Gov. Butch Otter drew a line in the sand Wednesday, warning that he’s still firmly opposed to removing Idaho’s 6 percent sales tax from groceries. Last year, lawmakers passed legislation to do just that – by a 2/3 margin – and Otter vetoed it. Lawmakers sued, but failed to get the veto overturned; my full story...
Idaho officials are challenging a federal court order to destroy information collected from tracking collars placed on elk and wolves obtained illegally by landing a helicopter in a central Idaho wilderness area. Idaho Department of Fish and Game Director Virgil Moore on Tuesday requested a stay of the judgment in U.S. District Court in Idaho...
GOP gubernatorial candidate Tommy Ahlquist told the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho conference today, “As you know, I was an ER doc for a long time, and then did commercial real estate. … Jumping into politics has been new for me. What’s great ... is the…
Idaho Lt. Gov. Brad Little told the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho today that his family is a charter member of the group, going back to the 1940s. Asked by moderator Dee Sarton about the specific tax proposals he’s unveiled during his campaign for governor, Little…
At this afternoon’s “Gubernatorial Forum on Taxation” at the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho conference, two of the GOP candidates for governor – Lt. Gov. Brad Little and Boise physician and developer Tommy Ahlquist – are appearing in person, but 1st District Rep. Raul Labrador appeared…
The Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, known as IACI, has developed a “strategic, broad-based plan to right-size Idaho’s tax system,” after being challenged to do so by legislative leaders in 2016, Nathan Anderson, director of public policy for Union Pacific and chair of IACI’s...
Among the speakers at the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho conference in Boise today is Nikki Dobay, senior tax counsel for the Council on State Taxation, a group that represents multistate corporations and is affiliated with the Council of State Chambers of Commerce. COST prepares an…
The state's top elected officials have put off a possible increase in grazing fees on state lands due to potential litigation. The Idaho Land Board on Tuesday voted 5-0 to delay a decision about grazing fees but didn't set a timeline. Secretary of State Lawerence Denney said after the meeting...
State Rep. Janet Trujillo, R-Idaho Falls, the newly appointed state tax commissioner, said she’ll likely start her new job around the first of the year. “I have to go back home and train my replacement,” she said, referring to her replacement at her day job...
Robert Spendlove, senior vice president and economic and public policy officer for Zions Bank, is discussing the current state of the economy at today’s Associated Taxpayers of Idaho conference, and took note of the “Trump bump” in the stock market. “It’s not because the markets…
Jani Revier, budget director for Gov. Butch Otter, told the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho today that Idaho’s state general fund revenue hit a low of $2.3 billion in the recession year of 2010, and has steadily increased since then, topping the $3.5 billion mark for…
Former Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, addressing the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho today, recalled the challenges of his years as the state’s governor, from a serious economic downturn to a crisis in school-building safety to fighting for GARVEE bonds to improve the state’s highways. Kempthorne, who…
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter told the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho this morning that he’s appointing state Rep. Janet Trujillo, R-Idaho Falls, to the state Tax Commission; he’s going to continue to make education his top priority in this year’s upcoming legislative session, to complete the…
I’ve had a couple of people question the premise of my reporting on the price tag of tax-cut proposals from the GOP candidates for governor – can a proposal like that have a price tag? The answer is yes. State economists compare the amount of...
Three top candidates trying to be elected Idaho's governor in 2018 have widely different backgrounds but share similar views on managing the state's wildlife conservation and access to public lands. The Idaho Statesman reports Republican gubernatorial candidates Lt. Gov. Brad Little and Boise developer Tommy Ahlquist joined Democratic candidate...
I’m back after a couple of days off for a quick getaway to where there’s snow – Grand Targhee. The powder-magnet resort on the Idaho-Wyoming border, unlike anyplace else in the region, is 100 percent open and has a 5-foot base, on top of which...
Idahoans can now register to vote online for the first time. Secretary of State Lawerence Denney announced Tuesday that the move will offer convenience to voters and cut down administrative work for county election officials...
Tribal leaders in Idaho say they want tribal flags to be displayed inside the Statehouse as a reminder that five sovereign nations reside in the Gem State. The Idaho Council on Indian Affairs met Tuesday to discuss the logistics of hanging the flags at the Capitol. Legislative staffers said...
Idaho Rep. Raul Labrador’s tax-cut plan would cost Idaho’s state treasury roughly $900 million a year if he were elected governor. Rival Tommy Ahlquist’s tax-cut proposals add up to a $630 million a year reduction to the state treasury. And Lt. Gov. Brad Little, the other major GOP hopeful in the race, has a plan that would cost the...
Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo on parting with his longtime deficit allies, the Committee for a Reponsible Federal Budget, over the GOP tax bill; congressional hopeful Russ Fulcher gets a superPAC's backing; and lawmakers eye lobbying fees; my Sunday column...
Bogus Basin may not have much snow on their slopes, but they’ve been making snow all week on their Pepsi Gold Rush Tubing Hill, and announced today that they’ll open a terrain park for advanced skiers and riders on that hill this weekend, from 10…
Former Idaho state Rep. Gary Ingram, the author of the Idaho Open Meeting Law, has died at the age of 84. Ingram, who served in the Idaho House from 1973 to 1980, was a longtime advocate for open government in Idaho. In 2009, he was recognized with the Max Dalton Open Government Award. “Gary Ingram has pent the last 35 years working to defend...
Tonight’s “Idaho Reports” on Idaho Public Television, the first episode of the season, takes a look at air quality issues in Salmon and the local, state and federal government issues involved; and then on the pundits panel, I join host Melissa Davlin, producer Seth Ogilvie,…
Gov. Butch Otter has named longtime 6th District Magistrate Judge Rick Carnaroli a district judge to fill the vacancy created when former 6th District Judge David Nye was appointed to the U.S. District Court bench. Carnaroli has served as a magistrate judge in the district…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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