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Nearly 80% of Boise-area residents surveyed say cities are growing too fast
The vast majority of Treasure Valley residents recently surveyed say the area is growing too fast, and nearly half say the rising cost of homes and rentals is causing them financial strain. The survey, conducted by the Boise State University School of Public Service between Nov. 29 and Dec. 3, sampled 750 residents of the […]
Child nutrition assistance program funding request moves forward after delay
After back and forth with legislators over details, a funding request for $1.6 million to continue a pandemic-specific nutrition assistance program cleared the Idaho Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee by a vote of 18-2. The funding is allocated for the free and reduced lunch program that will assist approximately 71,000 students. The request first came before […]
JFAC approves $1.75M increase for state police presence at Idaho Capitol
Members of the Idaho Legislature’s top financial committee approved a one-time funding request of $1.75 million to provide additional Idaho State Police trooper security staffing at the Idaho Capitol building and the Idaho Supreme Court. The request is a continuation of funding approved by the Coronavirus Financial Advisory Committee in December that allocated $350,000 to […]
New Boise State Model United Nations program receives $500,000 gift
Boise State University will begin a new Model United Nations program after a donation of $500,000 from the Frank Church Institute, according to a BSU press release. The money will be used to administer the program and to subsidize attendance from high school students who will participate in an annual competition on Boise State’s campus. […]
Largest transportation funding bill of 2021 heads to Senate floor
The largest transportation funding bill of the Idaho Legislature’s 2021 session advanced to the Senate floor on Monday, narrowly avoiding a trip to the amending order that would have continued to delay an end to this year’s legislative activities. House Bill 362 is a new version of a bill introduced earlier in the session that […]
Child nutrition assistance program put on hold after committee vote
Funding for a nutrition assistance program benefiting approximately 71,000 children stalled Monday after the Idaho Legislature’s Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee delayed approval because one legislator expressed concerns about the accounting process. Legislators delayed the funding for the Pandemic-Electronic Benefit Transfer program administered by the Idaho State Department of Education after Rep. Ron Nate, R-Rexburg, raised a […]
Boise auditorium district was down $3.1M last year, but demand may be up – way up – come fall
Despite a downturn in hotel occupancy rates during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, officials with the Greater Boise Auditorium District and Pocatello-Chubbuck Auditorium District say they used reserve funds to get by and expect a boom from pent-up demand in the coming months. Auditorium districts were established in Idaho Code in 1959 […]
Income tax cut and rebate bill sent to amending order for adjustments
An income tax bill that would lower Idaho’s top corporate and individual tax brackets and issue a tax rebate to Idaho residents was sent to the 14th Order for amendments by the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee on Thursday. Senators said adjustments need to be made to the tax bracket numbers, and one senator […]
Idaho may soon become 50th state to legalize industrial hemp
Both chambers of the Idaho Legislature passed a bill that would legalize the production, processing, research and transportation of industrial hemp statewide. The Idaho Senate passed the bill in a 30-5 vote on Wednesday. Until now, Idaho has been the lone holdout in the United States that did not distinguish between industrial hemp and marijuana. […]
Reclaim Idaho files preemptive initiative in response to Senate Bill 1110
Reclaim Idaho, a grassroots organization that spearheaded the ballot initiative campaign for Medicaid expansion in Idaho in 2018, has filed an initiative with the Idaho Secretary of State that would preserve the traditional signature requirements for ballot initiatives in the state. Senate Bill 1110 passed the Idaho House on Wednesday afternoon by a vote of […]
ACHD announces intent to hire bicycle, pedestrian program coordinator
The Ada County Highway District announced it will add a bicyclist and pedestrian program coordinator to its team to better meet the needs of residents who walk or ride bicycles as their mode of transportation. The coordinator will play a large role in existing and future projects and will advise the highway district on best […]
Legislator introduces bill to hike electric vehicle fees
Rep. Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, introduced three transportation-related bills in the Idaho House Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday, one of which would increase electric vehicle registration fees from $140 to $300. Palmer, who chairs the Transportation and Defense Committee, told legislators the bill would bring electric vehicle registration fees “into parity” with the fee that […]