Reclaim Idaho hopes to put its initiative on the November ballot. It would require the state to raise state income taxes for corporations and people who make more than $250,000 a year. The money would be routed to public schools. Read More
Two new laws went into effect in Idaho recently that target transgender residents. The enactment comes on the heels of a major U.S. Supreme Court decision in June, which greatly expanded LGBTQ rights. Continue Reading New Laws Restricting Read More
“Well, none of us like to wear masks. I don’t particularly like to wear a mask,” Moscow Mayor Bill Lambert says. “But I have for the past two months, and I will in the future because I think it’s an easy thing for us to do.”
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A coalition of organizations — including the John Birch Society and Health Freedom Idaho, an anti-vaccination group — are organizing what they are calling a “special session” of the Legislature Tuesday. It’s unclear how many legislators will show and whether legislators can even convene a special session in the first place. Read More
Idaho Gov. Brad Little has announced his state will move to the final phase of its reopening strategy, beginning Saturday. Visitors can go see loved ones in those facilities. Night clubs and large sporting venues can reopen. Non-essential travel can continue to areas that are accepting visitors and which don’t have coronavirus transmission problems. Read More
Idaho’s signature gathering window was interrupted in mid-March due to coronavirus restrictions. Now, Reclaim Idaho hopes to put a public school funding initiative on the November ballot by asking a federal judge for extra time to collect signatures. Read More
Idaho Governor Brad Little announced Thursday his state is ready to move on to the next phase of its coronavirus reopening plan, beginning Saturday, May 30. Continue Reading Idaho Moves To Phase 3 Of 4-Stage Reopening PlanRead More
In Idaho, the divide between Gov. Brad Little and Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin is something we all could see coming — grounded, in part, by the fact that Idaho elects its governors and lieutenant governors independently. Little has no more say in this matter than any individual Idaho voter. Read More
Idaho Gov. Brad Little says the Gem State will move to the second phase of state’s four-part coronavirus recovery plan on Saturday. That means businesses such as gyms and hair salons will be able to reopen with the appropriate precautions. Little made his announcement Thursday and threw in a surprise as well. Read More
Facing the threat of coronavirus-driven state budget cuts, the University of Idaho is considering mandatory employee furloughs. The proposed furlough plan would cut about $3.3 million in spending, U of I President C. Scott Green said in a memo to staff and faculty Monday. Read More
Idaho Governor Brad Little kicked off the process Thursday of “re-opening” the state after five weeks of “stay home, stay healthy” measures to help stem the spread of coronavirus. Continue Reading Idaho Gov. Brad Little Begins Lifting Read More
Idaho Gov. Brad Little has announced a four-stage plan for re-opening the state’s businesses and communities after closures due to the coronavirus. The first stage is scheduled to take effect May 1. Continue Reading Gov. Brad Little Read More
Little’s extended stay-at-home order, running through April 30, spells out a few small steps to reopen the economy. Some businesses, previously deemed “nonessential,” will be able to reopen for curbside or delivery service. Continue Read More
Demonstrations from Olympia to Richland in Washington, to Sandpoint to Moscow to Boise in Idaho, have been organized by people flouting social distancing measures put in place for public health and to slow the spread of coronavirus. Read More
Idaho’s statewide stay-at-home order has been extended through the end of April, Gov. Brad Little announced Wednesday. Little said the extension was necessary to ensure the state continues to slow the spread of the coronavirus, prevent health care facilities from being overwhelmed and hopefully hasten the end of the pandemic. Read More
Idaho has one of the highest coronavirus rates in the nation, according to a state epidemiologist. But infection rates can vary widely from county to county. And Idaho’s daily case reports fluctuate too. Continue Reading A High Read More
Gov. Brad Little signed the bill Monday, March 30, with no explanation for his vote — governors occasionally, but do not always, post transmittal letters outlining their decision. No letter was posted. The most hotly debated education bill of the 2020 legislative session, House Bill 500 would ban transgender girls and women from participating in girls’ and women’s sports. Read More
Rent is due this week. But with stay-home orders in both Washington and Idaho, shuttered businesses and a troubled economy, some people wonder if they’ll get evicted if they don’t pay. In Washington, a moratorium on evictions gives protection to renters hit hard by the COVID outbreak. Idaho has no such moratorium, but a recent court order may protect them. Read More
By the numbers, Little’s decision will cut state spending by $40 million, from a state general budget of close to $4 billion. State agencies will have to move quickly, imposing the spending cuts over the final three months of a budget year that ends June 30. Read More
Governors and mayors in some parts of the country are requiring them to close like many other businesses. Other officials are letting gun sales continue. Gun rights groups are on the defensive. Continue Reading Are Read More
Idaho Gov. Brad Little issued a 21-day stay-at-home order Wednesday. Little had resisted issuing the order even as neighboring states were taking more drastic measures. On Thursday, the state officially announced three deaths from COVID-19. Continue Read More
During what the board called a “soft closure,” schools will be closed to students. At least for now, the shutdown runs through April 20. The shutdown is designed to provide some guidance for school administrators, as a global pandemic shakes the foundation of Idaho education. Read More
There may not be enough beds for coronavirus patients in Idaho, if even the most conservative estimates from state epidemiologists are accurate. Continue Reading Coronavirus In Idaho: Moscow Closing Bars And Restaurants Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced a slate of measures Wednesday to help the state’s workers, businesses and renters. In Idaho, Gov. Brad Little urged his state’s citizens to impose more discipline on themselves to keep COVID-19 from spreading. Read More
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee announced Friday that all schools in the state will close until at least April 24 in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. Continue Reading CORONAVIRUS UPDATES: Washington Restaurants And Bars To Read More
The University of Idaho will have to cut employees and cut programs in order to erase tens of millions of dollars in budget shortfalls, President C. Scott Green said Monday. Green didn't go into details about where the cuts might come — but he said he is committed to getting the university’s budget back in line by 2022. Read More
A power struggle between the Republican-dominated Idaho House and Senate turned out to have big ramifications for a relatively unknown state employee who has toiled for three decades in an agency most people didn’t know existed. Read More
While schools struggle to find ways to fund and maintain pre-K, advocates face another challenge: selling a skeptical Legislature on the value of early education. Pre-K is a values debate and a policy debate. Critics say the state should focus on K-12 spending, assert that young children are best taught at home, and dismiss research on the lasting value of pre-K. Read More
The group that sponsored Idaho’s successful Medicaid expansion initiative last year is now working on a new project. Reclaim Idaho is trying to preserve the rights of citizen groups to propose initiatives and collect signatures to put them on the ballot. Read More
Idaho will ask the federal government for permission to implement mandatory work requirements for those covered under the state’s Medicaid plan. Gov. Brad Little signed the bill despite concerns about the constitutionality of such requirements that were repeatedly brought up during public testimony and debates. Read More
In a rebuke to the Idaho legislature, Gov. Brad Little has “reluctantly” vetoed a bill that some say would’ve made it nearly impossible to get an initiative on the ballot. Little also plans to veto a second, similar bill that would’ve loosened some of the original proposal’s restrictions. Read More
The 64-year-old Republican sworn into office earlier this month shocked some at the Idaho Environmental Forum by declaring that climate change is real and will have to be dealt with. Continue Reading Idaho Gov. Brad Little: Climate Change Is Read More
Idaho has a new governor for the first time in 12 years. Brad Little took the oath of office Friday during a ceremony on the statehouse steps in Boise. Continue Reading Brad Little Sworn In As 33rd Idaho Governor Read More
Idaho’s gubernatorial candidates struck starkly different tones on topics ranging from transparency to health care and education during a live televised debate on Oct. 15. Continue Reading Brad Little And Paulette Jordan Talk Issues At Idaho Read More
Two of the most bruising Republican primaries in 2018 were the gubernatorial race and the race for Idaho’s First Congressional District. Continue Reading Idaho Primary Results: Brad Little And Paulette Jordan Advance In Governor’s RaceRead More
