Gov. Otter and President Pro Tempore of the Idaho Senate Brent Hill spoke ahead of the 2012 session.
After years of resisting the Affordable Care Act and months of deliberating over whether Idaho should create a state-based health insurance exchange, Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter on Tuesday set Idaho on that course. In a release that lambasted “Obamacare,” the governor said Idaho should build its own exchange.
Health insurance exchanges are the online marketplaces that allow consumers to assess health insurance plans based on costs and benefits. They’re a main component of the Affordable Care Act, and they’re supposed to be up and running by 2014. States have the option to build their own exchanges, partner with the federal government, or default to a federally-run model.
Here’s the press release from the governor’s office:
(BOISE) – Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter announced the appointment today of Jani Revier – a senior member of his staff during three terms in Congress – to become administrator of the State Division of Financial Management. Continue Reading →
The vast majority of Idaho legislators have a college degree. Seventy percent of Idaho’s 2013 Legislature has a bachelor’s degree or higher. U.S. Census data show 24 percent of Idaho’s general population has a bachelor’s degree or higher.
Data Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Project Vote Smart, Idaho Legislators
Over the last month, StateImpact Idaho collected basic demographic information on Idaho’s incoming Legislature. We’ve looked at lawmakers’ ages compared with the population they represent, their occupations, and the male-female split. We want to better understand the make-up of Idaho’s Legislature and how it compares with the general population. Continue Reading →
The Republican governor’s office distributed that news late this afternoon in a release that criticizes Obamacare, but says the state must assert its “commitment to self-determination” and fulfill its “responsibility to the rule of law.”
The decision is subject to the Idaho Legislature’s approval.
The full text of the governor’s press release is below. For analysis and context, see this piece from StateImpact Idaho.
Sen. Dean Cameron expressed last week that he would like see a proposal for what he called a "reduced benefit" Medicaid package.
The Obama administration told states Monday they cannot partially expand Medicaid eligibility and receive the federal funds the Affordable Care Act provides to cover the expansion.
As the ACA was originally written, people with incomes up to 133 percent of the poverty level would be eligible for Medicaid. The U.S. Supreme Court’s June ruling on the constitutionality of Obamacare changed that, granting states the right to choose whether or not to expand Medicaid eligibility. The federal government bears the lion’s share of the cost burden, initially covering 100 percent of the cost of the expansion, phased down to 90 percent by 2020.
As NPR’s Julie Rovner reports, Republican governors wondered whether the ruling allowed them greater flexibility. Could they expand Medicaid eligibility only somewhat, to those with incomes up to 100 percent of the poverty line, for instance? Continue Reading →
Exchanges are the online marketplaces that allow consumers to assess health insurance plans based on costs and benefits. They’re a main component of the Affordable Care Act, and they’re supposed to be up and running by 2014.
Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter appeared to tip his hand about which way the decision will come down during remarks at the Associated Taxpayers of Idaho conference last week. Continue Reading →
Idaho Commerce Director Jeff Sayer chairs the LINE Commission.
Former Gov. Cecil Andrus has sent a letter to Idaho Commerce Director Jeff Sayer opposing any amendment to the 1995 agreement between the State of Idaho and the U.S. Department of Energy that sets benchmarks for nuclear waste cleanup in the state.
Sayer heads the Leadership in Nuclear Energy (LINE) Commission established by Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter. That commission — which was established “in recognition of the important role nuclear activities play in Idaho’s economic future” — produced a preliminary report last week. StateImpact‘s overview of that report and its context is available here.
“Idaho and her citizens have for decades been trying to remove nuclear waste from above the Snake River Aquifer,” Andrus’ letter reads. Continue Reading →
The general fund is Idaho’s main bank account that’s used to pay for state government. Its balance is what legislators use to appropriate spending to all state agencies.
Idaho's Senate Chamber sits empty nine months out of the year. Lawmakers typically in session from Jan. until late March or early April.
Almost half of the legislators in Idaho work in agriculture or business when they’re not making policy in Boise.
Over the last month, StateImpact Idaho has collected basic demographic information on the 2013 Idaho Legislature. Some of the information we gathered came directly from lawmakers. Some of it was gathered from Project Vote Smart, the Idaho Legislature, or Nexis.
We wanted to better understand the makeup of the Legislature, and whether the people making laws in Idaho truly represent the overall population. When you look solely at occupation, it’s safe to say Idaho’s citizen Legislature isn’t very representative of Idaho. Continue Reading →
After a year and a half of searching for a job, Kelly Barker at last got good news.
At this time last year, StateImpact Idaho began a series called “Jobless in Idaho.” Through those interviews we met Kelly Barker, a single mom from Meridian who was struggling to find work after losing her job as an office administrator in early 2011.
The first time we met, at her comfortable, suburban home, Barker described the anxiety and self-doubt that took hold as she and her eight-year-old daughter learned to live within the bounds of unemployment benefits and their food stamp allowance. She described the questions that were keeping her up at night.
“What if my car doesn’t start?” she asked. “What if I get sick and have to go to the doctor? I don’t have that money to do it. I have enough to pay my house payment and to pay my utilities, and to put food on the table.” Continue Reading →
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