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Bill prohibiting immunization considerations in child protection cases advances in Idaho Senate
After discussions of alleged vaccine-related child protection situations in states as far away as Maine, but none in Idaho, the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee unanimously voted to advance a bill that would prohibit immunization status from being a factor in child protection investigations or termination of parental rights. Senate Bill 1029 will receive a […]
USDA Rural Development announces more than $19 million for Idaho city’s infrastructure improvements
U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Idaho State Director Rudy Soto announced in a press release that the agency will provide funding to make improvements to the city of Preston’s aging wastewater treatment and collection system. The $19.2 million in funds, $10.3 million of which is grants and $8.9 million of which is loans from […]
Debate over JFAC voting procedure continues in Idaho Legislature
After four weeks of the 2023 Idaho legislative session, House and Senate leaders are still debating whether and how to change the way the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee votes. As the debate continues behind the scenes at the Idaho State Capitol, JFAC, which is the Idaho Legislature’s powerful budget committee, hasn’t taken any votes on the […]
File taxes for free through this list of companies recommended by Idaho State Tax Commission
Idahoans who earn an adjusted gross income of $73,000 or less can file taxes for free through several companies that offer free online filing and preparation services for federal and Idaho individual income tax returns, according to a press release from the Idaho State Tax Commission. The deadline to file income taxes is Tuesday, April […]
Idaho Department of Environmental Quality awards $51 million in water project grants
The Idaho Department of Environmental Quality announced it will award more than $51.3 million in construction grants to six drinking water and wastewater systems across the state using federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, according to a press release. The projects are part of a $300 million allocation from the federal funds that […]
Records show powerful, wealthy funders outside Idaho back school choice campaign
The national special interests groups who have poured millions of dollars into efforts to make education savings account programs a reality in states like Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Wisconsin and New Hampshire are the same donors who spent hundreds of thousands of dollars during Idaho’s midterm election to ensure school choice-friendly legislators occupied as many seats […]
Idaho Unclaimed Property Division says it is ‘bursting at the seams’ with safe deposit boxes
The Idaho State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Division is “bursting at the seams” with safe deposit boxes that it hopes to reunite with the rightful owners, according to a press release. The state of Idaho is responsible for unclaimed property when businesses and organizations lose contact with the rightful owners of money and other valuables. Businesses […]
Bill exempting public works contractors from gender considerations on job sites advances
The Senate State Affairs Committee advanced a bill to exempt state public works contractors from requirements about gendered multi-use restroom or locker facilities on job sites after a short hearing Wednesday morning. The seven Republican members of the committee voted to send the bill to the Senate floor with a recommendation that it pass, while […]
Idaho Senate committee sends ballot initiative resolution for amendments
After all but two of about 40 individuals testified Wednesday against its passage, the Senate State Affairs Committee of the Idaho Legislature voted to amend a joint resolution to put a question on the ballot that would change Idaho’s constitutional process for ballot initiatives. Many others signed up to testify in opposition, but the committee […]
Education savings account bill introduced in Idaho Senate committee
Idaho’s Senate Education Committee introduced a bill modeled after Arizona’s universal education savings account program on Tuesday, with a stated price tag of $20 million in state funds, according to previous statements from legislators. Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, is a member of the education committee and the bill’s sponsor. The legislation, titled “Freedom in Education […]
Idaho congressmen sign letter demanding FDA reverse abortion drug decision
All four members of Idaho’s congressional delegation signed a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration demanding that the agency reverse its decision in early January to allow retail and mail-order pharmacies to dispense the abortion drug mifepristone, saying the action violated federal law by disregarding doubts about the safety of the drug. Nearly […]
Senate Education Committee votes to introduce bill to repeal Idaho’s Blaine Amendment
A Nampa legislator introduced a bill Monday that would repeal the Blaine Amendment in Idaho’s Constitution, a clause that states no public entity — including the Legislature — shall appropriate funds that support religious organizations, including schools. The joint resolution, sponsored by Rep. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, would need approval from two-thirds of both chambers of […]