This morning, the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee will set the single largest piece of Idaho’s state budget – the K-12 public schools budget. Here, JFAC Co-Chair Rep. Maxine Bell, R-Jerome, talks with Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, who is among the JFAC members who’s been crafting…
An Idaho lawmaker has proposed inserting a mental health exception in a 2014 felony battery law that protects health care workers. The Idaho Statesman reports Republican State Rep. Christy Perry last week introduced a bill that would amend the law so that it cannot be used to charge people who were in treatment...
Gov. Butch Otter says he welcomes debate over competing tax-cut bills. "I fully expected competing pieces of legislation," he said. Also: Otter on the 'dirty 30' and the House to consider a controversial trespassing bill...
On tonight’s “Idaho Reports” on Idaho Public Television, host Melissa Davlin interviews House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding, D-Boise; and reports on how Idaho counties are grappling with problems bringing their courthouses into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Also, the show features comments from...
JFAC set its first state agency budgets this morning, mostly non-controversial budgets that were set in a series of unanimous votes, with one exception; the real biggie is coming up on Monday, when the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee is scheduled to set the public schools budget,…
Lawmakers on an Idaho House panel said they have too many concerns regarding a proposal to update the state’s nearly 50-year-old sex education law, the AP reports. Instead, the House Education Committee on Friday agreed the bill needs to be amended before allowing the full…
The state Department of Administration office in downtown Boise is open for business today – but the door is locked on the recommendation of Idaho State Police, the Idaho Statesman reports. A man who was fired from a state agency in the Len B. Jordan…
After a lively debate, the House has voted 41-28 in favor of Rep. Lance Clow’s bill to crack down on freeway fast-lane slowpokes, by making it illegal go slower than the speed limit in the fast lane “for a period of time,” impeding those who…
New conflict-of-interest disclosure legislation – which would require filings for all candidates and office-holders, disclosing their occupation and employer and other potential conflicts of interest, but not income – was introduced in the House State Affairs Committee today with just two “no” votes. The vote...
Rep. Heather Scott’s bill to ban repeats of bond or levy elections, even with changes, for a year after voters reject them has cleared the House State Affairs Committee on a 13-1 vote and headed to the House’s amending order, where Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise,...
Washington Sen. Patty Murray on Thursday criticized Idaho’s decision to allow the sale of health insurance plans that don’t comply with Obamacare rules as “illegal Idaho junk plans,” prompting Idaho Gov. Butch Otter to retort that Washington has sanctuary cities and recreational marijuana – also…
The Legislature’s joint budget committee is scheduled to start setting state agency budgets tomorrow; in preparation for that today, it made a series of big-bucks decisions that affect the framework for budget-setting in every agency budget. Among them: JFAC adopted a revenue-collection figure for the…
The co-chairs of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee today pulled back a proposed bill designed to group together various technology upgrade funding requests that now appear in the budget requests of various state agencies and authorize the Legislative Services Office to hire consultants to help lawmakers…
The Senate has voted to confirm two nominations that earlier caused dissent when they were in committee – former House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, to the Idaho Water Resources Board and former Rep. Janet Moyle as a state tax commissioner. The Rusche nomination sailed…
Gov. Butch Otter appears to be conceding that lawmakers won’t back his proposal for a new higher education CEO this year. In remarks to the Idaho Press Club this morning, Otter said, “The higher education task force’s recommendations of a chief education officer is probably…
After more than two hours of testimony both for and against the bill the House State Affairs Committee has voted to approve Rep. Eric Redman’s anti-Sharia law bill, with just two dissenting votes. The two dissenters were Reps. Elaine Smith, D-Pocatello, and Dustin Manwaring, R-Pocatello; Rep. Paulette Jordan, D-Plummer, wasn’t present...
This year’s legislative session seems to be moving at breakneck speed, with lots and lots going on; that certainly was true yesterday, and it is again today. Among the items in store today, just this morning: The House State Affairs Committee’s 8 a.m. meeting will…
Insurer Blue Cross of Idaho submitted plans this week to state regulators that open the door for policies that don’t comply with the Affordable Care Act, following an executive order from Gov. Butch Otter and Lt. Gov. Brad Little. The five proposed plans from Blue…
Idaho Rep. Paulette Jordan's on-again, off-again resignation could be back on again. The two-term Plummer Democrat faces Boise businessman A.J. Balukoff in the May 15 gubernatorial primary. She's been trying to find a way to focus on her statewide campaign without leaving her 5th Legislative District constituents and the House Democratic...
Nearly all of the House Agricultural Affairs Committee members said they support a proposal to update and strengthen Idaho’s laws on trespassing. But some committee members Wednesday had concerns that legislation presented this session by Rep. Judy Boyle is being rushed through without thorough vetting. Others voiced worries about its legality...
Public testimony has concluded at today’s Senate Education Committee hearing on school science standards; fourteen people testified, all strongly in favor of adopted the revised standards as presented by the state Board of Education, rather than deleting parts. The Senate committee won’t vote on the…
Some of the testimony from this afternoon’s Senate Education Committee hearing on proposed new school science standards: Chris Taylor, science and social studies supervisor for the Boise School District and a member of the state Department of Education committee that worked on the standards, said...
The Senate Education Committee will take just 45 minutes of public testimony this afternoon on proposed school science standards, Chairman Dean Mortimer just announced, and those speaking will be limited to three minutes apiece. Sen. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, said, “I think we can get everyone…
Legislation to grant immunity to people who break into a hot car to rescue a pet that’s suffering has cleared a Senate committee, though senators sent it to their amending order to make a series of changes. The Senate Judiciary Committee heard this afternoon that...
It’s Pie Day, the day each year when the Idaho Coalition of Home Educators brings lots and lots of home-baked pie to the Capitol for legislators and Statehouse staffers, and students from the group display their educational projects. The event runs until 2 p.m.
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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