Background
Kevin Rank / Flickr
Idaho State Capitol building in Boise
On January 9th, Idaho’s Legislature will convene in Boise for its annual session. StateImpact Idaho will be focusing our coverage on how proposals and policy decisions impact Idahoans and the area economy. We’ve been interviewing leading lawmakers in the run-up to session and have compiled various resources to help you get involved or stay informed.
The Basics
- How to Contact Your Legislator
- Five Ways to Participate in the Idaho Legislature
- Where to Watch, Listen
What Lawmakers are Saying
These posts are a series of Q & A’s we did during the weeks leading up to the 2012 Legislative session. Each conversation focused around job creation, tax policy and the state budget.
- Sen. Brent Hill: The Key to Job Creation is a Stable Tax System
- Sen. Elliot Werk: Idaho Needs to Level the Playing Field for Business
- Rep. John Rusche: Not Putting Money Back Into Government Services Could Be “Penny-Wise and Pound-Foolish”
- Rep. Lawerence Denney: Idaho Could Increase Tax Revenue by Decreasing Tax Rates
- Sen. Dean Cameron: Lawmakers Must Weigh Short-Term vs. Long-Term Economic Stimulators
- Rep. Maxine Bell: We’re Not in a Position to Lower Taxes at This Point
The Issues We’re Following
- Job Creation
- Tax Policy
- The Budget
- Health Insurance Exchange
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter’s View
We interviewed Governor Otter in December 2011, a few weeks in advance of the 2012 session. We asked him about some of the major issues we’ll be following and posted a series of videos and Q & A’s. Here are all of those segments in one place:
- Governor Otter: New Health Care Law Hurts Idaho Job Creation
- Governor Otter: Any Tax Cuts Need to be Phased In
- Governor Otter: Legislators Can Count On My Budget
- Governor Otter: The State Can’t Reject a Federal Unemployment Benefit Extension
- Governor Otter: Every Generation Deals with Joblessness and We Live Through It
Lobbyists Influencing Decision Makers
The list of lobbyists and the organizations they represent shift from year to year. Lobbyists are required to register with the Secretary of State before each session (and pay a $10 registration fee). Lobbyists are also required to submit monthly reports detailing how much money they’ve spent on things like food, entertainment and travel for lawmakers and advertizing for their cause.
