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Idaho Sen. Jim Risch spoofed on ‘Saturday Night Live’ over endorsing Trump for president

UPDATED: Mon., Feb. 26, 2024

Idaho’s three-term Republican senator was parodied in the opening skit of “Saturday Night Live” this past weekend for his endorsement of former President Donald Trump as the Republican nominee in the 2024 election. Risch was played by cast member Mikey Day, who is known for his recurring impression of President Joe Biden.

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Republican Idaho legislator proposes constitutional amendment to block ranked choice voting

UPDATED: Sun., Feb. 25, 2024

In an effort to block a proposed open primary ballot initiative, a Republican Idaho legislator is proposing an amendment to the Idaho Constitution that would limit elections to one round of voting.

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Idaho Senate passes bill to create special ‘Don’t Tread on Me’ license plates

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 23, 2024

Idaho lawmakers are working to get an official state license plate featuring the Gadsden flag, the yellow flag from the Revolutionary War era featuring a coiled rattlesnake and the phrase “Don’t Tread on Me,” serving as a popular symbol of opposition to the violation of personal liberties.

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Republican Idaho legislator proposes constitutional amendment to block ranked choice voting

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 23, 2024

In an effort to block a proposed open primary ballot initiative, a Republican Idaho legislator is proposing an amendment to the Idaho Constitution that would limit elections to one round of voting.

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Hunters help kill muzzleloader bill in Idaho Legislature

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 23, 2024

Feb. 23—A bill that would have opened Idaho's muzzleloader-only hunting seasons to equipment that increases the range and accuracy of the primitive weapons appears to be dead. House Bill 469 that would forbid the Idaho Department of Fish and Game from regulating the use of sabots, 209 primers and pelletized powder in muzzleloader seasons was held in the Idaho House Resources Committee on ...

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Idaho cities and counties would be prohibited from regulating knives under new bill

UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 21, 2024

If a new bill introduced Wednesday in the Idaho Legislature becomes law, cities, counties and other local units of government would be prohibited from regulating knives.

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‘Don’t Tread on Me’ license plates? Idaho senator proposes new law to make it happen

UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 21, 2024

Spotted outside some Idaho homes are popular flags adorned with a patch of grass, a coiled snake with a rattle and the words “Don’t Tread on Me.” Now, Idaho lawmakers have proposed a bill that would create a state license plate featuring the message, some proceeds of which would go toward a gun safety education program. The Gadsden flag, dating back to the Revolutionary War, has become a ...

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Raúl Labrador wants U.S. Supreme Court to let Idaho ban transgender kids’ health care

UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 21, 2024

Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to allow the state to enforce its ban on gender-affirming health care for minors. The request comes less than two months after the country’s highest court, which is dominated by conservative justices, sided with Labrador in a separate case over Idaho’s abortion laws, allowing the state to enforce its ban even in emergencies. ...

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Surrounding states have legalized marijuana. Idaho lawmaker suggests this instead

UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 21, 2024

Despite legalization adjacent to Idaho’s borders and in many states around the country, Idaho lawmakers are considering heightened penalties for people charged with marijuana possession. House Bill 606 would add a mandatory minimum fine of $420 for possession of less than three ounces of the plant, and a misdemeanor conviction. Idaho law already has penalties for trafficking marijuana, or for ...

News > ID Government

Fentanyl testing strips are illegal in Idaho, but House Bill 441 seeks to change that

UPDATED: Sun., Feb. 18, 2024

A bill making its way through the Idaho Legislature would legalize the use of fentanyl testing strips.

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Idaho GOP won’t allow news media inside upcoming Republican presidential caucus

UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 14, 2024

News reporters will not be allowed inside the Idaho Republican presidential caucus on March 2 or allowed to observe party officials tabulating results at party headquarters, raising concerns among some transparency advocates.

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Idaho bill to extend death penalty unconstitutional, aims for US Supreme Court review

UPDATED: Tue., Feb. 13, 2024

The Idaho House overwhelmingly passed a bill that would allow the death penalty for anyone convicted of certain sex crimes against preteen children Tuesday, even as its sponsor acknowledged that such a law would be unconstitutional.

News > ID Government

Idaho bill aims to protect teachers who refuse to use students’ preferred pronouns

UPDATED: Sun., Feb. 11, 2024

The bill addresses a “constitutional issue that has crept into our society where compelled speech becomes something that we have to honor,” Hill, the bill sponsor, told a legislative committee.

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House Republicans oust Majority Leader Megan Blanksma from leadership role

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 9, 2024

Disagreements playing out behind the scenes in the Idaho State Capitol erupted Thursday as House Republicans ousted House Majority Leader Megan Blanksma from her leadership post.

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‘Priority No. 1’: Bill would add $1.5 billion to fix, replace crumbling Idaho schools

UPDATED: Fri., Feb. 9, 2024

This article was produced for ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network in partnership with the Idaho Statesman. Sign up for Dispatches to get stories like this one as soon as they are published. Idaho Republican leaders introduced a bill Thursday that would provide $1.5 billion in new funding over 10 years for school districts to repair and replace their aging and overcrowded school buildings — a ...

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Idaho Republicans oust House majority leader after ‘tension’ on budgets process

UPDATED: Thu., Feb. 8, 2024

BOISE – Fights within the Idaho GOP boiled over Thursday as lawmakers ousted a senior member of Republican leadership.

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‘They fed it to them’: Idaho lawmaker worried about cannibalism, because of human compost

UPDATED: Thu., Feb. 8, 2024

Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, told a legislative committee Thursday that she’s worried about the possibility that people are eating other people.

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Idaho legislators say new library bill to establish material review committees is a ‘combination’ of previous bills

UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 7, 2024

Library legislation in Idaho has come a long way following a gubernatorial veto last year and backlash from librarians last month. Following weeks of collaborative efforts, legislators on Wednesday introduced a bill that seeks to formalize procedures for libraries when patrons express concerns about specific materials being potentially harmful to minors.

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Idaho bill would limit remote work for state employees

UPDATED: Wed., Feb. 7, 2024

Most Idaho state employees could soon be required to return to the office under a new bill making its way through the Statehouse.

News > ID Government

Idaho senators help block compromise bill that links border security measures with aid to Ukraine and Israel

UPDATED: Thu., Feb. 8, 2024

WASHINGTON – Senate Republicans on Wednesday blocked legislation that combined aid to Ukraine, Israel and other U.S. allies with funding and policy changes intended to improve border security, rejecting a compromise bill the parties had spent months negotiating – at the behest of Republicans.

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