Irish eyes are weeping: Idaho lawmaker Ruby Stone dead at 89
Former Republican Rep. Ruby Stone of Boise died Wednesday, rekindling memories of one of the Legislature’s most colorful characters. Stone was appointed to the House in 1986, after her husband, Harry,...
View ArticleOn Ruby Stone: ‘Her bark would never allow a guy to call her a RINO’
Last week’s story about the death of former Idaho Republican Rep. Ruby Stone has prompted a flurry of calls and emails from folks who knew and admired the former House Local Government Committee...
View Article‘Statists’ dominate Legislature 64-41, says Idaho Freedom Foundation
The Idaho Freedom Foundation’s report on the 2013 Legislature says 64 of 105 Idaho lawmakers, including House Speaker Scott Bedke and Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill, “favored expansion of...
View ArticleConservative blogger Michelle Malkin to headline Idaho Freedom Foundation...
Michelle Malkin, rated No. 41 on Technorati’s list of Top 100 blogs, will keynote the Idaho Freedom Foundation’s annual Freedom Celebration July 26 in Star. Malkin also writes a syndicated column and...
View ArticleFerguson: Extra $162 million has ‘profound implications’ for Idaho...
Former chief state economist Mike Ferguson’s analysis of the big jump in revenues for the year’s most important month means the 2014 Legislature will have $162 million more than contemplated when...
View ArticleOtter to Ferguson: Keep your mitts off Idaho’s surplus!
Gov. Butch Otter is rejecting the notion that a projected $162 million in unexpected revenue means the 2014 Legislature should aim to boost spending. Otter said he’s “bound and determined that the...
View ArticleOtter on the price of relying solely on Fox News
A reflective Gov. Butch Otter says depending on news from sources that one agrees with can complicate problem solving, citing a dysfunctional Congress, the state-run health exchange under Obamacare and...
View ArticleWhich lawmakers will spend summer studying K-12 — and other issues?
On Thursday morning, legislative leaders will hand out some homework assignments for the summer. They will appoint members to eight task forces and “interim committees” that will spend the summer...
View ArticleThe K-12 legislative interim committee: by the numbers
A by-the-numbers look at the K-12 legislative interim committee, appointed last week: Four. The number of first-term lawmakers on the 10-member committee: Sen. Fred Martin, R-Boise; Rep. Wendy Horman,...
View ArticleK-12 legislative interim committee won’t meet before July
Wondering what’s going to happen with a legislative committee, assigned to spend the off-season studying K-12 education in Idaho? It’ll be a while before we know. Sen. John Goedde “I don’t anticipate...
View ArticleFormer Idaho Rep. Phil Hart may face criminal charges in tax, bankruptcy case
The Spokesman-Review’s Betsy Russell writes in a Sunday blog post that “federal authorities may be laying the groundwork for criminal charges” against former Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol. A story by Russell...
View ArticleLegislative public lands committee sets its first meeting
The legislative committee assigned to study the transfer of federal lands will get down to work next month. The committee has set its first meeting for Aug. 9 at the Statehouse. At issue is the...
View ArticleAwaiting dominoes, Jimmy Farris eyes Idaho Legislature
Democrat Jimmy Farris said Monday that he’s leaning toward running for the Legislature in Boise next year, acknowledging that a rematch with GOP Congressman Raul Labrador would be a long shot. Farris...
View ArticleK-12 interim committee sets its first meeting, with an unexpected focus
A legislative “interim committee” — formed to examine K-12 policies before lawmakers convene for the 2014 session — has set its first meeting. And the meeting will have a bit of a surprising focus. The...
View ArticlePlay tax-reformer: Idaho Legislature offers new interactive tool for online...
The Idaho Legislature’s performance auditors have produced what they call the first-ever guide to comparing business tax policies, along with another innovation: a web-based interactive tool for anyone...
View ArticleWill the Legislature fund the task force’s plans?
Gov. Butch Otter is hinting that his top K-12 priority is restoring budgets to their pre-recession levels — and the Legislature’s two top budget-writers seem to like the idea as well. But Sen. Dean...
View ArticleK-12 interim committee gets its chance to ask about task force ideas
Richard Westerberg of the State Board of Education briefs legislators on the recommendations of Gov. Butch Otter’s education reform task force. This morning, Richard Westerberg of the State Board of...
View ArticleWill lawmakers address school data collection concerns?
The first meeting of the Legislature’s K-12 interim committee was detailed and, at times, pretty dry. The 10 lawmakers spent much of the day on a deep dive into the complicated world of school data...
View ArticleSen. Durst, reporter Richert in tweeted bird fight over Durst’s late roosting
Sen. Branden Durst showed up about 20 minutes late for the second meeting of the Idaho Legislature’s K-12 Educational System Interim Committee at the Capitol Wednesday. The Boise Democrat’s absence was...
View ArticleIdaho tea party candidate Collett skewered for having 10 children on Medicaid...
(UPDATE: I’ve written a complete story, including an interview with Greg Collett, that appeared in Friday’s Statesman. It’s considerably more complex that the original post Thursday morning. Please...
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