Real News for the Gem State
The Idaho Bulletin provides news and commentary that helps you better understand the forces and people shaping Idaho politics. Our mission is to offer the inside scoop so you can be informed. We welcome tips and comments at idahobulletin@gmail.com.
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News Round-up
A trio of developers has sued the state of Idaho after the Legislature canceled a $51.8 million sale of the 44-acre Idaho Transportation Department campus on State Street.
A prosecuting attorney from another county says all three Canyon County commissioners violated Idaho’s Open Meeting Law by attending a Republican Central Committee meeting and deliberating facts there, without first telling the public that they would meet together.
The “conservative” label is used by almost everyone running in the Republican Party’s closed primary election. What does it mean and how do you tell if a candidate is really a conservative?
Residents across the state can go to VoteIdaho.gov for more information on how and where to vote early in their counties. All qualified voters can register at their early voting locations or on election day by bringing proof of residence and a valid ID.
Idaho’s public education system narrowly escaped some dramatic damage this legislative session: the relentless push for school vouchers. These government-funded private school scholarships divert taxpayer dollars away from our local schools while benefiting the wealthiest families in our state.
All 105 seats in the Idaho Legislature are up for election in 2024, but some races may be more competitive than others
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) bipartisan bill over the EPA’s rule failed in the Senate.
This new direction of the GOP party has prompted a lot of long-term Idaho republicans to question how this happened and what can be done about it.
What’s the spendiest legislative primary in Idaho?
It’s no surprise. And it isn’t even close.
Thanks to a series of deadline issues, the responsibility for selecting about 20% of the delegates to the Republican National Convention that normally fell to a broad group of Republicans at the state convention will now be handled by a much smaller executive committee chaired by Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon. The delegates will be sent to the July 15 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which is where the Republican Party is expected to officially nominate its candidate for president.
The Idaho Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously affirmed a district court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit related to two Idaho voting laws passed during the 2023 legislative session — effectively bringing an end to the lawsuit.
The deadline to register to vote ahead of the 2024 Presidential Primary Election is Friday, April 26, according to the Ada County Elections Office. Primary voting is on May 21, 2024.
The Idaho Freedom Foundation has gone beyond the education culture wars by targeting local bond and levy elections, which districts rely on heavily to build and repair schools.
The Idaho Legislature usually can be counted on to generate embarrassing headlines, and this year was no exception. But it wasn’t all bad. Some of it was good, while some of it was just plain ugly. Here’s our breakdown of the 2024 Idaho legislative session.
False claims of widespread liberal infiltration by those with opposing views may stir emotions, but they do little to foster constructive dialogue for the real 21st Century challenges we face. We must remember that the strength of our Republican Party lies in our ability to debate our ideas vigorously within a framework of mutual respect and to emerge united in our purpose.
Legislators missed their self-appointed adjournment deadline twice due to in-fighting and behind-the-scenes debates. Legislative leaders originally hoped to wrap up the session on March 22. But the Idaho House got bogged down in a leadership struggle and contentious budget debate that set legislators back at least a week.
The Mike Moyle legislative session ended Wednesday. Yes, it was officially the 2024 legislative session. Or, if you want to be formal, the second regular session of the 67th Idaho Legislature.
But for all practical purposes, this was Moyle’s session. The speaker of the House got pretty much everything he wanted over the past 94 days.
Before Idaho legislators adjourn for the year, they have to pass a balanced budget. And on Friday, the powerful Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, or JFAC, is set to take up a major piece, as it sets the budget for Medicaid, Idaho’s largest state government program.