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Your Guide To The 2013 Idaho Legislature

Background

Emilie Ritter Saunders / StateImpact

Idaho's Senate Chamber sits empty nine months out of the year. Lawmakers typically in session from Jan. until late March or early April.

This page will no longer be updated. For future coverage of Idaho’s legislature go to Boise State Public Radio’s website.

Idaho’s 2013 Legislature convened in Boise on January 7. We’ve put together a guide to the session, including ways to contact your lawmaker, how to get involved, and comprehensive information about the people elected to office.

The Basics

Exploring the Demographics of Idaho’s 2013 Legislature

What Lawmakers Are Saying

Before the start of the 2013 legislative session, we sat down with a few key lawmakers to discuss a handful of issues. We focused on three areas sure to be hot topics; education funding, economic development and taxes, and healthcare.

State of the State Address

Latest Posts

February Tax Collections Exceed Estimate By Nearly 20 Percent, Growth Could Be Short-Lived

The amount of money that came into Idaho’s main bank account in February exceeded expectations by nearly 20 percent. The Idaho Division of Financial Management published its monthly general fund revenue report today. DFM says February’s receipts beat the forecast because of higher-than-expected revenue in each of Idaho’s main tax categories: individual income, corporate, sales, […]

Idaho House Panel Supports New Health Exchange Bill

Idaho’s latest proposal to create a state-based health insurance exchange has been approved by a House committee, and now heads to debate in the full chamber. The Times-News reports the House Health and Welfare Committee approved the new exchange bill 10-1 after three hours of public testimony. Thursday’s vote came after three hours of testimony, […]

Counties Present Plan To Partially Exempt Business Personal Property

Two months to the day after the start of the 2013 legislative session, a bill to partially exempt business personal property from taxation has been introduced. A second personal property tax bill may be presented as soon as tomorrow. The House Revenue and Taxation Committee unanimously voted to print a bill that would exempt the […]

New Health Insurance Exchange Bill Restarts Debate In Idaho Legislature

The debate over an Idaho-based health insurance exchange was reset today. The House Health and Welfare Committee voted to print a new bill that combines Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s proposal that passed the Senate last month, with new ideas that aim to please more House lawmakers. Here’s more info on the new proposal from Times-News […]

Gov. Otter Makes Another Plea With Idaho Lawmakers To Approve A Health Exchange

Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter is making another plea with Idaho House members to pass his state-based health insurance exchange bill. Last week, after nearly six hours of debate, the Idaho Senate passed Otter’s exchange plan 23-12. Now, the House will determine the fate of an Idaho-based, online health insurance marketplace. The debate is between Republican […]

Obama Administration Position Grants State Lawmakers More Control Over Medicaid Rates

Idaho policymakers may claim more leeway to lower Medicaid repayment rates based on a legal brief filed by the Obama administration yesterday. In a move that frustrated health care providers, the administration said states may contain Medicaid costs by reducing reimbursement rates. That’s according to The New York Times. The Idaho Medical Association’s Susie Pouliot […]

Idaho Budget Writers Approve Funding For More Medical School Seats

The Legislature’s main budget panel has approved funding for five additional medical school seats in the WWAMI program, according to the Spokesman-Review’s Eye on Boise blog. The WWAMI acronym represents the five western states that send medical school students to the University of Washington on state-sponsored reduced tuition. Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho don’t have […]

What Idaho Lawmakers Know – And Don’t – When Making Tough Tax Policy Decisions

A left-leaning tax policy group recently put out a short little report about the state corporate income taxes paid by IDACorp. That’s the holding company of Idaho’s largest electric utility, Idaho Power.  The report claims IDACorp paid no state income taxes nationwide from 2007 through 2011. It led StateImpact to a larger question: What information […]

After Intense Debate On Idaho’s Health Exchange, Some Humor

After six hours of debate over whether Idaho should build a state-based health insurance exchange, one lawmaker paused for a little levity. In his lukewarm support for the state-based exchange, Sen. Marv Hagedorn (R-Meridian) said, “I can’t ride this pig if it’s a federal exchange, I can ride it with spurs on if it’s a […]

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