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.
Study finds Idaho education funding has significantly decreased since 2000.
A report released today by the Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy questions whether the state is meeting its constitutional duty to “maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.”
The report is authored by the center’s director Mike Ferguson, who was also Idaho’s chief economist for 25 years.
“One of the things I wanted to draw attention to is that unlike most state programs, public school funding is enshrined in the state constitution, it is basically different,” Ferguson says.
Ferguson’s report examines Idaho’s public school funding system from 1980 through 2013 (it includes the latest education budget for fiscal year 2013 which was signed into law recently.)
A new 55-page report from The Pew Center on the States shows most states don’t really know if business tax incentives are boosting job growth.
In case you don’t have time to read the full report, here’s what you should know: 26 states, including Idaho, don’t really know if the millions (in some cases billions) of dollars spent each year on tax incentives actually boost economic growth.
Pew Center on the States
26 states, including Idaho, are not meeting any of Pew's criteria for scope or quality of evaluation.
Last fiscal year, all 50 states reported an increase in tax collections, a dramatic change from fiscal year 2010 when just 11 states reported increases.
North Dakota and Alaska experienced the largest increases with 44.5 percent and 22.4 percent growth in tax revenue respectively. Idaho ranked 7th, coming in at 10.5 percent above collections for FY2010. Continue Reading →
Rocky Barker is a reporter for the Idaho Statesman
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter and Idaho commerce and business officials are preparing for their week-long trip to China. The trade mission takes off this Saturday.
This year’s trip to China comes two years after Gov. Otter lead a similar mission there, with the aim of creating direct investment opportunities for wealthy Chinese in Idaho. The 2010 trip ended up being steeped in controversy after right-wing bloggers asserted these direct investments threatened Idaho’s sovereignty.
The governor rejected such claims. But this trip, the message has changed. Gov. Otter is going to China to sell Idaho goods and services, not solicit direct investments.
Idaho Statesman reporter Rocky Barker attended the 2010 trade mission and has written extensively about the trip and Idaho-China relations over the last couple of years. Barker isn’t going along this time, but says regardless of political rancor, the trip is a worthy mission for Idaho’s economy. Continue Reading →
Gov. Otter and Idaho business leaders leave for China on April 14.
Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter is heading to China this weekend to lead an eight-day trade mission.
The governor will travel to Shanghai, Chengdu and Beijing. His itinerary so far is vague, including only brief descriptions of daily activities. For example:
“Daily itinerary filled with company and government meetings in Chengdu – schedule to be confirmed”
Forbes says Boise is the second best place in the country to raise a family. Second to Grand Rapids, Michigan.
The business magazine looked at income, cost of living, school quality, crime rates, and housing affordability to make its top picks.
“The relative strength of Grand Rapids’ housing market is enough to push it past the next two cities on our list, Boise, Idaho and Provo, Utah, both of which are particularly noted for low crime and high school quality. Not to mention the chance to mix urban and outdoor lifestyles. Continue Reading →
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