Emilie Ritter Saunders was StateImpact Idaho's multimedia reporter until the project merged with the Boise State Public Radio site in July 2013. She previously worked as the Capitol Bureau Chief for Montana Public Radio and was a Senior Fellow with NPR's Economic Training Project from 2009 until 2010. She graduated from the University of Montana School of Journalism in 2007.
Job seekers wait in line to speak with potential employers.
Idaho’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped from 7 percent to 6.8 percent in November. That’s the lowest Idaho’s jobless rate has been in three and a half years.
The Idaho Department of Labor says most Idaho counties, 36 of 44, posted jobless rate declines from October to November.
Total employment was up last month, with more than 722,000 Idahoans employed. But more Idahoans continue to drop out of the labor force. The Labor Department reports at least 52,400 Idahoans are jobless. Continue Reading →
Idaho gained nearly 12,000 between July 2011 and July 2012. That’s according to new data released today by the U.S. Census Bureau.
Idaho’s addition of 11,984 people is less than a percentage, .8, of growth over the last year. That ranks Idaho 24th among states.
This is in contrast to the growth Idaho experienced over the first half of the last decade. Idaho’s population grew by more than 20 percent from 2000 to 2010. That more than doubles the national growth rate over the same time period. Continue Reading →
In some cases, office supplies like this stapler are taxed.
The Idaho State Tax Commission has published a comprehensive report detailing the state’s personal property tax. The 51-page report offers a clear picture of just how reliant some city and county governments have become on the business equipment tax.
The report is significant, since many lawmakers say the coming legislative session will include heavy debate of whether the state should begin scaling back the tax or phasing it out.
The Tax Commission’s report shows the personal property tax is expected to bring in almost $141 million in 2012.
You can read much more about Idaho’s personal property tax, including arguments for and against getting rid of the tax, right here.
A freshman Idaho legislator says online information about his education that was posted until recently isn’t true. Republican Rep. Mark Patterson tells The Associated Press a staffer misunderstood the college he attended, and assumed he graduated.
Patterson tells the AP his staffer posted the inaccurate information on Patterson’s Facebook page. That information was then gathered by the Montana non-partisan Project Vote Smart, which tracks elected officials in all 50 states.
Through our legislator demographic posts, we also reported Patterson graduated from the University of Southern California in 1996, information we obtained through Vote Smart. Patterson didn’t return calls made by StateImpact in an attempt to fact check that information.
In November 2011, the New York-based Greek yogurt maker Chobani announced plans to build a multimillion dollar manufacturing facility in Twin Falls, Idaho, with plans to hire 400 people.
Today, 13 months later, Chobani’s Twin Falls facility holds its grand opening. New numbers show the yogurt maker hired fewer people than expected, and collected more subsidies than first reported.
A press release for today’s event says Chobani is opening with “over 300” employees. The New York Times reports the Twin Falls facility has 300 employees. That’s 100 fewer jobs than Chobani first announced, but Twin Falls City Manager Travis Rothweiler says there are more jobs to come. He anticipates Chobani will employ up to 500 people once the facility is running at full capacity. Continue Reading →
A view from the 3rd floor of the Montana State Capitol. Montana's Legislature archives all committee meetings and floor sessions.
Idaho Statesman reporter Dan Popkey today wrote this blog post that raises this question: should the video or audio record of legislative proceedings be archived?
Since the Capitol’s recent upgrade, nearly every legislative committee hearing, and House and Senate floor session has been broadcast through Idaho Public Television. Those broadcasts are recorded, and according to Popkey, destroyed after five days. Continue Reading →
Over the last couple of weeks we’ve been writing about the demographic make-up of the 2013 Idaho Legislature and how demographics can influence policy.
More than 40 percent of Idaho legislators identify themselves as Protestant. That’s in-line with religious affiliation for Idaho’s general population, which according to a 2008 survey from the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, found 38 percent of Idahoans identify as Protestant.
Data Sources: Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Project Vote Smart, Idaho Legislators
Even though the Pew report is a few years old, a spokesman for the non-partisan research center said the data likely hasn’t changed significantly since 2008. Continue Reading →
The Idaho Statesman reports Micron is laying off 30 people who work in developing energy-efficient lighting. The Statesman reports Micron started the division “in 2009 with $5 million in federal stimulus money”.
“Thirty of the program’s 170 employees will be laid off, Micron spokesman Dan Francisco said Wednesday. Another 30 will remain with the program, which will concentrate on licensing LED technologies Micron has developed. One hundred and 10 employees have taken other jobs within Micron.” – Idaho Statesman
Company spokesman Dan Francisco tells the Statesman economic challenges and increased competition in the LED market pushed Micron executives to make the decision.
That’s also what forced Micron to shutter it’s solar company earlier this year. About 250 people were laid off when Micron closed Transform Solar, a collaboration between the Boise-based company and an Australian firm.
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 →
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