On tonight’s “Idaho Reports,” I join Jim Weatherby, Clark Corbin, and co-hosts Aaron Kunz and Melissa Davlin to discuss the events of the first week of the legislative session, from school funding to revenue to state worker pay. The show also includes an interview with…
The U.S. Supreme Court today agreed to take up the same-sex marriage issue in a series of cases from the 6th Circuit, opening the door to possible settlement of the issue for all 50 states. You can read the high court’s order here. Idaho Gov....
In a final vote at the Legislature’s joint Change in Employee Compensation Committee, lawmakers have agreed to go along with Gov. Butch Otter’s proposal to fully cover the cost of an increase in health insurance costs for state workers next year, saving state employees from…
Sen. John Tippets, R-Montpelier, has proposed that all state workers who are at just 68 percent of the policy-level pay for their position be moved up to 70 percent, with the exception of pay grade D, which is those at minimum wage or $7.25 per…
Sen. Dan Schmidt’s motion on state worker pay, for 3 percent merit raises plus setting a minimum pay level for state employees of $9.25 per hour, has been defeated on a 2-14 vote, with just Schmidt and Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking, D-Boise, supporting it. Then, Rep.…
Three motions are pending at the joint Change in Employee Compensation Committee this afternoon on state worker pay: Sen. Fred Martin, R-Boise, moved to grant 3 percent in merit-based raises to state workers, with discretion to agency directors. Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, offered a motion…
Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A U.S. citizen who said he was wrongly arrested when the government rounded up Muslim men after the 9/11 terrorist attacks has settled his lawsuit against the FBI. The American Civil Liberties Union,...
HB 1, the bill to designate the Idaho Giant Salamander as the official state amphibian, will get a hearing Monday morning at 9 in the House State Affairs Committee, sponsors Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking and Rep. Ilana Rubel announced today. The bill’s author and chief sponsor…
The Humane Society of the United States has ranked Idaho 49th out of the 52 (the 50 states plus D.C. and Puerto Rico) for its animal cruelty and animal welfare laws, ahead of only Mississippi and Puerto Rico. The advocacy group noted that Idaho was…
Here's some good news for skiers: Almost five inches of new snow has fallen at Bogus Basin, as of 9:15 this morning. It was needed; things were getting a little thin up there. Brundage is reporting 7 inches of new snow; Tamarack is reporting 5…
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning voted unanimously to accept the report of the joint Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment Committee, which, after two days of hearings, voted yesterday to accept Gov. Butch Otter’s revenue forecast for next year which predicts a 5.5 percent increase…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
