A federal judge has ordered the Idaho Legislature to repeal unconstitutional laws before the end of this year's legislative session, but Idaho lawmakers aren't jumping to take on the challenge. The inaction is part of the ongoing hesitation of Idaho's Republican supermajority to remove unenforceable laws that are sprinkled in both the state's...
Yoga enthusiasts were aghast when state officials in both Idaho and Washington suggested that those training yoga teachers should be regulated just like for-profit vocational schools that train students in truck driving, power line repair or welding. “Yoga teacher training is really where people would...
Unlike the Idaho House, the Idaho Senate today had no debate and a unanimous vote as it approved the annual IRS conformity bill, to conform Idaho’s state income tax code to federal changes and ensure Idaho taxpayers can file their state income tax returns and…
Idaho human rights icon Marilyn Shuler died early this morning at a Boise hospital; she was 77. Former Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus issued this statement today: "Carol and I extend our deepest condolences to Marilyn's family and to her thousands and thousands of friends and admirers in...
Reflecting a top priority of President Donald Trump, Idaho Congressman Raul Labrador hopes to impose term limits on members of Congress, the Lewiston Tribune reports. Labrador introduced a joint resolution Thursday proposing a constitutional amendment that would limit representatives to six two-year terms; senators would…
An Idaho lawmaker is pushing legislation that would exempt free medical clinics from paying sales tax. The Times-News reports that the House Revenue and Taxation Committee approved Republican Rep. Clark Kauffman's proposal on Thursday. The bill now heads to the full House...
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee voted unanimously today to approve a supplemental appropriation of $255,400, including $127,700 in state general funds, to cover the first step in reconfiguring children’s mental health treatment in Idaho as part of the settlement of the long-running Jeff D lawsuit. The…
State schools Superintendent Sherri Ybarra announced today that Allison Westfall will join her staff, starting a week from Monday, as director of communications. Westfall, who served as public information officer for the state Department of Education from 1998 to 2006, is currently the director of…
As JFAC wrapped up a full week of budget hearings on health and welfare programs this morning, before moving on to the Veterans Services budget, legislative budget writers quizzed state Health & Welfare Director Dick Armstrong about the possibility of Medicaid being converted into a…
You can read my full story here at spokesman.com on today’s move by the House State Affairs Committee to target the Idaho Lottery’s touch tab lottery machines, pictured above; and my full story here on today’s House vote to pass a $51 million tax cut…
The Idaho State Board of Education has given its formal approval to conduct a community college taxing district election in Bonneville County, intended to transform Eastern Idaho Technical College into a new community college called the College of Eastern Idaho. Dave Goins of Idaho News…
As Betsy DeVos’ nomination comes down to a final vote, Idaho’s Republican senators haven’t publicly pledged to support President Trump’s controversial education secretary nominee, Idaho EdNews reports. The non-answers come as DeVos faces a razor-thin Senate vote, and possibly a historic vote. The Senate hasn’t…
Idahoans with gas hybrid vehicles would be relieved from paying a $75 a year surcharge that lawmakers imposed in 2015, under legislation that cleared a unanimous House Transportation Committee this afternoon. “The basic thing was back in 2015 … we didn’t know what a hybrid…
Last year, a Senate committee deadlocked on Corvette-driving Sen. Jim Patrick’s proposal to remove Idaho’s requirement for a front license plate on vehicles, killing it on a 4-4 vote. Today, the House Transportation Committee agreed unanimously to introduce a different version of the bill from…
The House has voted 58-11 in favor of HB 67, Rep. Mike Moyle’s tax cut bill, which would lower the top personal and corporate income tax rates from 7.4 percent to 7.2 percent, plus exempt the first $750 in taxable income. Its fiscal impact is...
In further debate on tax cuts in the House: Rep. Karey Hanks, R-St. Anthony, said, “I will vote for this bill, but I hope this is just a starting point.” Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Idaho Falls, said, “I will be supporting this bill. I would just...
The House this morning is debating HB 67, the tax-cut bill. House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, opening the debate, said, “When businesses come here, they look at that top income tax rate.” His bill would lower the top personal and corporate income tax rates…
The Senate has voted unanimously in favor of HB 1, the first bill introduced this session, clarifying HJR 5, the administrative rules constitutional amendment that passed in the November election. “This was great to see the public’s support for the constitutional amendment,” Sen. Chuck Winder,…
A reluctant House State Affairs Committee voted 10-5 this morning to forward legislation to outlaw the Idaho Lottery’s “touch tab” vending machines to the full House, but without the customary recommendation that it “do pass.” Instead, the successful motion, after a two-hour hearing, forwarded HB...
Here are links to my full stories at spokesman.com today on Rep. Heather Scott getting her committee assignments back; Rep. Eric Redman re-introducing his anti-Sharia law bill; and Rep. Lynn Luker introducing legislation to retain Idaho’s current rule for awarding attorney fees in civil cases,…
Gov. Butch Otter has announced the members of his new 36-member task force on higher education, and his 17-member Workforce Development Task Force. Both will hold organizational meetings on Feb. 10, Otter said. The panels are patterned after Otter’s Task Force for Improving Education, which…
Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, has released a statement on the reinstatement of her committee assignments today, saying, “This decision has been a long time coming and is good news for my district and the people throughout Idaho who believe in a republic form of government,”...
Idaho is spending about $650,000 this winter to feed elk, deer and antelope at 110 sites around the southern half of the state. The Idaho Department of Fish and Game on Wednesday said the severe winter prompted officials to declare four feeding emergencies...
The House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously today to introduce legislation proposed by its chairman, Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, in response to a ruling from the Idaho Supreme Court this fall imposing a new “loser pays” rule for attorney fees in civil cases – if lawmakers...
Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, today introduced a new version of his bill to make the names of all winners of the Idaho Lottery who win $600 or more secret. The new version, introduced by the House State Affairs Committee this morning, still would keep the…
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