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Idaho Supreme Court hears arguments in Reclaim Idaho ballot initiative case
One of the central questions in an Idaho Supreme Court hearing Tuesday morning was whether a new ballot initiative law places too severe a burden on Idahoans’ rights to bring a ballot initiative forward. Idaho Supreme Court justices spent almost 90 minutes hearing oral arguments over Zoom in the case of Reclaim Idaho’s lawsuit against […]
Simpson’s salmon plan: Once in a generation opportunity or no path forward?
Two of the major hurdles to U.S. Rep Mike Simpson’s proposed salmon recovery plan: people and money. In an effort to save endangered and threatened salmon, Simpson, R-Idaho, unveiled the Columbia Basin Initiative in February after he and his staff said they participated in 300 meetings over the past three years on the topic. The […]
Conservative speakers and candidates dominate second education task force meeting
Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin’s education indoctrination task force met for the second time Thursday at the Statehouse, with the agenda again dominated by a series of conservative speakers who agreed with the task force’s mission. McGeachin formed the task force herself — it wasn’t created by the Legislature or statute — “to examine indoctrination in […]
The nation’s wildland firefighting headquarters, in Boise, is getting some long-needed funds
The National Interagency Fire Center in Boise is about to tackle a backlog of deferred maintenance projects that are designed to reduce costs and address safety issues, with funding authorized by the Great American Outdoors Act. The fire center projects are an example of some of the Department of Interior’s multiyear, multibillion dollar deferred maintenance […]
Ammon Bundy announces Republican run for Idaho governor
Ammon Bundy, the politically conservative activist who is banned from the Idaho Capitol and was renounced by the Republican Party, announced he is running for Idaho governor before a crowd of several hundred people on Saturday evening at Julius M. Kleiner Memorial Park in Meridian. “My friends, I am not afraid to fight for you […]
State to review policies as Reclaim Idaho requests updated financial analysis of education ballot initiative
A newly revised financial analysis issued Wednesday found Reclaim Idaho’s updated education ballot initiative adheres to a new tax law the Legislature passed earlier this year. Overall, the initiative would increase income taxes by $323.5 million beginning in the 2024 budget year. The Division of Financial Management issued the fiscal impact statement late Wednesday afternoon, […]
Confusion surrounds state financial review of Reclaim Idaho ballot initiative
Officials with Reclaim Idaho have paused efforts to collect signatures for a new education funding ballot initiative as they await a new financial analysis of the initiative from the state. But new documents the Idaho Capital Sun obtained late Monday afternoon raise uncertainty about whether the state analyzed the most up-to-date version of Reclaim Idaho’s […]
Extremism expert: Idaho critical race theory debate is ‘cynical’ effort to rally voters
A national expert on race and extremism said a recent spate of attacks on “critical race theory” in Idaho are part of a growing effort by conservative Republicans to exploit anxiety and engage voters in upcoming elections. Meanwhile, the Idaho Freedom Foundation, in a letter to donors last month, took credit for a “never-before-seen” reckoning […]
Reclaim Idaho can now gather signatures for a K-12 initiative. But there’s a catch.
Reclaim Idaho volunteers received the go-ahead from the state to begin collecting signatures on a new education funding initiative they hope to get on Idaho voters’ ballots in 2022. The Idaho Secretary of State’s Office presented Reclaim Idaho officials with the official ballot titles for the Quality Education Act, Reclaim Idaho co-founder Luke Mayville said […]
Feds approve extension for Idaho to file plans for latest round of stimulus funds for schools
The U.S. Department of Education has given the Idaho State Board of Education an extension to file its plan for using $146 million in federal COVID-19 stimulus funds earmarked to help schools reopen and sustain safe operations. The deadline to submit the plan for using the federal American Rescue Plan Act’s Elementary and Secondary School […]
Boise naming new downtown park in honor of Cherie Buckner-Webb
A new park under construction in downtown Boise is being named in honor of former state Sen. Cherie Buckner-Webb, the first Black woman elected to the Idaho Legislature. Boise Mayor Lauren McLean made the announcement Friday afternoon, calling Buckner-Webb a political trailblazer. “Naming this park for Cherie Buckner-Webb honors this trailblazing Boisean who, while making […]
‘Brad, I’ve got an executive order here.’ Little talks mask mandates, gubernatorial authority
Gov. Brad Little knew something was up as soon as he walked off the stage Thursday at the Republican Governors Association spring policy conference in Nashville. His phone was vibrating. Secretary of State Lawerence Denney was on the other end. And he wasn’t just calling to shoot the breeze. “He says, “Brad, I’ve got an […]