The New York Times takes a look at wolf delisting in Wyoming and the way changing demographics have tempered the debate over state management. The Times-News continues to post a barrage of legislative preview stories, including an interesting one on the prison shortage. And Larry Craig makes Mad Magazine.
NYT’s take on wolf delisting in the “new west.” USFWS’s Ed Bangs: “If they’d delisted when the numbers were smaller, the states would have been seen as heroes and good managers. Now people will say they’re murderers.” Wolf population in Idaho, Wyoming and Montana is growing at 24 percent per year and human population is growing at 12 percent per year around Yellowstone. Kirk Johnson in the NYT.
Conservative-Moderate split in Idaho GOP to continue? Dueling House-Senate interim committees on families a sign that GOP is still split on philosophy, some policy. (The more conservative House committee has gotten a ton more press). Times-News.
Thayn to introduce covenant marriage bill, other changes to Idaho divorce law. House Speaker Denney on Thayn’s committee: “I think probably some of their findings were tainted by the passion of the chairman… I think he got ahead of his committee a little bit.” Russell in Spokesman.
Gov to push private prison construction. Lawmakers, governor are looking for a quick fix to prison shortage. Friedman in the Times-News.
Jaquet says it’s a fiscally conservative year. Mtn. Express has minority leader’s legislative agenda. Stahl in the Mtn. Express.
Water bills may have to wait for courts. Law makers do not expect major water legislation in ’08. Christensen. Times-News.
Business groups looking for break on personal property taxes. Senate Asst. Maj. Leader Stegner: “I don’t think the Senate is interested in simply relieving businesses of personal property taxes and having general taxpayer revenues make up the difference.” Carlson in the IBR.
Health and Welfare considering raft of rule changes. Would change who pays for child support collections, Poppino in the Times-News.
Nuke waste from Hanford site being shipped to Idaho. 11 truck shipments to INL due by May. AP in Statesman.
In the blogs: LMT blog has MAD Magazine’s take on toe tapping…
