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Eye On Boise archive for March 2011

THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 2011


Rep. Julie Ellsworth, R-Boise, presents a sex offender registration bill to the House on Thursday; Democrats had forced full reading of the bill, but its wording offended some lawmakers, so the minority agreed to cut off the full reading. The bill, which makes changes to Idaho’s registration law to reflect court rulings, passed unanimously. (Betsy Russell)

Reading cut off after lawmakers offended 

Rep. JoAn Wood, R-Rigby, objected to the full reading of the sex offender registration bill, saying its language was offensive - it included wording about crimes of a sexual nature. "Having the clerk have to get up and read that, that's ridiculous," Wood said. "I…

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Bill: Tips are for services, not goods

Senators have voted unanimously in favor of HB 213, legislation co-sponsored by a bipartisan group of senators and representatives from throughout the state, to clarify - retroactively to Jan. 1 - that a tip is not part of the sales price for a restaurant meal.…

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Outside the state Capitol on Thursday afternoon, it was sunny and 66 degrees with light winds - gorgeous spring weather. But inside, political storm clouds still were looming. (Betsy Russell)

What a contrast...

It could not be more gorgeous outside - it's 66 degrees in Boise, sunny, with light wind. Yet political storms still are raging inside the state Capitol, where it appears that lawmakers still will be in session all next week. Step outside, and it's really,…

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'Sticking it to the disabled kids'

The House has moved slowly through its business today, with Democrats refusing to agree to waive full reading of the text of several bills, though they allowed appropriations bills to be debated without full reading. The Dems still are holding out for hearings on a…

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Otter: 'Virgil has some big shoes to fill'

Gov. Butch Otter has issued this statement on today's appointment of Virgil Moore as Idaho's new Fish & Game director, replacing the retiring Cal Groen: “I want to thank Cal Groen for the outstanding job he did as director of the Idaho Department of Fish…

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Renewable energy debate: 'Our future'

Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, debating in favor of the renewable energy rebate bill, told the House, "This is going to be our future. ... Good policy is going to be very important to address." He noted that he co-sponsored legislation several years ago to…

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Eskridge: 'Wind is free'

Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, responding to questions from Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa, told the House, "Wind is a benefit to the ratepayer, because it costs less." Fuel costs are nil, he said, compared to utilties' current "resource of preference," natural gas, because "wind is free."…

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House debating wind energy bill...

The House is now debating HB 337, the wind energy rebate bill. First, the four-page bill was read in full; now it's being vigorously debated. The bill extends the current renewable energy rebate through Dec. 31, 2014, provided that if it's for wind or solar,…

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'The spat that's become the Idaho House' 

"In the spat that's become the Idaho House, Democrats and Republicans are still going at each other in a style that befits siblings in the family car's backseat," the AP reports today. "Thursday morning's hearing in the chamber's State Affairs Committee was another good example.…

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Video francise bill fails - again

Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Public-access TV proponents were the mouse that roared Thursday in the House State Affairs Committee, where they helped scuttle a bill aimed at revamping how video franchises are handed out in Idaho. Telecom…

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Hammond: 'You just need to live with it'

Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Coeur d'Alene, debating in favor of HB 210, the right-to-farm expansion, recalled the field-burning smoke issue on the Rathdrum Prairie. "In fact, the same folks who were fussing about the smoke didn't realize the irony of getting rid of that smoke and…

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Virgil Moore named new F&G director

Virgil Moore, the current deputy director for field operations ad the Idaho Fish & Game Department, has been named the department's new director. Moore, 59, will replace Cal Groen, who is retiring. Click below to read an announcement from Fish & Game.

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Senate debating 'Right to Farm' expansion

The Senate is debating HB 210, the expansion of Idaho's "Right to Farm" law to protect expansions of ag operations from nuisance claims or local ordinances declaring them nuisances "There really is no one in agriculture, no one, who wants to be found to be…

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 2011

Eye On Boise

News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.



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