’s “Idaho Reports” program on Idaho Public Television – the kickoff to the program’s weekly coverage of this year’s legislative session - I join Jim Weatherby, Dan Popkey, and hosts Melissa Davlin and Aaron Kunz to discuss what’s ahead. Also, Davlin interviews former House…
AP reporter John Miller reports that Republicans today dampened expectations about broadening Medicaid health care eligibility this year for poor Idaho residents on the same grounds they balked in 2013: Before taking extra federal money, the existing system should be overhauled to encourage beneficiaries to…
Click below for a full report from AP reporter Rebecca Boone on Gov. Butch Otter's announcement today that he's ordering the state Department of Correction to take over the troubled Idaho Correctional Center, the privately run state prison south of Boise; it's a dramatic turnaround…
House Speaker Scott Bedke and Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill both agreed with earlier comments from Gov. Butch Otter this morning about defending Idaho’s constitutional ban on same-sex marriage from a legal challenge. Otter said Idaho voters enacted the measure into the Constitution, and the…
Legislative leaders from both parties sparred over Medicaid expansion this morning. Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, said, “I think there need to be some changes to the law at the federal level, and that’s probably not going to happen in the next 10 days.”…
As legislative leaders take center stage this morning at the AP Legislative Preview, Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, told the assembled reporters, “You’re really not as intimidating as a group as you are one on one.” Hill said he’s “really excited” about the state’s…
Click below for Gov. Butch Otter's full announcement that he's ordering the state to take over operation of the Idaho Correctional Center, the troubled privately operated state prison south of Boise that's been the target of numerous lawsuits and scandals. Otter said he's been advised…
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter closed out his talk to reporters at the AP Legislative Preview this morning by inviting up Senate Judiciary Chairwoman Patti Anne Lodge and House Judiciary Chairman Rich Wills to talk about the state’s criminal justice reinvestment project. The project, in which…
Even though he’s challenging him in the GOP primary, Gov. Butch Otter said today that he’ll still welcome Senate Majority Caucus Chairman Russ Fulcher, R-Meridian, to legislative leadership meetings in his office during this year’s session. Otter said both he and Fulcher have the interests…
Gov. Butch Otter says he’s very interested in what states like Arkansas, Indiana and Iowa are exploring, in taking the federal Medicaid expansion funds and instead using them to purchase private health insurance for the new recipients. But he said he wants changes in Idaho’s…
Gov. Butch Otter reiterated his support for the Idaho Core Standards today, saying, “There was a very healthy vote in favor of the standards when the Legislature addressed the issue.” He said, “I believe it was the right thing to do.” Idaho needs to be…
Education will be the top issue in this year’s legislative session, Gov. Butch Otter told reporters at the AP Legislative Preview this morning, and he’ll be proposing a five-year plan to implement the 20 recommendations of the education stakeholders task force he convened. “My budget…
Gov. Butch Otter just announced that he’s ordering the state Board of Correction to halt its ongoing effort to get new bids from private firms to run the privately operated state prison, the Idaho Correctional Center, south of Boise, and instead move to have the…
Gov. Butch Otter and legislative leaders will address reporters at this morning’s AP Legislative Preview at the state Capitol; for the first time, the event will be streamed live via Idaho Public Television’s “In Session” service, which this year includes expanded video streaming from an…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
