News
Idaho governor signs bill to allow firing squad as an alternative form of execution
Idaho will soon become the fifth state to authorize the execution of an inmate by firing squad. Gov. Brad Little on Friday afternoon signed House Bill 186, adding a firing squad as an alternative method of execution when lethal injection is unavailable. The new law would give the director of the Idaho Department of Correction […]
GOP bill establishing a federal parental bill of rights passed in U.S. House
WASHINGTON — U.S. House Republicans on Friday passed a bill designed to empower parents to inspect books and other teaching materials in local public schools, but Democrats sharply criticized the measure, saying it would censor teachers and ban books. The legislation, called the Parents Bill of Rights, passed on a 213-208 vote. It would codify […]
Native American agricultural leaders detail farm bill priorities at U.S. Senate hearing
WASHINGTON — A roundtable of Native American agricultural leaders at a recent U.S. Senate hearing lobbied for increased sovereignty and social justice in the coming farm bill by expanding tribes’ jurisdiction over U.S. Department of Agriculture programs. It’s called “638” authority and refers to Public Law 93-638, which gives tribes the power to manage certain […]
Idaho House introduces late-session medical cannabis bill
A new bill designed to provide for a “tightly regulated system” of medical cannabis was introduced Friday morning in the Idaho House of Representatives. House Health and Welfare Committee Chairman John Vander Woude, R-Nampa, introduced House Bill 370, the Idaho Medical Cannabis Act, as a personal bill on the floor of the Idaho House on […]
With Medicaid, K-12 budgets still on docket, Idaho legislative session to continue next week
Republican legislative leaders missed their nonbinding target to wrap up Idaho’s 2023 legislative session on Friday. The Idaho House of Representatives essentially finished its business Friday and adjourned until Tuesday to allow the Idaho Senate time to address the more than 50 bills and 30 pending gubernatorial appointments that were backed up on its reading […]
Idaho House passes higher education budget
Originally posted on IdahoEdNews.org on March 23, 2023 After 45 minutes of raucous debate, the House passed a higher education budget late Thursday afternoon. The debate — and lawmakers’ questions — barely touched on the numbers in Senate Bill 1176, a $678.5 million spending plan for the state’s four four-year institutions. Instead, opponents focused their […]
Idaho Gov. Brad Little to act on bill moving Idaho’s presidential primary election back to May
Idaho Gov. Brad Little will have the final say in whether Idaho’s presidential primary election is moved to late May. On Thursday, the Idaho Senate voted 23-11 to pass House Bill 138. If passed into law, the bill would move Idaho’s presidential primary election back on the calendar from its current date on the second […]
Members of Congress blast TikTok CEO as bipartisan support for U.S. ban looks possible
A U.S. House panel grilled TikTok’s CEO for more than five hours Thursday over the social media giant’s ties to China, and indicated there may be bipartisan consensus for a national ban on the platform. Members of both parties showed an unusual level of agreement during tough questioning of TikTok CEO Shou Chew. Several members […]
Idaho legislators request three new reports from the Office of Performance Evaluations
Idaho legislators have asked the Office of Performance Evaluations to produce reports on the Idaho Health Data Exchange’s bankruptcy, Medicaid hospital rates and forensic death investigations. The Joint Legislative Oversight Committee that oversees the Office of Performance Evaluations voted Thursday to request separate, formal reports on each of the three topics that will be delivered […]
Idaho Department of Health and Welfare sues AG Labrador over child care grant investigation
This story was first published by Boise State Public Radio on March 23, 2023. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare is suing Attorney General Raul Labrador’s office to halt its investigation into the agency’s administration of $36 million in federal childcare grants. You can find both legal documents here and here. That move comes after IDHW received […]
Bill blocking foreign governments from buying Idaho ag land, mining claims advances to Senate
A bill designed to block foreign governments from purchasing agricultural land, water rights, mining claims and mineral claims is advancing to the Idaho Senate floor for a vote. On Thursday, the Senate State Affairs Committee voted to send House Bill 173 to the Senate floor with a do-pass recommendation. If the bill is signed into […]
Priorities for rail safety bill debated in U.S. Senate hearing with Norfolk Southern CEO
Members of a U.S. Senate committee on Wednesday previewed what they would push for in bipartisan rail safety legislation likely to progress through Congress in the aftermath of the East Palestine, Ohio, derailment. Democrats and Republicans on the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee hinted they wanted to strengthen requirements about reporting hazardous cargo, […]