Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on the new "Friday furloughs" that will close every Health & Welfare office in the state - except state hospitals - at noon every other Friday, and send employees home early without pay to save money.…
As reactions to Gov. Butch Otter's State of the State and budget message continue to ripple across the state, the Senate majority leadership this afternoon sent out a press release reacting to the House and Senate Democrats' comments at a press conference this morning in…
The deadline for filing campaign finance reports that cover the period through Dec. 31 hasn't yet arrived, but two candidates already are releasing numbers. Keith Allred, Democratic candidate for governor, announced today that in the three weeks since he filed his declaration of candidacy on…
Members of the Legislative Council are now hearing reports from each of the interim legislative committees and task forces, which have mostly modest agendas this year given the budget crisis. First up was Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, co-chairman of the Energy, Environment & Technology interim…
All Idaho Health & Welfare offices except state hospitals will close at noon every other Friday for the rest of the year, and the employees will be on furlough for those half-days. Notice of the move went out to all of the department's employees yesterday…
House and Senate Democrats gathered this morning to give their response to yesterday's State of the State message, calling proposed cuts to education short-sighted and saying they favor using all available resources to help bring the state out of the recession. "The current budget crisis…
In going over the governor's budget proposal, Wayne Hammon, the governor's budget chief, told JFAC that the governor thinks it's "regrettable" that he's proposing no pay raise for state employees. Legally required salaries for state elected officials remain in the budget. "The governor believes the…
There's a full house in JFAC this morning for the first meeting of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, the panel that writes the state budget. After some preliminaries, the joint committee is now hearing from Wayne Hammon, Gov. Butch Otter's budget chief, about the governor's budget…
From 2 to 4 p.m. today, all of the Legislature's interim committees and task forces will present reports on what they've come up with since last year's legislative session. The meeting will be in the JFAC room on the third floor; click here for the…
Gov. Butch Otter laid out a grim budget proposal for Idaho today, calling for cutting public education both this year and next, slashing 400 state jobs, phasing out state funding for Idaho Public TV over the next four years and more. Here's a link to…
Gov. Butch Otter, answering questions from reporters in his office after his State of the State message, acknowledged that he's set his proposed budget for next year at $83.4 million less than his economists expect from state tax revenues. "I just think that we've overguessed…
"We're all in this together," Otter told the assembled lawmakers, officials and onlookers. "We have the talent, the intelligence, the will and most of all the people to get through this - smarter, tougher, and better than ever, and we will." He added, "It will…
Gov. Butch Otter warmly greeted lawmakers as he arrived in the chamber. Then he began by apologizing - because he said this will be his longest State of the State message. He joked that it might be longer than the session. The governor then introduced…
Senators are filing in to the House chamber for the State of the State. There are greetings and camaraderie, but there's also a solemn undertone - the governor is expected to announce sharp cuts in the state budget. Already, last week, he said he'll impose…
The House has convened, and has made a formal presentation to an honor guard of the flag that will fly above the chamber, signifying that the Legislature is in session. In less than an hour, the full Senate, the justices of the Supreme Court and…
The state of Idaho contends that the four grounds for dismissal of the state's transportation director listed in state law are mere "examples," and the state can fire its transportation director for any reason or no reason at all. "Although the statute provides examples of…
Here's a link to my Sunday story on the upcoming legislative session and its challenges. The Legislature convenes at noon (MT) on Monday, and the governor's State of the State and budget address to a joint session is scheduled for 1 p.m. Mountain time, noon…
Thousands of Idahoans are streaming through their state capitol today, after a noon rededication ceremony that concluded when Gov. Butch Otter said, "I now declare the Capitol building officially open to conduct the people's business."Crowds poured up the steps and through the second-floor doors, and…
Idaho's state Capitol has been renovated and shined up, but it still looks pretty much like it always has - except better. It's cleaner and brighter, with more of the natural light it originally was designed to let in. It's bigger, too, with the addition…
There's been lots of news this morning, from Gov. Butch Otter's announcement about coming holdbacks on schools to university presidents' dire warnings about the impact of cuts on Idaho's higher education. Meanwhile, the joint Economic Outlook & Revenue Assessment Committee continues to meet, taking testimony…
University of Idaho President Duane Nellis opened his talk to the AP legislative preview this morning by congratulating BSU President Bob Kustra, who sat next to him, on BSU's Fiesta Bowl win. "I think it's just great for the state of Idaho," he declared, noting…
Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes noted that at this morning's AP Legislative Preview, the new, spacious hearing room in the Capitol's new underground wings was full to overflowing. "We chose the wrong hearing room," he said, adding that now there are rooms big enough to…
The first legislative hearing in the newly renovated state capitol has opened, with the Joint Legislative Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee taking testimony on the state of Idaho's economy, to help lawmakers decide where to set the state budget for next year. "Everyone's rather…
A group of property owners from four luxury resorts - including Tamarack Resort in Idaho - has filed a $24 billion class-action lawsuit against Credit Suisse, alleging that the big Swiss bank engaged in a "predatory" lending scheme designed to force all four resorts into…
Jake Putnam took this very cool photo yesterday of the Idaho state capitol in our wintry weather; he titled it "Statehouse winter." After two and a half years of renovation, the capitol reopens to the public next Saturday, Jan. 9th, after a 30-minute rededication ceremony…
