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State takes first step in rebidding IEN contract
On Tuesday, the state put out a request for information (RFI) to broadband providers on continuing IEN services. RFIs are the first step in the state’s bidding process, preceding the requests for proposals, or RFPs. It allows providers to submit questions before writing their proposals. Those questions and answers are then posted anonymously on the state’s website.…
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A familiar fight on tax cuts
Gov. Otter’s proposal to reduce taxes — and the early stand-off forming in the Senate — is all too familiar. In 2012, then-Sen. Tim Corder, R-Mountain Home, oversaw the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee when Otter proposed a $35 million tax cut for corporate and top income taxes. Corder and other Senate Republicans opposed it…
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A sad Idaho legislative connection to the Moscow shootings
Moscow resident David Trail, 76, was one of the victims of Saturday’s shooting in Moscow. According to this Lewiston Tribune obituary, David was the brother of former state representative Tom Trail, R-Moscow. Multiple archived Moscow Pullman Daily News articles also connect the two. David Trail was a Moscow businessman who was active in the community.
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Some background on the Gov. Otter interview
In November, Idaho Reports producer Seth Ogilvie got the idea to do an extended interview with Gov. Otter. We wanted to focus less on the issues that dominated the election and recent news cycles (there will be plenty of time for hard-hitting questions as the session progresses), and talk more about his life, his political…
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Stricter rules for Idaho midwives
The Idaho Board of Midwifery has updated its rules on newborn care. The administrative rules, which must be approved by the Legislature, say midwives must immediately transfer newborns to the hospital for emergency care if they have any signs of distress, including respiratory distress, an Apgar score of 6 or lower, seizure-like activity or skin…
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On firing squads, public records and agency rules
If you haven’t seen it, Betsy Russell’s Sunday column mentioned the Idaho Department of Corrections exploring adding the firing squad as a method of execution in Idaho. IDOC got as far as drafting legislation on firing squads, but ultimately abandoned the idea, Russell reported. Idaho Reports had also obtained a copy of the draft legislation…
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Plagiarism with a purpose
If you thumbed through the latest edition of the Borah Senator, the paper for Borah High School in Boise, you might have noticed the editorial looked familiar. Student writer Harmony Soto plagiarized the piece from Boise Weekly writer George Prentice. But there’s a catch: She acknowledged the plagiarism with a biting editorial note. “You may find…
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What we’re watching tonight: Another House Democratic leadership race is shaping up
When House Assistant Minority Leader Grant Burgoyne ran for the Senate, we started keeping a close eye on who might go for that open leadership spot. Early on, Rep. Mat Erpelding, D-Boise, said he was interested. We assumed that would be the most interesting race for the Dems, but we were wrong. No one else…
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One itty bitty post-election mystery solved
One of the biggest sources of post-election tension in state government: How much turnover Secretary of State-elect Lawerence Denney and Superintendent of Public Instruction-elect Sherri Ybarra would see among employees in their new offices. We’ve talked to a few staffers in each office, and no one knew the fate of their jobs come January, though all…
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2015 Session Preview: Shifting misdemeanors to infractions
In the 2014 session, public defense reform united the Idaho Freedom Foundation and the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho, and in the wake of this year’s Public Defense Reform Interim Committee, you should expect to hear more about it in the upcoming session. The suggestions for changing Idaho’s public defense system — which the…
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The latest in leadership races…
Rep. Rick Youngblood, R-Nampa, confirmed to Idaho Reports that he is going to run for House Assistant Majority Leader. Current Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa, announced this summer that he was considering running for House Speaker, as he was unhappy with how Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, conducted business. After that announcement, Youngblood said…
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Now comes the fun part
With the ballots counted, we’re now looking ahead to the December organization session, where caucuses choose leadership and lawmakers receive their committee assignments for the next two years. However it shakes out, it has as much affect on policy as the elections. Between retirements and incumbents losing in the primary and general, there are four chairman…