Betsy Z. Russell

All Stories

News >  ID Government

Balukoff, first major Dem, enters 2018 race for Idaho governor

UPDATED: Thu., Nov. 2, 2017

A.J. Balukoff, who ran as the Democratic challenger to Gov. Butch Otter in 2014, filed his paperwork Thursday to begin fundraising for another run for governor of Idaho in 2018.

News >  ID Government

Ted Cruz endorses Labrador for Idaho governor in 2018

UPDATED: Wed., Nov. 1, 2017

Idaho 1st District GOP Rep. Raul Labrador announced Wednesday that Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is endorsing Labrador for governor of Idaho in 2018.

News >  ID Government

Idaho’s $70 million Medicaid transport contract to end early after disputes

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 31, 2017

A controversial $70 million state contract to drive Idaho Medicaid patients to non-emergency doctor and therapy appointments will end early, amid disputes between the state and the provider, Veyo, about the firm’s Uber-style business model.

---

News >  Spokane

Mueller must get public a full explanation, Murray says

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 30, 2017

Northwest Democrats back indictments as part of bipartisan investigations into Russian interference. Republicans reluctant to comment at this point.

News >  ID Government

Asarco, Union Pacific Railroad back in court over CdA Basin cleanup costs

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 31, 2017

Eight years after paying out $482 million to fund cleanup from a century of mining contamination in North Idaho’s Silver Valley, the copper mining firm Asarco is back in court, demanding that Union Pacific Railroad pay it $130 million because it contends the railroad caused a big piece of the damage.

Opinion >  Column

Eye on Boise: Idaho Senate GOP leadership posts draw hopefuls

Sun., Oct. 29, 2017

Leadership contests are taking shape in the Idaho Senate, as the departure of longtime Majority Leader Bart Davis prompts a ripple effect through the Senate GOP leadership.

News >  ID Government

Idaho’s new U.S. attorney says he’ll maintain hands-off stance in Bundy case

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 27, 2017

Though he spent the past 19 years serving as the Idaho Senate’s GOP majority leader, new Idaho U.S. Attorney Bart Davis says there’s no role for him in responding to

News >  ID Government

Idaho’s pitch to Amazon: ‘Save us for later in your cart!’

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 26, 2017

Idaho sent two pitches to Amazon in response to its call for bids for HQ2, the company’s second North America headquarters, even though the state lacks the minimum requirements for the project. Idaho’s pitch: Save us for later.

News >  Idaho

Idaho Sen. Jim Risch decries ‘bickering,’ says Flake-Trump dispute should have stayed private

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 25, 2017

Idaho Sen. Jim Risch on Tuesday called it “very painful” to see two big-name GOP senators in bitter disputes with President Trump, but said his biggest concern is that the disputes are public.

News >  ID Government

State study says Priest Lake needs $5M worth of work on channel, outlet dam, breakwater

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 24, 2017

Priest Lake needs $5 million worth of work, to keep the narrow, 3-mile-long Thorofare between the upper and main lakes open to boats. That’s the conclusion of a $300,000,

News >  ID Government

Conference addresses U.S. role in creating, solving current worldwide refugee crisis

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 23, 2017

The United States has helped create the current worldwide refugee crisis, former Idaho Supreme Court Justice Jim Jones said Monday, and it needs to step up to help solve it.

Opinion >  Column

Eye on Boise: Bob Nonini says he’s the most conservative in race for lieutenant governor

Sun., Oct. 22, 2017

North Idaho Sen. Bob Nonini, asked why he decided to join the now five-way race for lieutenant governor in 2018, went directly after one of the four Republicans already in the race.

News >  Education

Idaho’s only black legislator, Sen. Cherie Buckner-Webb: ‘I’m a zealot for equity’

UPDATED: Fri., Oct. 20, 2017

Cherie Buckner-Webb isn’t just Idaho’s only African-American state legislator – she’s the first and only. When she goes to events in other states, “I say I live in Boise, Idaho, and I don’t know who’s more alarmed – black folks or white folks,” she said with a laugh. “It doesn’t bother me, but it’s my goal to change it.”

News >  ID Government

Idaho lawmakers reject removal of campaign donation limits; call for more reporting, disclosure

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 18, 2017

A bipartisan working group of Idaho lawmakers on Wednesday unanimously rejected a proposal to eliminate all of Idaho’s limits on campaign contributions, and instead endorsed changes in the state’s Sunshine Law to require more frequent and more detailed disclosures, including adding new reporting in local races and requiring information about who’s behind shadowy outside groups that run independent expenditure campaigns in the state.

News >  ID Government

With Post Falls population poised to nearly triple in 20 years, City Council opening draws six hopefuls

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 18, 2017

When Bob Flowers was a student at Post Falls High School, the town had fewer than 3,000 people. Now it’s upward of 33,000, and the latest projections say it’ll almost triple again to a whopping 91,000 by the year 2035.

News >  ID Government

Crapo speaks out in response to social media uprising about sexual assault, harassment of women

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 17, 2017

As a “#metoo”

News >  Idaho

New LDS temple in Idaho welcomes thousands of visitors, says it’s ‘sacred, not secret’

UPDATED: Mon., Oct. 16, 2017

Before the LDS church’s 158th temple is dedicated here on Nov. 19, more than 200,000 people are expected to tour it, from its baptistry fashioned after descriptions of King Solomon’s temple to its cream-colored sealing rooms, where marriages are performed for a kneeling couple dressed in white under a sparkling crystal chandelier.

Opinion >  Column

Eye on Boise: Lawmaker thankful for ‘America, the land of redemption’

Sun., Oct. 15, 2017

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter has appointed Tony Potts, a property manager and salesman at Bish’s RV Supercenter in Idaho Falls, to replace longtime Sen. Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls.

News >  Spokane

Reaction to Trump health care order divided across region

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 12, 2017

Reaction to President Donald Trump’s executive order on federal health care reform Thursday was swift and divided across the region.

News >  Idaho

Women’s rights icon Anita Hill decries ‘post-fact era’ in University of Idaho address

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 11, 2017

Women’s rights icon Anita Hill told a large crowd at the University of Idaho on Wednesday that the nation is moving into a “post-fact era” as the federal government stops collecting and posting critical data, from pay inequities to employment practices to sexual assault.

Opinion >  Column

Eye on Boise: County GOP central committee decries one of GOP guv hopefuls

Sun., Oct. 8, 2017

The same Kootenai County GOP committee that recently condemned Idaho GOP Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo for backing sanctions against Russia has passed a resolution blasting Tommy Ahlquist, one of the three leading GOP candidates for governor in 2018, for having donated to Democrats, and questioning whether he’s really a Republican.

News >  ID Government

Anita Hill weighs in on Idaho workplace harassment case; will give UI Bellwood Lecture

Fri., Oct. 6, 2017

Though the spending of $14,000 by the Idaho state controller’s office for an outside law firm to investigate allegations of sexual and racial harassment against a former top employee raised eyebrows, women’s rights icon Anita Hill says the office did the right thing.

News >  ID Government

Idaho Supreme Court Justice Warren Jones to step down Dec. 31

UPDATED: Thu., Oct. 5, 2017

Idaho Supreme Court Justice Warren Jones has announced he’s retiring on Dec. 31 for personal and family health reasons, opening the way for a third seat to turn over on the five-member court in two years.

News >  ID Government

Senate panel backs bipartisan bill to reauthorize Children’s Health Insurance Program

UPDATED: Wed., Oct. 4, 2017

The Senate Finance Committee on Wednesday passed bipartisan legislation to extend funding for the Children’s Health Insurance Program for five years; the funding had expired Oct. 1, and the House also is considering CHIP funding legislation.

News >  ID Government

Otter appoints Deputy Attorney General Jessica Lorello to state’s 2nd-highest court

UPDATED: Tue., Oct. 3, 2017

Deputy Idaho Attorney General Jessica Lorello was named to the Idaho Court of Appeals on Tuesday, to complete the term of retired Judge John Melanson on the state’s second-highest court.