The House Revenue & Taxation Committee has voted along party lines in favor of HB 311, the sweeping tax bill proposed by House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, and House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, to lower the top income tax rate, remove the sales tax...
On a divided voice vote, the Senate State Affairs Committee has approved HB 301, the concealed-carry bill, which revises and streamlines Idaho’s laws regarding concealed weapons permits, removes any requirements for permits outside city limits, and leaves as-is the current exemption from the permit law…
SB 1066, to authorize a new presidential primary election on the second Tuesday of March, hasn’t passed the House yet, but JFAC this morning voted 14-6 to authorize the up to $2 million in funding that would be needed if the bill passes. If it…
JFAC has moved on to other year-end budget items, with today likely its last meeting. A proposal from Senate Finance Vice-Chair Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, to allocate $27 million for firefighting costs in next year’s budget passed on a 16-2 vote. Typically, lawmakers would wait until...
A big settlement the Idaho Attorney General’s office obtained in February from Standard & Poor’s Financial Services will be tapped to cover unexpected increased costs for public schools in Idaho in the current year, under a plan that won unanimous support in the Joint Finance-Appropriations...
So how does the public school budget crafted by members of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee manage to hit the governor’s recommended figure of $1.47578 billion in state general funds, a 7.4 percent increase, despite a big, unexpected jump in the number of students in the…
For the Operations division of the public school budget, both competing proposals in the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee this morning included a $5 million increase – a 66 percent increase – for classroom technology next year, vs. the $11 million increase recommended by Gov. Butch Otter;…
The budget for the Teachers division of the public school budget also has won unanimous, 20-0 support from the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. It includes full funding for the first year of the new teacher career ladder, at $33.5 million. It also provides for 3 percent…
The public school budget is divided into seven budget bills: Administrators, Teachers, Operations, Childrens Programs, Facilities, and Central Services. A bipartisan group of seven JFAC members proposed the motion for the first division, Administrators, and it passed unanimously, on a 20-0 vote. That division includes…
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee has reconvened this morning, with the top agenda item to set the public schools budget. It’s the single largest piece of Idaho’s state budget; it comprises about 48 percent of general fund spending.
Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Two parts of a patchwork plan aiming to raise $46 million for Idaho's crumbling roads and bridges have passed a House panel. The House Transportation Committee narrowly voted 9-8 on Thursday to move…
More than a dozen lawmakers attended a lunch in a Statehouse meeting room today organized by Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, on “The True Face of Islam in Idaho.” The lunch featured Shahram Hadian, a Christian pastor from Chattaroy, Wash. and former Muslim who heads...
In response to recent statements from Rep. Paul Shepherd, R-Riggins, about gays, two young activists delivered a letter to him today – signed by 200 people from across the state – calling on him to meet with them in a “town-hall style forum” to discuss…
The Senate has voted unanimously, 34-0, in favor of HB 296, the career ladder teacher-pay bill. “Senators, this is where we need to go,” said Senate Education Chairman Dean Mortimer, R-Idaho Falls. Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, said, “The one thing that I think all…
Senate Education Chairman Dean Mortimer, R-Idaho Falls, opening debate on the career ladder teacher-pay bill, HB 296, told the Senate, “All stakeholders support this current legislation – what a day.” The bill calls for the state to spend $125.5 million more on teacher pay over…
The anti-bullying bill, HB 246, has won unanimous support from the Senate Education Committee after an array of people spoke, all of them in favor of the House-passed bill. Now, the Senate is reconvening and will take up HB 296, the career ladder teacher-pay bill.
Chief Allan, chairman of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, has issued a statement praising the House’s 49-21 vote today to repeal instant racing, while John Sheldon, president of Treasure Valley Racing, operator of Les Bois Park, issued a statement calling it “a very disappointing day for…
The House has voted 49-21 in favor of SB 1011, the bill to repeal instant racing in Idaho, sending the repeal bill to Gov. Butch Otter. The bill earlier passed the Senate on a 25-9 vote; its fate is now up to Otter. However, the...
Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, and Rep. John Rusche, D-Lewiston, both physicians, are calling for the Idaho Legislature to consider Medicaid redesign – accepting millions in federal funds to provide health coverage to uninsured Idahoans, through a redesign of Idaho’s Medicaid program. “The sands of this...
Rep. Terry Gestrin, R-Donnelly moved to send SB 1011, the instant racing repeal bill, to general orders for amendments, “so the fiscal note can be repaired.” He said, “This motion is not about the merits of the bill. This motion is about the soundness of…
House Majority Caucus Chairman John Vander Woude, R-Nampa, said, “We’ve heard we need to save the horse racing industry. My question to all of you ladies and gentlemen here, is how many other industries do we want to help survive by allowing them to go...
From the instant racing repeal debate in the House: Rep. Caroline Troy, R-Genesee, said, “I believe that the issue is with the machines, and that it is a mistake to shut this important industry down at this point without having more clarity about the machines."...
Here are some of the comments from the House debate on SB 1011, the bill to repeal “instant racing” in Idaho: Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, said, “Let’s look at the evidence. Let’s balance the equities. Economic development, agricultural support, and a source of revenue...
The Senate has voted 33-1 in favor of HB 1, to designate the Idaho giant salamander as the official state amphibian. The vote sends the House-passed bill to the governor’s desk, and marks a big victory in a five-year effort by Boise 8th grader Ilah…
Rep. Marc Gibbs, R-Grace, has tried a parliamentary maneuver to kill SB 1011, the bill to repeal “instant racing” in Idaho, but it failed. Gibbs told the House, “This bill is flawed and it needs to be corrected.” He said its fiscal statement, which says…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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