Category Archives: Headlines
Hospital group calls catastrophic health fund savings bill ‘a non-starter’
Last week, Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, proposed a bill to limit what medical procedures the state would fund for people who don’t pay their medical bills and the measure is already seeing opposition. One important interest group in the Capitol, … Continue reading
Bill would prevent shackling of prisoners during childbirth
Rep. Janice McGeachin, R-Idaho Falls, wants to prevent jails and prisons in the Gem State from restraining female prisoners during childbirth. This is the second time she has proposed the measure; it failed to gain approval from the House Judiciary … Continue reading
Separate director for human resources won’t send budget over the top
Gov. Butch Otter’s decision to appoint a separate head of his Division of Human Resources (DHR) shouldn’t topple the division’s budget, according to his staff. Otter appointed deputy administrator Vicki Tokita on Tuesday to be the administrator. She replaces Wayne … Continue reading
State: Lolo wolf hunt ‘important step … moving forward’
Numbers of elk in the Lolo zone of northern Idaho – where the federal government says it might allow the taking of 60 wolves – have plunged in the last decade. The population’s gone from 16,000 to 2,000, according to … Continue reading
House transportation panel gives initial green light to carpool lanes in the Treasure Valley
The House Transportation and Defense Committee approved a bill Thursday that could give a special lane of traffic solely to drivers of multi-passenger cars in the Treasure Valley. Not all legislators are thrilled with the proposal, however. Rep. Phylis King, … Continue reading
Shifting some funds key in effort to close budget gap
One way Idaho budget writers are trying to close the spread between spending and tax revenues is shifting money from any available surplus funds. The state drained its traditional reserve funds to balance the current budget and would tap several … Continue reading
Senate panel holds off on school reform decision until next week
Thursday had been circled on Idaho Senate calendars as the day for the Senate Education Committee to make a decision on schools’ superintendent Tom Luna’s reform plan, but now lawmakers won’t be making a decision until next week. Committee chairman … Continue reading
Aberdeen superintendent defends using public resources to lobby against legislation
Superintendent Joel Wilson from the Aberdeen School District, located in south-central Idaho, is defending his use of a publicly-funded resource to lobby against legislation pending before the Legislature. Earlier this week on its taxpayer-funded website, the district posted a warning … Continue reading
State sovereignty at issue in ‘wild lands’ conflict, proposed bill
A member of the Idaho House is proposing a law in the nullification vein regarding designations of wilderness areas. The proposal from Rep. Paul Shepherd, R-Riggins, comes on the heels of Gov. Butch Otter in a Feb. 3 letter requesting … Continue reading