Tonight’s “Idaho Reports” on Idaho Public Television includes an update on the events of the week, including the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho annual conference, a traditional run-up to the legislative session; and the Idaho Legislature’s organizational session this week. Co-host Melissa Davlin interviews Boise attorney...
Idaho Senate Minority Chief of Staff Diane Kelly has died of cancer; she was 54. Melissa Davlin of Idaho Public TV’s “Idaho Reports” has a full report here. “Diane was a dedicated public servant. Her historical knowledge was so valuable, especially for new members,” Senate...
Idaho Secretary of State Lawerence Denney is proposing a series of changes to Idaho’s sunshine laws – including increasing penalties for violations from $250 to $2,500 – that at least initially are drawing positive reviews, reports Melissa Davlin of Idaho Public Televisions’s “Idaho Reports.” Davlin,…
Two state lawmakers are working on a bill to change laws police use to seize property during drug seizure cases. Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, is working on the bill with Rep. Steven Harris, R-Meridian, in hopes of ensuring property is only seized if it is directly connected to drug crimes, The Times-News reports...
At a public auction today in Meridian, the Idaho Department of Lands auctioned off seven commercial properties owned by the state endowment for $17.3 million; two others didn’t sell. Three buildings in downtown Boise sold together as a package for $6.6 million, more than $2...
Here’s a link to my full story at spokesman.com on the outcome of today’s organizational session of the Legislature, in which a reshuffling of key committee posts at the Idaho Legislature on Thursday brought 10 new members to the key panel that writes the state…
Finally, at 5 p.m. on the dot Boise time, the House has announced its decisions on committees and chairmanships. Here's the full list: APPROPRIATIONS (JFAC): Chair: Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome; Vice-Chair: Rep. Rick Youngblood, R-Nampa. Members: Reps. Miller, Horman, Burtenshaw, Malek, Anderson, Dixon, King and...
“I assume there are a lot of people who are celebrating that I’m not tax chairman any more,” said Sen. Jeff Siddoway, R-Terreton. Asked why he was willing to give up the chairmanship of the Senate Local Government & Taxation Committee to become the Senate…
New House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding, D-Boise, says House Democrats have lost two seats on the State Affairs Committee and one on the Revenue & Taxation Committee, but maintained their other committee posts, including two seats on the budget-writing Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. The minority lost…
The Senate has finalized its committee assignments, and is wrapping up its business for the organizational session. Here’s the full list of Senate committees, including chairs and vice-chairs: AGRICULTURAL AFFAIRS: Chair: Sen. Jim Rice, R-Caldwell; Vice-Chair: Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian. Members: Sens. Patrick, Bayer,...
It appears that House committee chairmanships are going through some shuffling for the coming year. Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa, will chair the Local Government Committee. Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, who formerly chaired that panel, will chair the House Judiciary & Rules Committee, which was formerly…
Rep. Julie VanOrden, R-Pingree, is the new chair of the House Education Committee. That’s the first word on House committee assignments or chairmanships; both VanOrden and House Assistant Majority Leader Brent Crane, R-Nampa, confirmed it. VanOrden succeeds Rep. Reed DeMordaunt, R-Eagle, who didn’t see re-election;...
It’s still being finalized, but it appears that big changes are in store in Senate committee assignments for the 2017 session. Sen. Jeff Siddoway, R-Terreton, has been replaced as chairman of the Local Government & Taxation Committee by Sen. Dan Johnson, R-Lewiston, and Siddoway looks…
North Idaho College has settled a lawsuit filed by a young women who charged that she was gang-raped as a 17-year-old freshman at an off-campus party in 2013, and that rather than addressing the incident, the college disciplined her when she began drinking and acting…
With seat selection completed in both houses, both the Idaho House and Senate have gone at ease for the assignment of committees and selection of chairmen. That’s a process that could take all day; there’s no set time for either house to return to the…
Under the Idaho Constitution, the Senate itself is the judge in the case of a formal contest of Senate election results. So without comment, the Senate today received and filed the complaint from the election opponent of Sen. Mark Nye, D-Pocatello’s. Under a process laid…
New Sen. Mark Nye, D-Pocatello, defeated his Republican challenger, Tom Katsilometes – not the longtime county commissioner and current tax commissioner by that name, but a cousin – with 48.1 percent of the vote in the November election, while Katsilometes got 44.9 percent and independent…
House Speaker Scott Bedke has been re-elected speaker and sworn in to the leadership post, and the Senate has voted to re-elect Sen. Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, as Senate president pro-tem; Hill then also was sworn in and congratulated by senators of both parties. In addition…
The House and Senate both are convening their organizational sessions this morning, to swear in the new 2017 Legislature, assign committees and chairmanships and select seats in the chambers. One little glitch this morning: The governor is out of state, speaking in California, so Lt.…
The House Republican Caucus has re-elected its same leadership team, with two of its members turning back challenges. Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, was re-elected; as were Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star; Assistant Majority Leader Brent Crane, R-Nampa; and Majority Caucus Chairman John VanderWoude, R-Nampa. Crane…
There was change tonight in the Senate Democratic leadership team, as Sen. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, opted not to run again for caucus chair, and Sen. Maryanne Jordan, D-Boise, was elected to succeed him. “Leadership can interfere with some of the things you want to do…
Rep. Mat Erpelding, D-Boise, has been elected House Minority Leader by the House Democratic caucus, replacing former Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, who lost to Republican Mike Kingsley in the November election. Erpelding formerly was assistant minority leader. The new assistant minority leader is Rep....
The Senate Republican Caucus is the first to check in with results of its leadership elections tonight: All its leaders were re-elected. That includes Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg; Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls; Assistant Majority Leader Chuck Winder, R-Boise; and Majority Caucus...
Idaho’s newest state legislators are being welcomed at a reception in the fourth-floor rotunda of the state Capitol, and then, lawmakers will split up into party caucuses for leadership elections tonight. So far, the only announced leadership challenges are at the lower levels of the…
It’s looking unlikely that Idaho lawmakers will move this year to do away with a special retirement perk for certain legislators – even though a citizens commission this year called for lawmakers to reconsider the perk; you can read my full story here at spokesman.com.…
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