Idaho Opinions

Be a player in May primary Because the Republican Party dominates Idaho politics, most hard-fought and important local races won't be decided in November. The real battles will be waged during the May 15 primary. However, many voters won't have a say in how the Republican primary comes out. That's because for the first time, only registered Republicans will be able to cast ballots for Republican candidates.
Coeur d'Alene Press 2/10/2012

Legislature should reject these ideas Among the things to which the Idaho Legislature should give thumbs-down treatment: a Senate bill that would give ranchers more freedom to kill wolves that attack their sheep and cows; a House bill which could force the state to sell a profitable self-storage business in Boise; and a constitutional amendment guaranteeing the right to hunt, fish or trap in the state.
Idaho State Journal 2/10/2012

In Sali we trust Jeers to former Congressman Bill Sali, R-Idaho, for asking the state to create, finance and market a new vanity license plate with the motto "In God We Trust." Jeers to the Idaho House Health and Welfare Committee for its opposition to spending Medicaid money to help pregnant women and mothers of young children quit cigarettes.
Lewiston Tribune 2/10/2012

There's middle ground in gas drilling A GOP member of the Washington County Board of Commissioners in Idaho argues that a proposed House bill limiting the authority of citizens and planning and zoning commissions over the land use permitting process for gas drilling should be rejected, since it does to the counties and cities exactly what the state does not like the Federal Government doing to them.
Moscow-Pullman Daily News 2/10/2012

Planning Ahead Would Have Improved Luna Plan Why the rush to make Supt. Luna's "Students Come First" reforms law? Politics aside, there's no practical reason Luna couldn't have spent the last year using his working groups to hash out the details and approach of the plan without requiring it to be law first.
Twin Falls Times-News 2/10/2012

From Idaho to D.C.: It isn’t valentine season Rep. Shannon McMillan, R-Silverton, proposed a joint memorial - essentially a legislative email to Congress - that would tell the Environmental Protection Agency to pull out of the Silver Valley within five years.
Idaho Statesman 2/9/2012

Online sales tax would help Idaho businesses Gov. Otter thinks online retailers who aren't obligated to collect sales tax on purchases have an unfair advantage over local bricks-and-mortar merchants.
Idaho Press-Tribune 2/8/2012

Idaho taxes: A simple majority is good enough A group of Idaho lawmakers is pushing a constitutional amendment that would require any future tax and fee increases to receive two-thirds support from the Legislature. Given that the Idaho Legislature is not exactly a tax-and-spend outfit, this proposal seems like a solution in search of a problem.
Idaho Statesman 2/8/2012

Dennis Lake is traveling a very lonely road The Chairman of the House Revenue and Taxation Committee, Dennis Lake, R-Blackfoot, will try to convince a majority of lawmakers in both chambers to sacrifice a potential pension windfall in the interest of restoring public trust in their government. But don't hold your breath waiting for his success.
Lewiston Tribune 2/8/2012

Redefining a party The latest effort to realign Idaho's legislative districts ended with intra-party quarreling amongst the state GOP's libertarian/constitutionalist and more traditional wings, to the benefit of neither.
Coeur d'Alene Press 2/7/2012

Public schools spending: A matter of priorities: Pay Idaho teachers State Superintendent Tom Luna wants to put $19.4 back into the salary pool for teachers, to offset a 2.38 percent salary cut planned for 2012-13. Gov. Butch Otter didn't budget the $19.4 million. While restoring the $19.4 million is no doubt a politically expedient - and savvy - move, it's still the right thing to do.
Idaho Statesman 2/7/2012

Chairmen of Idaho tax committees ease historic acrimony A first-ever joint hearing between the House Revenue and Taxation Committee and Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee may end the pattern of House-passed tax bills dying in the Senate committee and fueling resentment between chambers. Finding consensus on the issue of cutting taxes will still be no piece of cake.
Idaho Statesman 2/7/2012

Smart, and not so much Last week, Governor Otter announced that John Foster, former executive director of the Idaho Democratic Party, would be helping him uphold the sweeping "Students Come First" education reforms passed by the Legislature last year.
Twin Falls Times-News 2/7/2012

Otter enlists nonpartisan guy, for Luna John Foster, former executive director of the Idaho Democratic Party, should hope State Superintendent Tom Luna's education reforms pass in November's referendum, because he won't be getting much work from Democrats in the future.
Idaho State Journal 2/6/2012

McKenzie reclines contently in his cocoon Senate State Affairs Committee Chairman Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, does not want to know is how out of step he and his colleagues in the Legislature are when it comes to gay rights.
Lewiston Tribune 2/6/2012

Partisan, Nonpartisan, Bipartisan It's election season again and the Legislature is in session. That means once again, politicians are tweaking the English language to advance their own cause or reflect poorly on their opposition. These three words, often redefined, are getting quite a workout recent inter-party conflicts.
Twin Falls Times-News 2/5/2012

Idaho budget writers urged to restore Medicaid funding Friday's public hearing before the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) drew more than 300 people to the Capitol Auditorium, and most of those signed up to testify called on budget writers to restore $35 million cut from Medicaid in the current fiscal year.
Idaho Statesman 2/4/2012

Cheers and Jeers: The right place to be Cheers to Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis and Senate President Pro Tem Brent Hill for helping put the brakes on a House bill to eliminate camping on state property. Jeers to State Treasurer Ron Crane for charging taxpayers for his daily commute and for questionable expenses on his annual bond rating trips to New York City.
Idaho Falls Post Register 2/3/2012

A wink and a nod Columnist Ron Gill argues medical marijuana laws are shams, thinly veiled attempts to legalize the drug altogether.
Idaho Falls Post Register 2/3/2012

Keeping the citizens away Occupy Boise's long-term impact on state government will be almost nothing compared to the decision by legislators this year to lock the doors leading to House member office space in the name of security. Keeping citizens at bay is contrary to the vision of openness embodied by our state's founders and by the designers of the Capitol as it existed in 1919.
Idaho Falls Post Register 2/3/2012

Ron Crane: Would you take money advice from this guy? Legislative auditors issued a report chronicling several problems in the Idaho state treasurer's office, among them using state money to sponsor a financial literacy conference. As this audit suggests, Ron Crane himself could use a refresher course or two in financial literacy.
Idaho Statesman 2/3/2012

Spending lavishly Jeers to Idaho State Treasurer Ron Crane for expecting taxpayers to pay for his daily Nampa-to-Boise commute. And Jeers to Idaho House Speaker Lawerence Denney for waging a frontal assault on the citizens' redistricting commission.
Lewiston Tribune 2/3/2012

The invisible line through the Palouse gets lit up In Olympia, a law allowing gay marriage has passed the Senate and faces sure passage in the House and a promised signature from the governor. In Boise, a law amending the Idaho Human Rights Act to make it illegal to discriminate on the basis of "sexual orientation and gender identity" is less likely to see the light of day.
Moscow-Pullman Daily News 2/3/2012

Assessing damage from the redistricting fiasco A tally of the winners and losers in the latest go-round of the decennial process to remap Idaho's legislative districts.
Idaho Statesman 2/2/2012

GOP leaders take wrong redistricting approach Idaho changed its redistricting process from one that's done by the Legislature to one done by a bipartisan panel for a reason - to take politics out of it and base it solely on what's best for voters. That's the way it should be, whether state GOP party officials like it or not.
Idaho Press-Tribune 2/1/2012

Reasons for Idaho’s low rankings aren’t as simple as ideology Idaho ranks near the bottom for many categories, such as household income and childhood immunization. As is often the case with such rankings, reaction was basically split into two ideological camps, but the issues are far more complex than these simple ideological divisions suggest.
Idaho Press-Tribune 2/1/2012

Idaho Transportation Department: Sharing the roads with megafreeloaders Since the state seems determined to embrace the megaload shipments now rolling through north Idaho - claiming economic benefits that are at best questionable - then the least the Idaho Transportation Department can do is keep a closer eye on the costs.
Idaho Statesman 2/1/2012

Internet sales taxes: It’s a step, but a small one: Otter gets aboard Gov. Butch Otter told Idaho chambers of commerce that he would support a tax on Internet purchases. His position puts him on the right side of the issue. But not exactly in the middle of the fray.
Idaho Statesman 2/1/2012

Democrat’s defection roils the Idaho Statehouse John Foster, a former Idaho Democratic Party executive director and campaign manager for former 1st Congressional District Representative Walt Minnick, will work with Gov. Butch Otter to help preserve the "Students Come First" education reform laws.
Idaho Statesman 2/1/2012

When Otter capitulates, nobody suffers It took Idaho Gov. C.L. (Butch) Otter only three weeks to throw in the towel on his signature legislation for the year - creation of a state-based health insurance exchange.
Lewiston Tribune 2/1/2012