Idaho’s sex offender law upheld

BOISE – Idaho’s sex offender registration law may have different requirements for out-of-state offenders, but it’s constitutional, according to the Idaho Supreme Court.

The Idaho Supreme Court has unanimously rejected an appeal from a man whose 1984 rape conviction in Washington required him to register as a sex offender when he moved to Idaho, even though Idahoans don’t have to register unless their sex offenses were on or after July 1, 1993.

The reason: Idaho law requires anyone who was required to register as a sex offender in another state when they moved to Idaho, to register here. That was the case for Richard T. Yeoman, who was convicted in Kootenai County in 2008 for failing to register as a sex offender, a felony, after he moved to Idaho in 2007.

Yeoman’s appeal charged equal protection violations and a violation of his constitutional right to travel; Chief Justice Daniel Eismann wrote, “Because he was required to register while residing in Washington, it is difficult to see how the requirement that he register in this state in any way infringed upon his right to travel.”

Crafting revenue forecast

Idaho House Minority Leader John Rusche is calling on Gov. Butch Otter to consider a broader than usual call for economic expertise in August when the state revises its 2011 budget revenue projection.

“These are unusual and somewhat volatile times,” Rusche said. “I know legislative leaders would have a better comfort level, if a broader group was to submit in writing to the Division of Financial Management economist their take on the economy and the amount of General Fund revenue they forecast will come in FY 2011.” Rusche suggested that the various groups, from industry representatives to the state Tax Commission to Idaho university economists, who submit forecasts each year to the Legislature’s revenue projection committee be called on to have input into the August revision, which normally is prepared by the state’s economists in the governor’s Division of Financial Management.

Wayne Hammon, Otter’s budget chief, said the administration already is working on a plan to do just that, but for the December revenue forecast, not the August update.

“I appreciate your interest in getting it up and running in time for the upcoming August update, but I disagree,” Hammon wrote back to Rusche. “I think it is essential that the best and brightest economic minds be invited to participate and organizing the group on such short notice just isn’t practical. Furthermore, the August revenue update is just a mid-year check on how we are doing. The budget actually submitted to the Legislature for consideration is based upon the December update, giving it much more weight.”

At the governor’s transportation task force an all-day meeting last week, Lt. Gov. Brad Little, the panel’s chairman, warned members that they were about to have “an out of body experience” with the first speaker, David Hartgen. The reason: He’s the twin brother of state Rep. Stephen Hartgen, R-Twin Falls, who introduced his brother, an emeritus professor of transportation studies at the University of North Carolina-Charlotte and president of the Hartgen Group.

David Hartgen shared some analysis of the economic impact of highways with the task force, but first he said of his brother, “I guess we do sort of look alike,” and joked, “It was a lot of fun serving in the Legislature this last year.” Perhaps even more than their physical resemblance, the sound of the two brothers’ voices is eerily similar.

RNC: Idaho part of D2H

The Republican National Committee and the Idaho Republican Party have announced that the previously announced funding the RNC is sending to the Idaho party for two staffers to run a parallel campaign against Congressman Walt Minnick is part of the party’s “Delaware to Hawaii,” or “D2H strategy to compete aggressively in all fifty states.”

RNC Chairman Michael Steele said in a statement, “In an effort to replace Walt Minnick with Raul Labrador, the RNC is excited to be partnering with the Idaho Republican Party to provide the necessary support to win this important race.”

Idaho GOP Chairman Norm Semanko said the state party was “grateful” for the help from “my good friend, Chairman Steele.”

Rebates going fast

Idahoans can still get rebates of up to $300 if they’re replacing an older appliance with a new Energy Star-rated one, according to the Idaho Office of Energy Resources. The Idaho rebate program, which is funded by federal stimulus legislation, has nearly $300,000 still to hand out of its original $1.2 million; so far, more than 3,600 rebates have been awarded in Idaho.

“If people have been waiting to buy a new appliance and get a rebate, they should act soon,” said state energy resources chief Paul Kjellander. “We anticipate that funds will be exhausted by the end of August, perhaps earlier.”

Kjellander’s office calculates that people who replace older appliances can save the amount of the rebate or more every year just from their energy savings, because the newer ones are more efficient. For more information, go to the department’s website at www.energy.idaho.gov, and click on “appliance rebate program.”