After losing his case at the Minnesota Court of Appeals, Idaho Sen. Larry Craig could appeal to the Minnesota Supreme Court, but he'd have to petition the court to hear his case. “Review is not automatic, and the court grants relatively few petitions,” said Steve…
The Minnesota Court of Appeals has denied Idaho Sen. Larry Craig’s appeal in a restroom sex-solicitation case, rejecting each and every one of the senator’s arguments for overturning his conviction on disorderly conduct charges, to which he earlier pleaded guilty. The senator, who was arrested…
When television broadcasting switches to digital on Feb. 17, 2009, most Americans won’t be affected, because they already get their TV signals from cable or satellite. But in Idaho, more than 400,000 people still get their TV signals over the air – a percentage that’s…
The Idaho Transportation Department has announced that it’s cutting its budget by $9 million and reducing administrative costs an additional $1.6 million, by transferring 18 administrative positions to “such critical services as bridge inspection, snowplowing, and road and bridge maintenance.” Pam Lowe, ITD director, said…
Here’s a question: When Gov. Butch Otter was too sick this week to give a key speech, why didn’t he turn to his official stand-in, Lt. Gov. Jim Risch, to do it for him, rather than chief of staff Jason Kreizenbeck? Risch says the governor…
When the Senate sent a committee just now to inform the governor that it’s organized and ready for business, Gov. Butch Otter got a call that the senators were on the way, and made a point of heading out from his office and meeting them…
The House has reconvened, read off its list of committee assignments for the upcoming session, and officially adjourned its organizational session. There were no changes in House committee chairmanships. House GOP Caucus Chair Ken Roberts said, “Ladies and gentlemen of the House, our work is…
Despite bronchitis that prevented him from delivering a key speech yesterday, Gov. Butch Otter is back at work, and last night appeared at a campaign event with legislators. Sen. Brad Little, R-Emmett, spoke for the governor, before Otter spoke very briefly. “He had a croaky…
House and Senate Republican leadership will remain the same as the last legislative session, with House Speaker Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, leading the House, and Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs, leading the Senate. At this morning’s organizational session, legislators were sworn in and selected…
House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, who’s among the speakers this afternoon at the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho annual conference, opened his talk with this comment about Otter chief of staff Jason Kreizenbeck’s delivery of the governor’s keynote speech at lunch today: “I think that’s…
Reaction to the governor’s transportation proposals from legislators is mixed, but mostly positive so far. “I’ve said all along that we need to focus at least on maintenance, so that we don’t fall farther behind,” said House Speaker Lawerence Denney. He joked, “With the volatility…
Gov. Butch Otter informed legislators today that Idaho needs to raise its gas tax, increase car and truck registration fees, tax rental cars and more to fund pressing transportation maintenance needs around the state. “What will be revealed in January is whether we have the…
Gov. Butch Otter went home sick yesterday and was bad enough off that he went to the doctor, only to find out he has bronchitis. “He just sounds terrible,” said Jon Hanian, Otter’s press secretary. Otter’s scheduled to give a big speech today to the…
Former state Sen. Jack Noble, who resigned from the Idaho Senate in 2005 in an ethics scandal, is in trouble again, this time being dunned for failing to provide workers compensation insurance for workers at his now-defunct Idaho dairy. The bankrupt Noble reportedly has moved…
Back in August, the governor’s Division of Financial Management estimated that state tax revenues would be down 4.9 percent from last year, a significant drop – but now the figure’s larger. State chief economist Mike Ferguson would only say yesterday that it’s worse; revised revenue…
Idaho’s annual Change in Employee Compensation report, which was required by law to be submitted to the governor and Legislature today, shows that state employee wages still lag 15 percent behind market rates, and calls for 5 percent raises, to be distributed by merit, to…
Idaho Democratic legislative leaders aren’t disagreeing with Gov. Butch Otter about the need for new budget cuts, but have issued a statement calling for “responsible, targeted cuts that protect critical services to middle-class Idaho families.” House Minority Leader Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, and Senate Minority Leader…
As he closed his press conference this morning after announcing new state budget cuts, Gov. Butch Otter said, “Thank you all very much for being here this morning.” And then he added, with a rueful chuckle, “Maybe this is a bad time to say it,…
The timing just worked out that way – Gov. Butch Otter will be announcing new state budget cuts today at an 11 a.m. press conference, and then at 5:30, the governor and first lady will host a ceremonial tree lighting with singing, cookies, Starbucks coffee,…
The headline: “Risch: ‘I have no future political plans’” The date: Nov. 10, 1988, shortly after longtime state Sen. Jim Risch, the president pro-tem of the Senate, was booted out of office by Ada County voters. The byline: By Betsy Z. Russell, The Idaho Statesman.That’s…
It reads in some ways like a confession before going to his execution, but it offers no insight into the killer’s crimes. Instead, the eight-page affidavit that condemned killer Joseph Duncan filed in federal court late today deals mostly with the killer’s religious views of…
A 67-year-old Las Vegas man has been sentenced to three months in prison, three months home detention and five years of probation for collecting his mother’s PERSI retirement benefits for nearly three years after she’d died. Vernon Geier, who pleaded guilty to interstate theft from…
U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge, after quizzing condemned killer Joseph Duncan repeatedly about whether he wants to appeal his death sentence and about whether he gave his standby attorneys permission to file an appeal for him, declared himself satisfied that Duncan, at this point, doesn’t…
Standby defense attorneys for condemned killer Joseph Duncan say the U.S. District Court in Boise has no business holding a hearing on Monday on whether Duncan wants to appeal his death sentence or not, because jurisdiction over the case now falls with the 9th Circuit…
U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge has issued an order setting a hearing for Monday morning on killer Joseph Duncan’s appeal of his death sentence, to determine whether Duncan is actually appealing or not.Though his standby attorneys filed a notice of appeal on Monday, federal prosecutors…
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