Legislature

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Stories and content relating to Idaho’s 2012 Legislative session

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January 24, 2012

State Lawmakers Trim $33 Million from Governor’s Revenue Estimate

Lawmakers could have $33.3 million less to work with next year. A group of Idaho legislators voted to approve Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter’s revenue estimate for the remainder of this fiscal year, but decided to trim nearly $33.3 million from his 2013 recommendation. The 18-member Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee (EORAC) approved these figures […]

The Road to Idaho’s Revenue Estimate

This evening at the Statehouse, the Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee (EORAC) meets to discuss an important number: its revenue forecast. Just as the governor bases his budget on a revenue estimate, so does the Idaho Legislature. Both numbers are critical, because they dictate the spending levels that lawmakers will settle on over the […]

January 23, 2012

Idaho’s Budget Process Isn’t a Hard Science

Tuesday afternoon a group of lawmakers will pick a number that could have a big effect on Idahoans. The Economic Outlook and Revenue Assessment Committee (EORAC) will choose a revenue estimate. It’s the number that will determine how much money is available for public services. Sure, it’s hard to work up a lot of enthusiasm […]

January 17, 2012

Governor’s “New Normal” Means No Restored Funding for Health and Welfare Department

One of the most prominent issues last legislative session was a nearly $100 million cut in combined state and federal Medicaid funding. For many observing Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s State of the State and Budget Address last week, reinstated support for Medicaid was a key omission. Restoring funding to health and human services programs that […]

Idaho Pro-Business Group Supports State Health Insurance Exchange, Eliminating the Personal Property Tax

The Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry is a statewide public policy organization that works on behalf of Idaho businesses. IACI is the result of a merger between the Idaho Chamber of Commerce and the Associated Industries of Idaho. It’s one of the most powerful pro-business groups in the state. It has about 300 members, […]

January 12, 2012

Reporters Notebook: The State Workforce Data Rabbit Hole

Telling a story with numbers seems like a straightforward endeavor. That is, until numbers don’t match or add up. I’ve been working with the state controller’s office to find out how many Idaho state employees have lost their jobs in the last five years. (The story and the numbers are right here.) But while I […]

January 11, 2012

What’s At Stake In Idaho’s Health Insurance Exchange Debate

It’s shaping up to be one of the main debates of the legislative session: whether Idaho will create its own health insurance exchange or reject more than $20 million in federal grant money, leaving the federal government to craft an exchange. Health insurance exchanges are a critical component of the Affordable Care Act. They’re often […]

January 10, 2012

Idaho Public Television Live-Streams Legislative Hearings, Floor Sessions

Idaho Public Television is broadcasting hearings and floor sessions from the 2012 Idaho Legislature. You can check out the various live stream feeds here. You can also view live statewide broadcast coverage of the Idaho Legislature on Idaho Public Television’s Learn [House] and World [Senate] channels. Idaho Legislature Live is a collaborative effort among Idaho […]

Idaho’s Former Chief Economist Critical of Gov’s Budget Proposal

Mike Ferguson was Idaho’s chief economist for 26 years. He left the post in 2010, and heads the new Idaho Center for Fiscal Policy, a non-profit that analyzes state tax and budget policy. StateImpact asked Ferguson to review the governor’s budget proposal, and the policy priorities it contains. Q: This seems like a different budget […]

January 9, 2012

On Air: Breaking Down Gov. Otter’s State of the State, Budget Address

As we reported earlier today, Gov. Butch Otter launched the 2012 legislative session with his annual State of the State and Budget Address. We spoke with Boise State Public Radio’s Samantha Wright this afternoon about some of the key-budget points: Click Play to Listen You can listen to the governor’s speech here and read the […]

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