Updated 4:35 pm with news of the official endorsement. On Tuesday evening, as Congressman Raul Labrador spoke on a panel about justice reform, the National Review posted a story saying Labrador will back Ted Cruz for president. On Wednesday, Labrador officially announced that endorsement. “Senator Ted Cruz has always been a stalwart defender of the…

Tim Corder, special assistant to Superintendent Sherri Ybarra, is no longer with the State Department of Education. Was his departure voluntary? “That’s a good way of saying that,” said Corder, who helped Ybarra with her 2014 campaign. During his time at the department, Corder often presented bills to the legislature and helped with policy recommendations. …

By Melissa Davlin and Seth Ogilvie   First, let me say that the Treasure Valley water fight is the most complex story we’ve worked on in a long time at Idaho Reports. Some people dedicate their careers to understanding water law, rights and accounting. Several people in the valley have spent the last few years…

By Melissa Davlin and Seth Ogilvie   Idaho may soon join the states that are petitioning for a convention to consider adding a balanced budget amendment to the US Constitution. Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa is sponsoring the concurrent resolution. The balanced budget amendment would require Congress to stay within projected revenues when appropriating money each…

By Seth Ogilvie, Idaho Reports   Lawmakers have publicly embraced increasing education spending, but on Monday, legislative leaders hinted that not everyone is on board with the governor’s K-12 or higher education requests. Speaking to the Idaho Chamber Alliance, Speaker of the House Scott Bedke and Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill discussed Gov. C.L. “Butch”…

To avoid a conflict between water recharge and lowering health care costs — two issues forefront on lawmakers’ minds– that $30 million to fund the proposed Primary Care Access Program might not come from cigarette and tobacco taxes after all. At an Idaho Chamber Alliance meeting on Monday, House Speaker Scott Bedke shared his thoughts on the…

This week on Idaho Reports, Rep. Maxine Bell and Sen. Shawn Keough, co-chairs of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, sit down with us to discuss the budget, revenue projections and more. After the interview ended, both were gracious enough to join me for an extended conversation about philosophical approaches to budgeting, as well as whether civility…

By Melissa Davlin and Seth Ogilvie, Idaho Reports   The public defense lawsuit filed by ACLU Idaho has been dismissed, according to the Idaho court repository. You can view District Judge Samuel Hoagland’s decision here. The ACLU filed the lawsuit against the state in June 2015, charging the state’s system of public defense didn’t meet…

The state’s most powerful industry groups, conservationists and tribes are arguing over cancer risk, pollution, and huge expenses for businesses and cities. And it all comes down to how much fish we eat. On Wednesday, the Senate Resources and Conservation Committee will hear testimony on a controversial Department of Environmental Quality water rule, which uses fish…

Over the last week, Idaho Education News has rolled out in-depth reports on the effects of four-day schedules on school district finances and student performance. But what about the other parts of the community? Idaho Reports explored possible ripple effects of a four-day schedule, with uncomfortable questions about teen pregnancy and juvenile crime rates. Crime rates dropping, but…

Today, Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter called on President President Barack Obama to halt refugee resettlement to the US until the country strengthens its border security. Otter is en route to a Republican Governors Association meeting in Las Vegas, but his spokesman, Jon Hanian, said his concerns are mostly on refugee resettlement, though Otter has always wanted stronger border security…

For years, lawmakers, counties and attorneys have grappled with the issue of adequate public defense in the state of Idaho. But this week, they started talking about a solution. On Tuesday, the Public Defense Reform Interim Committee discussed the first draft of legislation that aims to reform indigent defense in the state. There are still…