Boise home values have improved by nearly five percent from their post-recession low. That’s enough of an increase that a recent Brookings Institution report ranks the city first for its house price recovery. StateImpactreported that finding early this week.
The report also shows that Boise’s improved home prices are part of a broader recovery in Mountain West cities. As Brookings’ Mark Muro and Kenan Fikri write, “‘[o]n all fronts the region outperformed the nation.” Their analysis points to job growth in Denver, growing output in Las Vegas, and the general strength of Utah’s metro areas. Continue Reading →
At the table, from left to right Sen. Les Bock, Rep. Phylis King, Sen. Chuck Winder, Rep. Max Black, Dept. of Administration Director Teresa Luna.
After a dust-up over an email budget vote, the Governor’s Housing Committee has agreed to fund maintenance of the vacant governor’s mansion. That’s on the condition the committee hosts a public meeting in mid-September to discuss the possibility of selling the donated house.
Senator Les Bock (D-Boise) raised concerns last week that the committee violated Idaho’s open meetings law by voting on the annual budget via email. At the same time, Bock expressed his frustration with the fact the state spends about $180,000 per year to maintain the seldom-used mansion.
“My frustration is in our inability to bite the bullet,” Bock said at the committee’s Tuesday meeting. Bock wants to stake a for-sale sign on the property, which was donated by the Simplot family in 2005. No governor has lived in the house. Continue Reading →
Chances are, the potatoes in your potato salad come from Idaho.
Say you’re invited to a 4th of July-themed potluck, you may or may not be surprised to find China brings a big chunk of Americana to the table.
The U.S. Census Bureau looks at exports and imports of goods many Americans associate with July 4. Things like fireworks, flags, hotdogs, and potato salad (this is where Idaho comes in).
$232.3 million: The value of fireworks imported from China in 2011. Most, $223.4 million, of all fireworks imported to the U.S. are from China. Continue Reading →
Demand for new homes in the Boise area improved this year as existing home prices began to rise.
Boise earned sixth place in a recent ranking of cities’ economic recoveries, a strong finish that’s based largely on improvement in local home prices.
The Brookings Institution’s Metro Monitor sizes up the turnaround in the nation’s 100 largest metro areas based on four indicators: employment, unemployment, output and house prices. It focuses on how much each city has improved from its low points in those areas. The current report is based on the economy’s performance in the first three months of this year.
While Boise’s high overall ranking is certainly good news, Brookings Policy Analyst Kenan Fikri cautions against giving it too much emphasis.
Visitors attend an open house at the Idaho Governor's Mansion.
A public meeting has been scheduled for the Governor’s Housing Committee after a Democratic lawmaker on the panel said the chairman violated Idaho’s open meetings law by conducting a vote via email.
In the email vote, the committee approved the annual $177,400 budget for maintenance of the governor’s mansion. In a 3-2 vote, Both Democrats on the panel voted no.Â
The committee oversees management of a fund used to maintain the governor’s hilltop mansion in Boise. The home was donated to the state by J.R. Simplot in 2005, but it’s never been lived in by a governor. Continue Reading →
Each week we look back at the five posts you clicked and commented on, and shared the most. Before you take off for the weekend, make sure you’re caught up on this week’s must-read StateImpact news.
A day after the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act, let’s take a look at the percentage of Idahoans who are uninsured, and how Idaho’s rate compares to other states. Continue Reading →
Rep. John Rusche (D-Lewiston) advocated for a state-run health insurance exchange before the start of the 2012 legislative session.
The U.S. Supreme Court handed down its most anticipated decision since Bush v. Gore yesterday, when it upheld the central provisions of the Affordable Care Act.
Boise-based anti-fraud company Kount has watched its business grow by more than 350 percent in the last year. That’s according to an article from the Idaho Business Review.
“Fraud, especially credit card fraud, is nothing new in the marketplace, but it has only been a recent development that third-party companies focused specifically on Internet transactions have shown the potential to become behemoths in the industry.
While the technology has gotten far more complex, the dynamic is still simple, said Don Bush, marketing director for Kount.
“What fraudsters try and do is mask who they are, they don’t want anybody to know who they are,” he said. “Our technology basically takes that mask off.” Continue Reading →
The Supreme Court is expected to rule on Obama's health care act tomorrow.
News outlets across the country are gearing up for the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. That decision is expected to come down at 8:15 tomorrow morning, mountain time. Our mothership, NPR, has planned a robust lineup of coverage. Boise State Public Radio’s news team will be hard at work to gather local reaction.
In advance of the ruling, StateImpact reached out to a number of Idaho lawmakers for insight into how the decision could affect the state. Rep. Fred Wood (R-Burley) says he hopes for an up or down vote, upholding or striking down the law in its entirety. He dreads a mixed decision, one that upholds parts of the law but strikes down others.
“That truly is a nightmare scenario, striking down a portion of that law,” says Wood. Continue Reading →
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