Sandpoint Police Chief Mark Lockwood had a full house this morning when he briefed the Senate State Affairs Committee on the work of the Statewide Interoperability Executive Council, which he chairs. The committee room was standing-room only, and people spilled out the doorway. “The events…
After almost two hours of heated testimony and questioning, the Senate Transportation Committee decided by one vote this afternoon to delay a decision on a bill that would mandate all gasoline sold in Idaho be at least 10 percent ethanol by 2010. On a 5-4…
Senators on the Senate Education Committee grilled state Board of Education member Karen McGee for an hour today at her re-confirmation hearing, on everything from concerns about charter schools to a new alternate teacher-certification test.“Welcome to the inquisition,” said Senate Education Chairman John Goedde, R-Coeur…
When the Red Hot Mamas from Hayden went by in the inaugural parade, there was a familiar face standing at the side of President George W. Bush – Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne.Kempthorne, who spent the past week in Washington, D.C. working with other governors to…
Senate Republican leaders want to change the Senate’s internal rules to allow official Senate committee meetings to be closed for any reason. They also want to delete a section of the Senate’s internal rules that notes that if there’s a conflict between the rules and…
Rep. Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries, had questions when legislative budget writers were reviewing budget requests from the state’s public health districts. Among them: Why, when an employee retires, they get credit only for half of their unused sick leave, rather than all of it. Some…
Senators on the Health & Welfare Committee were so impressed by a presentation from 1st District Judge John T. Mitchell from Coeur d’Alene and 7th District Judge Brent Moss from Idaho Falls that they want to see the two judges’ “mental health courts” expanded statewide.…
Those friendly folks at PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, put on a little demonstration in Boise today to let people know that “Fish are Friends, Not Food.”At the Skipper’s seafood restaurant, the group pushed its “fish empathy project,” which, according to the…
The entire state Capitol has turned into something of a three-ring circus today, with the first, second and third floors of its ornate central rotunda crowded with displays, booths, and crowds of browsers sampling Idaho products. It’s the annual “Buy Idaho” show, which showcases dozens…
Legislative budget writers usually talk about saving money by privatizing government services, but this morning, the Department of Health & Welfare told them they could save millions by doing the opposite – “in-sourcing” a bunch of information technology workers who now are outside contractors.“The state…
Citing the many health benefits of cannabis, medical marijuana activist Tim Teater outlined a proposal to legalize the drug at a press conference at the Capitol this afternoon. In front a smattering of reporters and cameras, Teater said it’s time for Idaho to join other…
What do you call a third-year college student who’s in her second year at North Idaho College? A “super-sophomore.” That’s according to Heather Erikson, NIC student body president and super-soph.
House Tax Chairwoman Dolores Crow, R-Nampa, has cracked open the door to reconsidering Idaho’s numerous sales tax exemptions. For years, Crow has been the chief opponent of re-examining exemptions, and has thwarted attempts. But this week, she said it might be time to take another…
Here’s an unlikely prospect: Business and labor sitting down together to work out a plan for increased unemployment taxes on businesses and reduced benefits for workers. But that’s really what’s happened. Today, the state Department of Commerce and Labor unveiled compromise legislation on Idaho’s unemployment…
There are two Rep. Shepherds in the House of Representatives now – Rep. Mary Lou Shepherd, D-Prichard, now is joined by Rep. Paul Shepherd, R-Riggins, who defeated longtime Democratic Rep. Chuck Cuddy in the fall election. To make matters just a bit more confusing, when…
Gov. Dirk Kempthorne had just finished detailing all the safety problems in the state Capitol, as part of his pitch in his State of the State address for renovating the historic structure.“Thousands of children visit this building every year,” the governor said. “Yet the only…
Less than an hour after the legislature convened, backers of an all-inclusive health care system gathered on the Capitol steps to plead their case.With white signs that read “Insure Idaho!” about 150 Idahoans rallied over rising health and prescription drug costs, the increasing burden on…
At noon on Monday, the House and Senate will convene, and then, at 7 p.m. Mountain time, Gov. Dirk Kempthorne will give his combined State of the State address and budget message to a joint session of the Idaho Legislature. This is it – the…
According to the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, “rollin’ deep” means “driving along in a cool car;” “kick flavor” means “to perform, to be entertaining; to “scope” means to “evaluate a member of the opposite sex visually;” and a “hottie” is “an attractive or sexually…
Former Idaho Attorney General Jim Jones donned the black robe and took his seat Monday as Idaho’s newest state Supreme Court justice. After Chief Justice Gerald F. Schroeder administered the oath of office to Jones, there were some remarks by people who have known and…
There’s been plenty of controversy over the sale of naming rights to Boise State University’s indoor stadium, the Pavilion, which resulted in it being renamed Taco Bell Arena (really). In addition to the obvious question of taste, students and faculty were angry over the $4…
Longtime Idaho political observer and Idaho Falls Post-Register editorial page editor Marty Trillhaase recently expounded another theory for why Butch Otter announced so early that he’s running for governor in 2006 – so early that it was before Otter even took his oath of office…
Why did Butch Otter announce his ’06 bid for governor so soon – before he’d even been sworn in for the two-year congressional term to which he’s just been elected?One theory is that Otter wanted to scare off his likely primary opponent, current Idaho Lieutenant…
Here’s Gov. Dirk Kempthorne’s final comment after Idaho’s electoral college votes were formally cast on Monday:“That would conclude the electoral college – you have all passed.”
Eleven protesters, including former Rep. Henry Kulczyk, R-Eagle, were convicted this week of resisting and obstructing an officer when they tried to physically block the city of Boise from removing a Ten Commandments monument from a remote spot in a city park last March. The…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
