Idaho is “uniquely poised” to make major improvements in its public disclosure system, state lawmakers on a special panel said Monday, from requiring more and more frequent reports from candidates, lobbyists and PACs to modernizing and upgrading the state’s online reporting system...
Federal officials on Monday reopened public comments on proposed routes for two high-voltage transmission lines in southwestern Idaho intended to modernize the Pacific Northwest's energy grid. The U.S. Bureau of Land Management announced it will take comments through Sept. 27 for two segments of the Gateway West project proposed by Idaho Power...
Idaho is “uniquely poised” to make major improvements in its campaign disclosure system, Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley, co-chair of the Legislature’s ethics and campaign finance working group, declared at the close of today’s meeting of the panel. “There’s a real sense or a sentiment in...
As the Legislature’s ethics and campaign finance reform work group wrapped up its discussions this afternoon, Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, sounded a note of caution. “Some of these fixes are pretty good, if we get ‘em right, if we do ‘em the right way, and...
Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, is proposing a very basic personal financial disclosure requirement for Idaho officials, based on what’s already required for state legislators in Utah. “I think we are charged with coming up with something on this committee,” he told the Legislature’s ethics and…
Phil McGrane, chief deputy clerk for Ada County, addressed the Legislature’s work group on ethics and campaign finance reform today, and demonstrated some data visualizations using free online tools based on campaign finance reports that lawmakers on the committee found fascinating – things like who…
Asked why, as a lobbyist in Idaho, he’s calling for more reporting requirements for lobbyists, IACI president Alex LaBeau said, “As a professional, you want to be able to put that information out there.” Plus, he said, “We want to be sure that we have...
Idaho Secretary of State Lawerence Denney is now presenting a series of draft bills for various campaign finance reforms that were discussed at the Legislature’s ethics and campaign finance work group’s last meeting, and the lawmakers on the panel are suggesting various changes to the...
Lobbyists Elizabeth Criner and Alex LaBeau have offered a long list of suggestions to the Legislature’s ethics and campaign finance work group to increase requirements for lobbyist and election reporting. Among them: Upgrade the online reporting systems, and ask the Legislature to appropriate money to...
Members of the Idaho Legislature’s ethics and campaign finance reform work group are gathering this morning for an all-day meeting at the Capitol; you can listen live here. The agenda includes a presentation on sunshine laws from two lobbyists, Elizabeth Criner and Alex LaBeau; and…
The state of Idaho auctioned off 59 more properties on Priest Lake, and once again most of the buyers already own cabins on the land. The sites were auctioned off Aug. 18 and 19, and attracted no competitive bidding – all sold for their appraised value. “I think it went well,” said George Nethercutt, the former Washington congressman who’s the...
In my Sunday column: Idaho prisons ordered to provide kosher meals to Jewish inmates; Bob Hoover is back at helm at C of I; and in Idaho Falls, Labrador condemns 'racism and fascism from all sides" when asked about Charlottesville...
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
