Idaho has lost the Syringa Networks lawsuit over the multimillion-dollar contract award for the Idaho Education Network, with a 4th District judge declaring the contract award void, and “made in violation of state procurement law.” The summary judgment ruling, which came out late yesterday from…
The Idaho Republican Party is encouraging two of its candidates to ask for recounts in elections that they narrowly lost to their Democratic challengers in the Nov. 4 election for legislative seats in north-central Idaho, the Lewiston Tribune reports. Republican state Rep. Thyra Stevenson of…
Idaho’s state Capitol is due for $400,000 in accessibility upgrades, to bring the renovated historic structure in line with requirements of the Americans With Disabilities Act. They range from new wheelchair accessible seating areas in the public galleries of the House and Senate, to improved…
Idaho officials say they have new hope that their state’s same-sex marriage case could be taken up by the U.S. Supreme Court, after Thursday’s 6th District ruling upholding bans on gay marriage in four states – the first federal appeals court to rule that way,…
On a special edition of “Idaho Reports” tonight on Idaho Public Television, I join Jim Weatherby, Kevin Richert, Bill Manny, and co-host Melissa Davlin to discuss the results of Tuesday’s Idaho election, and their implications for Idaho politics and policy going forward. Tune in at…
Idaho state tax collections in October came in 2.5 percent below forecasts, according to a monthly General Fund Revenue Report issued this afternoon by the state Division of Financial Management. That drop still leaves the state on-forecast for the fiscal year so far, at 5.4…
The Legislative Council, the bipartisan leadership panel that handles matters between legislative sessions, met today, and among the reports it heard was an update on the state budget. It was generally positive news; although revenue estimates have been adjusted downward slightly since the end of…
An Idaho Army National Guard helicopter crashed Thursday night during a training mission, killing the two people aboard, the AP reports. The Apache combat helicopter crashed at approximately 7 p.m. about two miles south of the National Guard base at Gowen Field near the Boise…
Last night's sunset over Boise was so spectacularly beautiful; this picture I took of it is just too pretty not to post. So, a bit of color after an eventful political week...
Idaho Reports co-host Melissa Davlin reports that between retirements and incumbents losing in the primary and general elections, there are four committee chair positions up for grabs in the Idaho House and two in the Senate. Plus, some committees will see huge shake-ups: House Appropriations…
A listing of sage grouse under the Endangered Species Act can be avoided, the heads of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Bureau of Land Management said at a conference in Boise today. The AP reports that Dan Ashe of Fish and Wildlife…
Democratic candidate for state schools superintendent Jana Jones carried nine counties on election night, reports Idaho Education News reporter Kevin Richert reports: Ada, Bannock, Blaine, Latah, Teton, Bonneville, Nez Perce, Power and Shoshone. Republican candidate Sherri Ybarra carried the other 35, in her narrow win.…
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter has issued a statement thanking his supporters for his re-election to a third term, and saying he's "thrilled" with the outcome of the election, both in Idaho and across the nation. "I firmly believe that Idahoans have elected the entire slate…
The leaders of Idaho’s three most powerful education groups sent Sherri Ybarra a letter Wednesday morning inviting her to their next meeting, Idaho Education News reports. The letter, sent just hours after Ybarra won a tight race to become Idaho’s next state superintendent of public…
Here’s a link to my full day-after story at spokesman.com on Idaho’s election results. It took until this morning at 7, but GOP newcomer Sherri Ybarra eked out a slim win in the race for Idaho state schools chief, completing a Republican sweep of all…
Idaho Democratic Party Chairman Larry Kenck, in a statement today, said the close race for state superintendent of schools was "a testament to the fact that we ran strong despite an adverse election climate," that saw big GOP wins both in Idaho and nationwide. Kenck…
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter, in brief comments late last night to KTVB-TV, pondered his re-election to a rare consecutive third four-year term. “This is the first one in the 21st century,” he said. “What I believe it says, it says something great about Republican principles,…
Sherri Ybarra, Idaho’s newly, and narrowly, elected state superintendent of schools, has issued this statement: “First I want to thank my family for standing by my side and for all of their love and support. I want to give a huge thank you to all…
Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Some of the nation's top public lands officials and rangeland scientists have gathered in Boise to try to figure out what can be done to avoid an Endangered Species Act listing of sage…
Ada County has a new county prosecutor after nearly 40 years, and it’s the first woman ever to hold the position. County commissioners voted unanimously yesterday to appoint Jan Bennetts, a 20-year veteran deputy county prosecutor and longtime Prosecutor Greg Bower’ chief of staff for…
A.J. Balukoff, the Democratic candidate for governor, has conceded the election to GOP Gov. Butch Otter; Balukoff said he offered Otter his congratulations in a late-night phone call. "Being governor is often a thankless job, and I commend Gov. Otter for his public service," Balukoff…
The results from Tuesday's election are finally complete, and Republican Sherri Ybarra has defeated Democrat Jana Jones for state school superintendent by 5,715 votes, a razor-thin 50.7 percent to 49.3 percent. Here's a link to our full story at spokesman.com on the results in Idaho's…
This picture from the Ada County elections office at 2:15 a.m. shows bins of ballots still waiting to be counted; at this point, just 48 percent of the vote in Ada County has been counted, and it’s by far the largest county in the state,…
The Republican Governors Association spent $1.2 million on an advertising campaign aimed at tying Democratic candidate for Idaho governor A.J. Balukoff, a Mitt Romney supporter, to President Barack Obama. “The Republican Governors Association was a key investor in Governor Otter’s re-election victory, spending $1.2 million…
Here’s the caveat to tonight’s election results as they stand now: In Idaho’s three most-populous counties, Ada, Canyon, and Kootenai, results are coming out very slowly and the current numbers represent well under half the vote in each of those counties. Nevertheless, statewide, with 757…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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