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Court won’t hear redistricting appeal
BOISE – The Idaho Supreme Court stepped in Wednesday and halted two top GOP leaders’ power play over redistricting that was threatening to delay the state’s primary election. The court ruled that House Speaker Lawerence Denney and Idaho Republican Party Chairman Norm Semanko didn’t make their case to get the court to order Secretary of State Ben Ysursa to declare two vacancies on the state’s citizen redistricting commission and allow them to appoint new commissioners.
Redistricting fracas divides Idaho GOP
The Idaho Supreme Court stepped in Wednesday and halted a power play over redistricting by two top GOP leaders that was threatening to delay the state’s primary election.
Idaho GOP in intense internal fight over redistricting
Idaho’s dominant Republican Party on Monday deepened an intense internal fight, with the state GOP chairman and House speaker announcing they’d fired two of their own redistricting commissioners, at least in part because they hadn’t helped the party enough.
Eye on Boise: Medicaid cuts’ impact coming clear
BOISE – Idaho’s former state chief economist Mike Ferguson estimates that the $35 million in state funds cut from Medicaid this year – which with federal matching funds adds up to $100 million – had a direct impact of eliminating about 2,000 jobs in Idaho. “Those dollars are no longer circulating in the economy,” he said. For economic impact, he said, “You can probably effectively double that. So basically we’ve taken probably somewhere equivalent to 4,000 jobs out by making those cuts.”
Tea partyers to challenge 3 veteran Idaho GOP legislators
BOISE – A trio of tea party sympathizers is challenging three longtime GOP incumbents in North Idaho’s legislative District 1, as Idaho gears up for its first closed Republican primary this year. Pam Stout, president of the area’s Tea Party Patriots group, is challenging state Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, who’s seeking a seventh term in the state House. She’s made a splash with her tea party involvement in the past two years, appearing on the David Letterman show and being interviewed by the New York Times, though this is her first run for office.