Author
Utility company liable for damages in Oregon fires asks to defer costs in Idaho
A utility company that was found liable for damages from September 2020 wildfires in Oregon has filed a request that reserves the right for the company to attempt to recoup some of the damages from Idaho customers at a future date. On June 21, attorneys for Rocky Mountain Power filed a request with the Idaho […]
Idaho open primary supporters legally challenge AG Raúl Labrador’s ballot titles
Supporters of the proposed open primary ballot initiative filed a legal challenge asking the Idaho Supreme Court to throw out ballot titles for the initiative assigned by Attorney General Raúl Labrador’s office. In Monday’s filing, the groups Idahoans for Open Primaries and Reclaim Idaho alleged that Labrador’s office provided misleading ballot titles. “The titles assigned […]
Idaho grapples with high turnover among the state’s seasonal firefighters
Due to high turnover and competition with federal agencies, half of the state of Idaho’s seasonal wildland firefighters are new, which has resulted in fewer experienced firefighters filling leadership positions, state officials said. The state has full staffing overall with 170 seasonal firefighters, said Josh Harvey, the Idaho Department of Lands fire management chief. But […]
Idaho narrows list of areas to receive electric vehicle charging station pilot locations
The areas of Lewiston, Pocatello and Bliss are in the running to serve as pilot locations for a new network of electric vehicle charging stations paid for with federal funding from the bipartisan infrastructure law. The Idaho National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Working Group announced in a press release that it will solicit applications for two […]
Open primary ballot initiative supporters to legally challenge ballot titles assigned by Idaho AG
Supporters of a proposed open primary ballot initiative announced Monday they are challenging the ballot titles assigned Friday by the office of Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador. The challenge represents the latest development in dispute between supporters of the initiative and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office. A coalition of groups called Idahoans for Open Primaries […]
Idaho’s open primary supporters cleared to gather signatures, but will weigh legal options
The state cleared supporters of a proposed open primary ballot initiative to begin collecting signatures to qualify the initiative for the 2024 general election, the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office announced Friday afternoon. However, supporters of the initiative said they will spend a few days deciding whether to challenge the ballot titles that were assigned […]
Firing squad and other new laws and state budget take effect Saturday in Idaho
(Correction: This article was corrected to reflect the Clean Slate Act takes effect Jan. 1) A new state budget and dozens of new state laws take effect Saturday in Idaho in connection with the beginning of the 2024 fiscal year. Idaho’s state government runs on a fiscal year calendar that runs from July 1 to […]
Longtime Idaho member of Republican National Committee resigns
Idaho’s longtime member of the Republican National Committee Damond Watkins has resigned from his position, according to a press release issued by the Idaho Republican Party. Watkins has served as national committeeman for the Idaho Republican Party since 2011. As a member of the Republican National Committee, Watkins was involved with helping plan past Republican […]
New GOP rule forces voters to wait longer to switch affiliation to Idaho Republican Party
A rule that could make voters who change their political party affiliation wait two years to affiliate with the Republican Party was approved during last weekend’s Idaho GOP summer meeting in Challis after a similar proposal proposed rule failed to advance out of committee. Meanwhile, another rule that takes away the ability for the leaders […]
Chasing first light on Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa
KILIMANJARO NATIONAL PARK, TANZANIA — We still had a day of hiking, more than one vertical mile of elevation to climb, and the all-night summit push ahead of us when doubts crept in about reaching the highest point in Africa. The summit of Mount Kilimanjaro loomed overhead at 19,341 feet above sea level, but clouds […]
Idaho GOP adopts presidential caucus proposal, in case legislators don’t bring back primary
The Idaho Republican State Central Committee voted Saturday to revert to a presidential caucus system for helping select the party’s presidential nominee — if the Idaho Legislature fails to reinstate the March presidential primary election that legislators eliminated earlier this year. This weekend’s vote at the Idaho GOP summer meeting in Challis is the Idaho […]
Idaho’s longest serving Democratic legislator to retire
Rep. Sue Chew, the longest serving Democrat in the Idaho Legislature, announced Wednesday that she will retire at the end of 2024, when her ninth term in office ends. Chew, D-Boise, made the announcement at a press conference Wednesday and in press releases. “I am eternally grateful to have been the voice of District 17 […]