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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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News >  Agriculture

This Idaho immigration bill is nation’s first. Officials say it may have constitutional issues

BOISE, Idaho — Idaho’s agriculture industry has faced labor shortages, and the country’s immigration system has for decades heard calls for reform. Now, two Idaho lawmakers are attempting to find a state-specific solution. House Bill 297 would create a year-round agricultural guest worker program — for which there is no current federal equivalent. Employers would have to register with the ...
News >  Idaho

Idaho imposes new minimum fine for low-level marijuana possession — likely steepest in U.S.

Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed into law a bill on Monday that mandates a $300 minimum fine for low-level marijuana possession. It is set to go into effect this summer. House Bill 7, sponsored by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, will make the financial penalty for having even a small amount of marijuana higher than almost any other misdemeanor in Idaho. That includes a number of violent crimes, such ...

News >  Idaho

Out-of-state groups think influencing Idaho politics is ‘cheap.’ Lawmakers want transparency

Lawmakers made stark warnings Friday about out-of-state money in Idaho elections. Last year’s election cycle saw “unprecedented” amounts of out-of-state campaign spending, Senate Majority Leader Kelly Anthon, R-Burley, said at a press conference. Large expenditures focused on attack ads and — this legislative session — on introducing bills that “were not going to go anywhere and (would) jam up ...
News >  Idaho

A Boise-area city council wants the power to fire its library director. It may get it

A Treasure Valley city wants to “get rid of a library director,” according to a state representative who presented a bill that could help them do it. The proposed legislation, introduced by Rep. Jeff Cornilles, R-Nampa, in the House Local Government Committee, would allow city councils to have the ultimate say over hiring and firing public library directors — a power now vested with library ...