Legislative & Political News

Group names Idaho senator 'river champion' Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo's Owyhee Canyonlands bill protected 16 rivers in that area as Wild and Scenic, and American Rivers named the Idaho Republican a "river champion" for his work.
Idaho Statesman 11/6/2009

Booted Idaho Transportation official cites political cronyism Idaho Transportation Director Pam Lowe was fired on July 31, and the wrongful termination lawsuit she is filing today against the state alleges that she was fired because of her unwillingness to send contracts and funding to politically connected companies.
Spokane Spokesman-Review 11/6/2009

Idaho's budget woes slice through natural-resource agencies The latest round of general-fund holdbacks announced by Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter hit the state's natural resource agencies particularly hard, with the Idaho Department of Water Resources losing 16 jobs and a hiring freeze leaving 11 other positions open.
Twin Falls Times-News 11/6/2009

Voters in 3 Idaho counties reject jail bond measures Measures on the ballots in Kootenai, Jerome and Canyon counties in Idaho to build or expand jail facilities all failed on Tuesday.
Idaho Statesman 11/5/2009

Streetcar plan an issue in Idaho city's election Across the nation, cities are competing for federal stimulus funds to build out streetcar systems, and the issue has become one in contention in several mayoral races, including in Boise, Idaho.
Idaho Statesman 11/2/2009

Defenders of Wildlife take Idaho, Montana wolf hunts to NYC Defenders of Wildlife is running an ad campaign in Times Square in New York City to get the word out about the wolf hunts allowed in Montana and Idaho.
Bozeman Daily Chronicle 10/29/2009

AP analysis finds stimulus-created jobs overcounted The Associated Press reviewed data from the first reports filed on federal stimulus spending, and found that the federal government overstated by thousands the number of jobs created or saved with federal stimulus funds, including in Colorado, where Englewood-based Tele Tech Government Solutions said 4,231 jobs were created, a figure that has been downsized to fewer than 1,000.
Denver Post 10/29/2009

New Yorker challenges Idaho U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo William Bryk, a bankruptcy attorney from Brooklyn, N.Y., has filed to run as a Democrat against incumbent Republican Sen. Mike Crapo in 2010, and Idaho law will allow him to do that as long as Bryk is a resident of Idaho on the day of the November general election in 2010; Bryk has a history of running for office at various levels of government in various states.
Spokane Spokesman-Review 10/29/2009

Scofflaw bidder on Utah leases wants Andrus, Hansen to testify Tim DeChristopher, the University of Utah student who bid and won 14 energy leases in Utah at a Bureau of Land Management auction in December, is claiming his bogus bids were a volley in the fight against climate change, and has listed former Interior Secretary and Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus and NASA climate scientist James Hansen, who have been warning about greenhouse gases and climate change for decades, as expert witnesses.
Salt Lake Tribune 10/27/2009

West's transmission capacity topic of discussion at Wyo. conference At the Western States Energy and Environment Symposium in Wyoming, representatives agreed that the region needs expanded transmission capacity to accommodate new renewable energy projects, and that getting those transmission lines built is proving to be nearly impossible.
Billings Gazette 10/27/2009

Change to gun policy in national parks broader than envisioned Several National Park Service employees and legal experts said the change in gun policy in national parks signed into law this year by President Obama and set to take effect Feb. 1 was broadened by a rider Oklahoma Sen. Tom Coburn attached to credit card legislation to include anyone who visits a national park or wildlife refuge, not just those who have concealed weapons permits, and in Wyoming, that means anyone who visits a park can carry a gun openly.
Jackson Hole News & Guide 10/21/2009

Idaho U.S. Rep. Minnick collects $290K for re-election run A Federal Election Commission report filed Thursday by U.S. Rep. Walt Minnick said that the Idaho Democrat had raised $290,000 for his re-election campaign; GOP contenders Vaughn Ward and Ken Roberts said they have raised $110,000 and $54,920 respectively.
Idaho Statesman 10/16/2009

Idaho community fights subdivision on former golf course The residents of Pleasant Valley who bought their homes around the Pleasant Valley Golf Course more than a decade ago, said they did not trust developer Carl Feldhusen and told Scott Allen, a senior planner with The Land Group, and two Realtors from Magic Valley Realty, that they did not want houses built on what was the back 9 holes of the Idaho golf course, and that they wanted the course restored.
Twin Falls Times-News 10/16/2009

Idaho spends $12.8M in federal stimulus funds, creating 492 jobs In a report filed with the federal government, Idaho agencies reported spending $12.8 million in federal stimulus funds and that 492 jobs have been created so far with the money.
Idaho Statesman 10/15/2009

Idaho lawmakers hear grave message about budget At a meeting Wednesday of the Idaho Senate and House Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, state legislators heard that despite recent, additional budget cuts the state is still facing a $40 million budget deficit.
Idaho Statesman 10/15/2009

NRA asks Montana court to let it into wolf-delisting lawsuit The National Rifle Association filed documents in federal court in Montana last week asking that the group be allowed to join the lawsuit regarding the removal of wolves from the federal Endangered Species list, alleging that if the 13 conservation groups fighting the species delisting are successful, NRA members will be deprived of their right to hunt and enjoy recreational opportunities in Montana and Idaho "due to the threat to themselves, their pets and their prey from problem wolves."
Helena Independent Record 10/14/2009

Idaho's federal lawmakers open up about their insurance coverage With the national focus on health care and the cost of medical insurance, Idaho's congressional delegation released the details of their coverage - which is not, as rumors would have it, free.
Idaho Statesman 10/12/2009

Idaho governor to tour Magic Valley this week Idaho Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter will tour the Hilex Poly Co. plant in Jerome on Wednesday; address the Twin Falls Chamber of Commerce at a luncheon that day; and end his visit to the Magic Valley with a visit to the Jerome High School Library to see a demonstration of a new seismograph.
Twin Falls Times-News 10/12/2009

Groups: Obama administration's salmon plan contains nothing new Oregon, the Nez Perce Tribe, conservation groups and salmon fishermen filed formal responses to the Obama administration's plan for saving threatened and endangered salmon that criticized the plan for not taking immediate action to help salmon, such as increasing water releases from Columbia River dams at times when young fish are migrating downstream.
Idaho Statesman 10/9/2009

Anti-nuclear group in Idaho celebrates 3 decades of work The Snake River Alliance was formed in 1979 to watch over the activities at what is now the Idaho National Laboratory, with the Alliance's first campaign focused on preventing the U.S. Department of Energy from injecting waste into the Eastern Snake River Plain Aquifer.
Idaho Statesman 10/9/2009

Jarvis: NPS has no plan to ban lead ammo in parks Jon Jarvis, the new head of the National Park Service, said an announcement earlier this year that has lead to confusion about the agency's stance on lead bullets and fishing tackle was simply a statement that agency personnel would no longer use them, and said education efforts could go a long way to get hunters and anglers to switch to copper alternatives.
Jackson Hole Daily 10/8/2009

Napolitano announces new policy on detaining immigrants Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced new policies on detaining immigrants on Tuesday, including finding alternatives for detaining immigrants who pose no danger to the public.
Arizona Republic 10/7/2009

Idaho counties hire former senator's firm to lure federal prison New West Strategies, a consulting firm formed by former U.S. Sen. Larry Craig, has been hired by Cassia and Minidoka counties to help the Idaho counties in their bid to get a federal prison built near Malta.
Twin Falls Times-News 10/6/2009

Idaho senator questions findings of study on restoring Amtrak route Idaho Sen. Mike Crapo, who along with Sen. Ron Wyden, pressed for a feasibility study of restoring Amtrak service along the Pioneer Route through southern Idaho and eastern Oregon, is now questioning the results of the study that found the route would always operate at a loss because experts told him that the numbers in the report were vague and relied upon outdated data.
Idaho Statesman 10/2/2009

Idaho man wants law changed to allow aerial shooting of wolves An Idaho sheep rancher flying a motorized parachute and firing at a pack of wolves in a 160-acre sheep pen owned by state Sen. Jeff Siddoway in June violated Idaho law, but he was never charged as no dead wolves were found; Sen. Siddoway said he intends to introduce legislation next year that would allow wolves to be shot from the air.
Idaho Statesman 10/2/2009

Simpson gets funds for Idaho projects inserted into Energy bill Idaho U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson said he believed an appropriations bill for the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers containing $1 million for Boise to expand its geothermal system; $3.9 million for Corps projects in rural Idaho communities, and $1.5 million for medical isotope research at Idaho State University will be approved by Congress later this week.
Idaho Statesman 10/1/2009

Senate panel quizzes USFS nominee Members of the Senate Agriculture Committee asked Harris Sherman, the Colorado man nominated to oversee the U.S. Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service, on rural development, climate change and roadless areas on Wednesday, but did not vote on approving his nomination.
Durango Herald 10/1/2009

Vilsack: Idaho cities got urban forest cash too Last week, Idaho and Wyoming senators sharply criticized the U.S. Forest Service for spending "wildland fire management" cash in Washington, D.C. parks, but Tuesday, U.S. Department of Agriculture Tom Vilsack was in Boise, and he explained that the $500 million listed under wildland fire management in the federal stimulus law was actually split evenly between fuels-reduction work and state and local programs to improve forest ecosystems, including urban parks.
Idaho Statesman 9/30/2009

Idaho lawmakers could have dam study results in hand next session Idaho legislators could have the results of a study on raising Minidoka Dam by five feet in time for the 2010 legislative session; the proposal is just one of several projects under consideration to raise water storage capacity in the state.
Twin Falls Times-News 9/30/2009

Wyoming lawmakers angered by redirection of fire funds to D.C. parks The U.S. Forest Service rerouted $2.8 million in federal stimulus funds for "Wildland Fire Management" to Washington Parks & People, a D.C.-based nonprofit, which will get $2.7 million of the money to restore urban parks; the remaining $90,000 will fund "a green summer job corps" to employ 100 teens.
Casper Star-Tribune 9/24/2009