On tonight’s “Idaho Reports” on Idaho Public Television, there’s a rundown of the events of the final week of the legislative session; co-host Melissa Davlin interviews Rep. Ron Nate, R-Rexburg; there’s footage from the Senate transportation debate and the House and Senate minority post-session press…
Gov. Butch Otter has appealed the dismissal of his sage grouse lawsuit, the AP reports, saying the state was not speculating about the damage that implementing the current federal sage grouse plans will have on private and public lands. Otter filed the notice with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. "We are optimistic...
A proposal to repeal the state's 6 percent sales tax on groceries has been sent to Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's office, kicking off the 10-day deadline the Republican governor has to either veto or approve the bill. According to House Chief Clerk Carrie Maulin, the grocery tax repeal bill was transmitted to the governor's desk Friday...
The numbers are in on the 2017 Idaho legislative session, and it saw the second-lowest number of bills pass both houses in the past six years. That figure came in at 347, down from 379 last year; since 2012, only 2012 was lower, at 342....
Longtime Idaho Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, who is widely rumored to be the leading candidate to be Idaho’s new U.S. Attorney, said Thursday that he sees funding for improved teacher pay – and the five-year plan in which the boost is the third year – as among the top accomplishments of the Idaho Legislature. “That’s one of the best things...
Gov. Butch Otter’s press conference on the legislative session at 2 today has been canceled – the governor has laryngitis and can’t speak. It’s being rescheduled for 2 p.m. on Monday. “It just got much worse today,” said Jon Hanian, Otter’s press secretary. “He’s struggling…
There’s a bit of a Twitter war going on today between President Donald Trump and Idaho 1st District Congressman Raul Labrador. First, Trump tweeted this morning, “The Freedom Caucus will hurt the entire Republican agenda if they don't get on the team, & fast. We...
Idaho lawmakers closed out the 2017 legislative session Wednesday, finishing the year by passing a contentious repeal of the state's 6 percent sales tax on groceries while clearing a sweeping transportation funding plan. Yet this session was also marked by what the Legislature couldn't complete. Lawmakers backed away from addressing...
Gov. Butch Otter will give his take on the just-concluded legislative session at a press conference in the governor’s office at 2 p.m. Mountain time on Thursday, joined by some legislative leaders. You can watch live online here.
A $115 million unemployment insurance tax rate cut for Idaho employers fell victim to late-session battles between the Idaho House and Senate on Wednesday, as lawmakers ended a stormy legislative session and adjourned for the year.
Democratic legislators from the House and Senate, gathered at a post-session press conference, said they made it clear this year that they “represent the moderate middle that Idaho needs and wants.” House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding, D-Boise, listed accomplishments including the bipartisan civil asset forfeiture…
The Senate has adjourned sine nine, right at noon.
The committees to notify the House and governor that the Senate is ready to adjourn have returned. Sen. Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls, said the delegation found the speaker of the House, and “He wished us well and to have a good summer until we meet…
After sending the final bill on its calendar – SB 1162, the “diet GARVEE” bill that called only for $300 million in GARVEE bonding – back to the Senate Transportation Committee, the Senate is now ready to adjourn sine die, ending this year’s legislative session.…
The Senate has voted 27-7 in favor of HB 328, the budget bill for the state Department of Administration. The bill had been held up in the House until this morning, when the House passed it shortly before it adjourned for the year. The seven…
The Senate has passed HB 334, the sidewalks bill, on a 26-8 vote. The only “no” votes came from Sens. DenHartog, Foreman, Mortimer, Nonini, Patrick, Thayn, Vick and Bayer. Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, urged support, saying it will allow Idaho to address safe routes to…
The Senate has voted 5-29 on SB 1195a, the tax bill that was amended in the House, failing to concur with the changes the House made to the bill and killing it instead. SB 1195 was a bill to cut the unemployment insurance tax rate,...
The House has adjourned sine die, with the gavel falling at 10:48 a.m. When the formal committee from the House arrived in the Senate to notify them, Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Idaho Falls, announced, “We as House members are here to let the Senate know that...
The House has passed HB 328, the budget bill for the state Department of Administration, on a 55-13 vote. That was the last bill on the House's agenda.
The House has convened, and is taking up HB 328, the budget bill for the state Department of Administration. Meanwhile, Rep. Janet Trujillo, R-Idaho Falls, was presenting HB 334 to the Senate Transportation Committee. She said the bill just adds “children pedestrian safety on the…
The Senate has convened, then gone at ease for a meeting of the Senate Transportation Committee, which has HB 334, the sidewalks bill that passed the House late yesterday, regarding authorization for spending funds from the surplus eliminator on sidewalk projects if needed. Still on...
He’ll tell tales of horses and sheep And oh, the scorn he will heap He may not win But he’ll sure cause chagrin When Moyle starts digging in deep.
Complex and controversial transportation legislation barely squeaked through the Idaho Senate on Tuesday and then cleared the Idaho House Tuesday evening, calling for a $320 million-plus investment in Idaho’s road system.
Finally tonight, at 7:23 p.m., the House voted 56-14 in favor of SCR 105, the $90 million bonding measure for the new Cybercore Integration Center and Collaborative Computing Center in Idaho Falls associated with the Idaho National Laboratory. After multiple representatives debated vigorously in favor of the measure, on...
The Senate has adjourned until 10 a.m. on Wednesday. “Well, our afternoon didn’t go quite as expected,” said Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls. He said the Senate was “just not willing to wait any more. … I need to let you guys go…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
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