3 min read
“We need to take young people out of the politics of immigration and do right by them,” said Taryn Magrini a lobbyist for the Idaho Women’s Network.
Joined3 December 2007
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2 min read
The House held its nose and voted for some food tax relief Thursday, giving Otter a little something. Meanwhile, some competing road funding bills gained initial approval and a deal on local option taxing was burned on CD.
Owners of what Otter calls half-way houses are pressuring the governor to veto a bill that lets cities control where they locate and threatening a federal lawsuit if it becomes law. NIMBY at it's best.
Fish and Game commissioners are in town and approved the state wolf plan and more election announcements coming all the time... Maybe even on PaleoMedia.org... in the Newsrack...
3 min read
Cue the trumpets: Wednesday's political theater included letter writing and press baiting at the unnamed venue next to Bardenay. Gov. Otter, who often says he doesn't want to work things out through the press, worked the press hard at a luncheon with the Idaho Press Club, a group of Boise State University coeds and a man who wants him to run for president.
Otter pulled back his road funding bills saying legislators did not appreciate his efforts to provide them political cover so he's withdrawing the cover. Legislative leaders said it was fine. The ball is rolling.
Also radioactivity, Tasers and global warming in today's Newsrack.
4 min read
In 1975 the Idaho Legislature established public kindergarten. Actively campaigning against the idea was one State Rep. C. L. “Butch” Otter.
2 min read
On Tuesday, public school budgets were set, a personal property tax repeal bill went into play and an emission testing mandate passed a House committee on the third or fourth try. Committee secretaries began raising their eyebrows in an indication that the end game is near.
Also, Unda' the Rotunda breaks news that Gov. Otter now supports running a Constitutional amendment to forestall local option taxes for transit/roads... in today's Newsrack.
[MORE STORIES COMING... TELL A FRIEND]
3 min read
Company email, plant announcement well timed for big Micron bill debate. Continue reading for a "Dear Friends" email from Micron touting the company's continued insider status.
3 min read
Micron announced intentions to build a new chip plant in Boise as it continues talks with a Taiwanese rival and as a bill to end or otherwise curtail Idaho's personal property tax hits the Legislature.
And in other corporate shenanigans, IF skin product magnate Frank VanderSloot flew 10 lawmakers home last week to a GOP event on the eve of a vote on his noncompete bill in the Senate.
A dozen lawmakers still can't even get a vote on daycare standards, pre-K bill held for another year on purpose and ... in today's Newsrack (pass it on...)
5 min read
Some legislation is driven by economic or philosophical motives. Some bills come from left field.
And then there are the bills that come via e-mail. From the John Birch Society.
2 min read
Last week broke the ice in a few ways. Serious bills on transportation funding and grocery tax reduction appeared and a debate on performance pay for teachers appears settled for now.
Friday morning the Senate killed a teacher merit pay plan that was backed by the Department of Education and the Governor's office in a close vote. It's not clear what teachers will get now that the second iteration of their pay plan is dead.
Sen. Crapo is adjusting to his role as soon-to-be senior senator from Idaho, though he won't admit it yet. Radioactive exposure at an Idaho Falls company supposedly contained, national group helping Idaho vets run for Congress and a Statesman story on the Legislative chaplains with no discussion of the Establishment Clause... in the Monday newsrack...
2 min read
The main event Thursday was a minor squirming induced on the State Board of Education, members of which were forced to answer two hours of questioning by the Senate Education Committee. Board members held fast in their blaming of the staff.
Not asked, as far as Paleo can tell: Where has Idaho education come under the Board's tenure. Just a forest and trees question.
The midwife licensing bill passed a sloppy Health and Welfare Committee meeting followed immediately by a sloppy abortion coercion bill.
And transportation fights have just begun... in today's Newsrack.
3 min read
Idaho Sens. Mike Crapo and Larry Craig joined 21 other Senators in urging the State Department to engage with Cuba in the wake of Fidel Castro's resignation. You can read more about western politicians and their love of Cuba in this week's High Country News.
Read the letter after the jump.
1 min read
The Senate this morning accepted major amendments to a bill brought by a group of school kids to reign in the absolute power of homeowner's associations.
The bill will still get a full Senate debate, but the students, who have maxed out their out-of-classroom lobbying time, are reaching out to lawmakers via YouTube.
