House Local Government Committee approves six urban renewal reform bills
It took them more than four hours to do it, but lawmakers on the House Local Government Committee approved a slew of bills to reform the way urban renewal agencies across the Gem State operate. In...
View ArticleTime right to challenge Endangered Species Act, says wolf policy expert
Firebrand Jim Beers, the former federal fish and game worker now known for his anti-wolf, anti-government crusade, delivered a message of hope to a crowd 200 strong at Boise State University Wednesday...
View ArticleBill to set sheriff candidacy requirements killed on tie votes
Lori Shewmaker, a mother of two from Boise, is not a large woman, but it’s likely she played a big role in defeating a bill that would have placed restrictions on who can run for county sheriff....
View ArticleHouse approves four of six urban renewal reform measures
Lawmakers in the Idaho House voted to approve several measures designed to bring more transparency and oversight into urban renewal in the Gem State, but not all the bills gained favor with...
View ArticleHouse approves bill requiring certain sex offenders to check in with schools
The Idaho House of Representatives has approved a bill that would require sex offenders who plan to visit school grounds for any reason to notify schools on a yearly basis. The bill passed on a 66-3...
View ArticlePalmer replaces Smith as House Transportation Committee chair
Rep. Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, started the 2011 legislative session as just another member of the House Transportation Committee, but that’s not how he will end it. In a surprise move Thursday, as the...
View ArticleIdaho could follow Texas in pushing anti-TSA groping bill
Earlier this week, Texas Gov. Rick Perry reintroduced a bill that would make it a felony in his state for employees of the federal Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) to conduct pre-flight pat...
View ArticleSome school districts required to meet finance disclosure guidelines Thursday
Some school districts in Idaho are now required to provide certain financial data on public websites as a result of a 2010 bill pushed through the Legislature, but a few officials say the task is...
View ArticleIdaho Democrats to push for ethics changes in 2012, though details are sketchy
Without pointing out specific occurrences, Idaho Democrats announced Thursday they would seek ethics reforms in the upcoming legislative session. Though Democrats hold just a small number of seats in...
View ArticleIn a year of government worker raises, judges could see more, too
It’s the year of raises at the Idaho Capitol and just about everyone is getting them after years of going without. On Tuesday, the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee approved 2 percent...
View ArticleKootenai County write-ins may clog counts for governor, 1st Congressional...
Take note, political reporters and elections junkies watching results pour in across the Gem State Nov. 2: Kootenai County in north Idaho may throw a wrench into things. The county’s top election...
View ArticleLawmakers open 2010 Legislative Tour in Coeur d'Alene Sunday
It was a long campaign season and now lawmakers are gathering in Coeur d’Alene to kick back, relax, and prepare for a legislative session that promises to be very difficult. The North Idaho Chamber of...
View ArticleHart receives another ethics complaint, this time from fellow Republican
It seems as if the troubles of Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, will never end. Hart, after beating two ethics charges levied against him earlier this year, is now facing a third complaint, but this time from...
View ArticleAnti-Hart protestors greet state lawmakers upon return from touring north...
Three folks not happy with embattled Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, met state lawmakers returning from a day of touring Wallace and Sandpoint with signs asking for his removal. One of the protesters was...
View ArticleDenney removes Hart from House taxation committee
Idaho Speaker of the House Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, announced Tuesday that embattled Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, will not serve on the House Revenue and Taxation Committee in his next term. Denney,...
View ArticleAttorney general says Hart bill would likely not have prevented TSA use of...
In documents obtained by IdahoReporter.com, an official with the Idaho attorney general’s office said a bill presented by Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, in the 2010 legislative session would have done little...
View ArticleReport: Stick figures may be used to calm ire surrounding body scanners
Some poorly-drawn people may soon gain a lot of attention in a national debate about privacy concerns and the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, according to one report. The Fourth Amendment...
View ArticleDeputy AG’s Caribbean junket not taxpayer-funded
Deputy attorney general Brian Kane is taking some time to enjoy the Caribbean. Kane, the man assigned to oversee an ethics hearing for state Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, is visiting the area to teach a...
View ArticleLegislature no stranger to considering potentially unconstitutional bills
Earlier this week, Reps. Vito Barbieri, R-Hayden Lake, and Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, received a formal opinion from the attorney general’s office saying the concept of nullification – essentially making...
View ArticleHouse speaker wants to tweak ethics process, deny citizen complaints
The head man in the Idaho House is looking to make some changes to how ethics violations are handled in the Gem State’s lower chamber. Speaker Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, proposed a bill Tuesday in...
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