Wed., Oct. 7, 2015
The operation of slot machine-like “instant racing” betting machines has been shut down in Wyoming, at least temporarily, reports the Lexington Herald-Leader newspaper in Kentucky. Herald-Leader reporter Janet Patton reports that Wyoming Attorney General Peter Michael issued an opinion last week that the base games…
Tue., Oct. 6, 2015
Lawmakers received $5 million worth of good news Tuesday morning, reports Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News: The state’s bill for school broadband is now looking like it’ll total just $1.3 million for the year, though the 2015 Legislature had earmarked $6.3 million for school…
Tue., Oct. 6, 2015
After extensive discussions about what – or if – the problems are with Idaho’s tax system, the Tax Working Group has wrapped up today’s meeting, and will be back again next week, on the 14th.
Tue., Oct. 6, 2015
Idaho state Commerce Director Jeff Sayer has dropped a bombshell on the Legislature’s Tax Working Group this morning: He says Idaho shouldn’t lower its taxes. Instead, it should invest in developing a talented workforce, because that’s what’s now driving business decisions for expansion and relocation,…
Tue., Oct. 6, 2015
Idaho currently has 141 “tax expenditures,” the state’s chief economist, Derek Santos, told lawmakers on the Tax Working Group this morning. Those are tax breaks – exemptions, exclusions, credits or deductions. “We keep track of all of these,” he said. Forty-six of those are breaks…
Tue., Oct. 6, 2015
Senate Tax Chairman Jeff Siddoway, R-Terreton, told the members of the Tax Working Group, “Certainly this group has nothing but maybe an advisory position to the whole Legislature, but hopefully we will have the information and the answers available to help guide that decision through…
Tue., Oct. 6, 2015
The Legislature's Tax Working Group has gathered this morning for an open meeting; the agenda includes discussion of existing tax breaks in Idaho, economic trends and business needs, and comparison of Idaho's tax rates to other states. As they gathered around the table in room…
Mon., Oct. 5, 2015
Lawmakers have wrapped up a day-long meeting on broadband access, and will have another tomorrow; Idaho EdNews reporter Kevin Richert has a full story here. Tomorrow’s agenda includes presentations from state agencies on how they use broadband, two speakers from the National Conference of State…
Mon., Oct. 5, 2015
Shawn Swanby, CEO of Ednetics, which is based in Post Falls, said his firm has offices in Post Falls, Moscow, Boise, Yakima, Issaquah and Portland. “We have offices across the Northwest, but we have 75 employees in the state of Idaho,” he told lawmakers on...
Mon., Oct. 5, 2015
Nate Bondelid, CEO of Tek-Hut Inc., told the Legislature’s broadband access study committee that his company is serving 26 Idaho school districts post-IEN with internet service that comes via licensed microwave, rather than fiber. “We were able to provide a much higher level of service…
Mon., Oct. 5, 2015
All four members of Idaho’s congressional delegation have come together today to support President Obama’s nomination of John Kotek of Idaho to be assistant secretary for nuclear energy at the U.S. Department of Energy. The four – Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and Reps.…
Mon., Oct. 5, 2015
In response to questions from several legislators, Idaho Health & Welfare Director Dick Armstrong has sent an email to all Idaho lawmakers detailing his department’s interactions with Planned Parenthood: They are a Medicaid provider, but the department has no other business connections with the group....
Mon., Oct. 5, 2015
Gov. Butch Otter has appointed longtime Ada County Magistrate Judge Michael Reardon to the 4th District Court judgeship from which Judge Cheri Copsey is retiring. Reardon has been a magistrate since 2004; he presided over the Ada County Mental Health Court as a pro-tem district…
Mon., Oct. 5, 2015
Greg Lowe, CEO of Syringa Networks – the company that sued over the contract award for the Idaho Education Network – told lawmakers on the broadband study committee today that the IEN was really two pieces: Internet access and distance learning. And it was designed…
Mon., Oct. 5, 2015
CableOne carrier manager Albert Macaluso told the Legislature’s broadband study committee that CableOne, which serves 19 states, focuses on high-speed service. “The digital divide is getting smaller,” he said. CableOne Vice President for Internet Aldo Casartelli said about 80 percent of the company’s customers now...
Mon., Oct. 5, 2015
The Idaho Legislature’s Broadband Access Study Committee has kicked off a two-day meeting this morning, with plans to hear from an array of broadband providers, including CableOne, Syringa Networks, Cisco Systems, T-Mobile, Tek-Hut, Ednetics and more. First, the panel heard from the state Tax Commission…
Mon., Oct. 5, 2015
Idaho Congressman Raul Labrador and Mike Simpson haven’t spoken to each other since the two openly clashed last spring, reports Bill Dentzer of the Idaho Statesman. Dentzer writes that the conflict between the two Idaho representatives showcases the split among Republicans in the House as…
Sun., Oct. 4, 2015
Luke Malek is a young lawyer, a North Idaho resident since the second grade with deep ties in the community, and the son of two local physicians. A Republican, he worked for former Sen. Larry Craig and Sen. Mike Crapo, and was recruited by former...
Fri., Oct. 2, 2015
“Idaho Reports” is back. The program on Idaho Public TV starts its season tonight; it’ll feature a report on Clean Water Act litigation, plus I’ll join Jim Weatherby, Ben Ysursa, and co-hosts Aaron Kunz and Melissa Davlin to discuss recent developments in Idaho, including the...
Fri., Oct. 2, 2015
An off-track instant racing parlor in eastern Idaho says it has been forced to close and lay off 70 employees. The Post Register reports that the Double Down Betting Bar & Grill announced its closing on Wednesday, saying it was a result of the Idaho…
Fri., Oct. 2, 2015
After I filed a public records request Wednesday for all the documents sent to members of the Legislature’s Tax Working Group, I received a welcome call from Legislative Services Director Eric Milstead: Legislative staffers were in the process of posting all those documents online. They...
Fri., Oct. 2, 2015
Idaho state Commerce Director Jeff Sayer will step down at the end of December “to pursue private business opportunities,” Gov. Butch Otter announced today. “We are losing a champion of collaborative economic development efforts that benefit all of Idaho,” Otter said in a statement. Otter…
Thu., Oct. 1, 2015
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter wants the state Board of Education to take a “more active role” in K-12 education, Idaho Education News reports, while in the past he had asked the board to focus on higher education. Otter articulated the new direction in a letter…
Thu., Oct. 1, 2015
Idaho is refusing to pay $95,000 in legal fees to the Coeur d’Alene Tribe in the instant racing case because the state Attorney General’s office contends the tribe filed its invoice for the fees a day after a 14-day deadline had expired. The tribe says…
Thu., Oct. 1, 2015
The Forest Service is investigating a report by a firefighter that he and others fighting the Tepee Springs Fire near Riggins were harassed and threatened with guns by landowners, reports Rocky Barker of the Idaho Statesman. The unidentified firefighter said the landowners were unhappy with...
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