legislature

For several days the conversation at the State Capitol has been ongoing… should a woman be required to get an ultrasound before an abortion?  Wednesday, movement on that bill was halted when Rep. Tom Loertscher, the Chairman of the House State Affairs Committee canceled a hearing set for today.  The bill cleared the senate Monday but before it could land in the house, Chairman Loertscher pulled it

(AP)  A House panel rejected a bid to raise Idaho's cigarette tax by $1.25 per pack, with Republicans  calling it social engineering. The Revenue and Taxation Committee's vote Monday was 11-5, easily defeating the bill sponsored by groups including the American Lung Association. Reps. Lenore Barrett and Vito Barbieri said cajoling people to quit by boosting a legal product's cost wasn't acceptable

(AP) - Nearly 250 people descended on the Idaho Capitol to protest a bill requiring women to get an ultrasound of their fetus before they can get an abortion. Gathered on the Capitol steps Thursday, the crowd waved signs and hammered Sen. Chuck Winder's proposed legislation, calling it a political tactic to shame and bully women already burdened with a difficult health decision.

State Representative Sharon Block says she will not seek another term in the Idaho House of Representatives.  The Times News reports today that Block says she has no post-retirement plans but she does want to stay involved in the process.  Block was elected to the Idaho House in 2000 and has been re-elected four times...

One of the main issues being considered this legislative session by Idaho lawmakers is the creation an independent ethics commission. Legislators on both sides of the Statehouse aisle are talking about joining 41 other states in the Union and creating an independent ethics commission for legislators.

Some members of the Idaho Legislature, specifically those who live a few miles from the capitol building, are getting a "per diem" for maintaining a second residence.  Yet some of them are staying in their own offices or with the case of Senator John McGee, staying with parents, and they have no outflow of cash...

The state has applied for millions of dollars in federal funding to establish a health insurance exchange. But plans to spend the money will still need approval from the Republican-dominated Idaho Legislature, where lawmaker hatred of the 2010 health care overhaul doomed a previous effort to allocate federal money toward helping set up a statewide exchange...

The activity known as “redistricting” and described as a blood-sport is continuing as mandated by Idaho law.  The purpose is to reform legislative district lines throughout the state so each district has roughly between 42,000 and 47,000residents.

Governor butch otter has vetoed a controversial bill that would have blocked portions of the federal health insurance overhaul in Idaho, but instead has issued an executive order targeted at the reforms.  Otter said Wednesday that while he is among the strongest opponents of the health care law, the bill state lawmakers passed in the 2011 session would have required Idaho to forego the creation of

The 2011 Idaho Legislature ended Thursday with lawmakers dumping a rebate extension for alternative energy developers and passing the governor's plan to spur new jobs.

This week,  Idaho political expert Randy Stapilus takes a look at the GOP victory of closing the Idaho primary, the Idaho Legislators willingness to listen to the people and the schedule this week.  The Idaho Legislature could adjourn this week...

Top Story Podcast 4/1/11: First hour: Conservative wacko's who oppose Obama care because...and Steve Crump with the Times News. Second hour: Conservatives want to cut the budget to kill 70,000 children. The director of USAID says if the Republicans get their way and cut the budget they way they want to it will cause the deaths of at least 70,000 children around the world because that money is used

Top Story Podcast 3/30/11:First Hour: The game the Democrats like to play. Second hour: State of the City, Obama's Energy Non-Plan. The Democrats are screaming because the Republicans won't "compromise" on the budget cuts and say the Republicans are willing to shut the government down ...

Top Story Podcast 3/28/11: First hour: Obama's speech tonight and his confusion over Libya, Randy Stapilus. Second hour: Intolerance toward Christianity in America. The move to "tolerance" in American seems to mean tolerance for everything EXCEPT Christianity ...

Top Story Podcast 3/21/11:First hour - Gov. Otter May Veto "Guns On Campus" Bill, Randy Stapilus.  Second hour -  Obama Abandons America's Role As Leader Although a personal rights kind of guy, Gov. Butch Otter may not like the idea of allowing guns on Idaho's college and university campuses ...

Top Story Podcast 3/18/11: Both hours: Idaho House panel votes to keep dairy waste management plans private. Is that the thing to do? A House panel thinks dairy waste management plans should be kept private and away from activist watchdog groups ...

An Idaho Senate panel voted 7-2 in favor of a ban on abortions after a fetus has reached 20 weeks following fertilization. (The party-line vote of the Senate State Affairs Committee came Wednesday morning after 2 1/2 hours of testimony. The measure now goes to the full Senate...

Top Story Podcast 3/14/11: First hour: Should we rethink the use of nuclear power in light of the Japanese disaster? Randy Stapilus with Idaho Legislative update. Second hour: The libs want us scared of nuclear power...it's gonna kill us all ...

The Idaho Transportation Department will get about $562 million for fiscal year 2012, according to a budget passed by the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee. That's up 16.3 percent -- or $78.8 million -- from the budget lawmakers set last year...

Top Story Podcast 3/7/11: First hour - Get rid of the wealth! That will fix all our problems. Just ask Michael Moore. Also, Randy Stapilus with the Idaho Legislative Update. Second hour: Throwing money at education in Idaho...is it the same as throwing money toward the union ...