Commentary
Zombie laws, designed to intimidate, clutter Idaho’s statute books
Idaho’s law books have become cluttered in recent years with laws that were placed on the books by preening extremists, more for the purpose of gaining votes than addressing real public problems. I like to call them zombie laws because they just languish there on the law books, serving no legitimate purpose. Rather, the laws […]
In abortion memo released to employees, the University of Idaho is right — and wrong
The Sept. 23 memo from the University of Idaho’s general counsel concerning the discussion of abortion by employees was basically right according to Idaho law, although overly broad in its application prohibiting speaking about contraception. The process of notifying faculty and staff should have been handled differently by the administration. In every way, the state […]
Treasure Valley transportation is at a juncture. Bike, pedestrian pathways along canals can help.
If you’ve lived in the Treasure Valley for a while, you’ve likely heard about attempts by cities and the regional transportation authority to open up pathways for bikes and pedestrians along irrigation canals. The idea is worthy of your attention and your local elected leaders need to hear from you if you want to see […]
‘The past echoes in the present’: A review of Ken Burns’ ‘The U.S. and the Holocaust’
The three two-hour episodes of “The U.S. and the Holocaust,” a documentary by Ken Burns, Lynn Novick, and Sarah Botstein, debuted on PBS beginning Sept. 18. Toward the end of “The U.S. and the Holocaust,” Ken Burns’ new documentary, the audience hears the last entry in the wartime diary of Anne Frank: “It’s a wonder […]
An open letter on the state’s abortion ban from Idaho’s faith leaders
Editor’s note: This column was written collectively by members of Idaho’s statewide faith community listed in full below. As Idaho faith leaders, dedicated to compassion, equity and justice for all people, we strongly condemn Idaho’s abortion ban, decimating individual freedoms over one’s own body and health care rights. We represent a diversity of faith traditions […]
Within Reach: San Francisco Fed president hopes to encourage Idaho students to ‘go on’
Idahoans will have a unique opportunity this Thursday to hear from Mary Daly, the president of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, and one of the leading voices in business. President Daly will be speaking at Boise State about the “dual mandate” that the Federal Reserve has in our country, a timely subject given […]
Idaho’s housing resources positively impact our community’s quality of life
Families and individuals are able to be healthier when they live in affordable homes, and mental health is no exception. However, more Idaho families are struggling to find affordable places to live due to rapidly increasing rental prices outpacing wage growth combined with a statewide shortage of affordable homes. According to the Point-in-Time Count Report […]
Alaska has shown how to achieve sensible election reform Idaho can learn from
The Gem State had an open primary system prior to 2012. When the primary election rolled around voters would just request a ballot for the party of their choice – Republican, Democrat, whatever – and then vote among the candidates on that ballot. It worked well, but not to the satisfaction of right-wing Republicans who […]
Boise’s LGBTQ+ community isn’t a prop for marketing campaigns
Pearl-clutching was at an all-time high in Boise last week as newly appointed Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon whipped far-right Idahoans into a moral panic over the upcoming Boise Pride Festival’s subsequently canceled drag show for kids. In a misunderstanding of drag so egregious it would be funny were it not for the underlying insinuations, […]
Ambiguous Idaho abortion laws that misunderstand pregnancy care will cause harm to patients
Promoting health is the mission of my work as an obstetrician/gynecologist. Practicing medicine in Idaho, I fear for my patients and for my peers in the medical community. New government mandates restricting access to reproductive health care in Idaho will harm pregnant people and physicians. Misconceptions abound in these laws. Spontaneous abortion (more commonly called […]
Thermal infrared remote sensing 101 at Yellowstone National Park
Thermal infrared satellite images are an important volcano monitoring tool that can be used to estimate surface temperature. And, in fact, these data are freely available for Yellowstone National Park and many other volcanoes worldwide. But interpreting these images is not as straightforward as it might seem — what shows up as either hot or […]
See Tell Now!: Idaho has a tool in place to prevent school tragedies
With the school year upon us and in light of recent events in Texas and elsewhere, I want to raise awareness of parents and school leaders about a tool to help keep our students safe. Offered by the Idaho State Board of Education’s School Safety and Security Program, See Tell Now! is a confidential reporting system that can […]