Kevin’s blog
Safe routes to school bill becomes law, without Otter’s blessing
Passed in the final hours of the 2017 session, the new law allows the Idaho Transportation Department to siphon some state dollars into pedestrian projects near school zones.
Analysis: Grocery tax veto tears open a widening rift in GOP
Gov. Butch Otter faces increasingly vocal opposition from fellow Republicans — as his final term heads into its final 20 months.
Today in the political rumor mill: state GOP chair steps down
Steve Yates says he hopes to serve Idaho, “in another capacity.” The Idaho Falls Republican has been linked to the open race for lieutenant governor.
Ybarra rips media coverage of DeVos
“I went through exactly what she’s going through,” Ybarra told Chuck Malloy of Idaho Politics Weekly, in a column posted Monday.
Otter’s latest batch of bill signings: still no word on grocery tax
Gov. Butch Otter signed three education-related bills Thursday.
Some heavy interest in ‘governor lite’
With incumbent Brad Little running for governor, Idaho has its first open race for lieutenant governor in 16 years.
Otter: Another broadband settlement is in the works
The state is negotiating with the feds, Gov. Butch Otter said Monday. A federal contractor fronted Idaho $13.5 million for the ill-fated Idaho Education Network broadband project.
Safe routes to schools: What happens next?
House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding says the bill could free up $3.7 million for projects near schools. The Idaho Transportation Department is still trying to get a handle on the implications of the last-minute bill.
Twin Falls stays in-house to hire new superintendent
Brady Dickinson, the district’s director of operations and educational technology, will take over the top job on July 1.
Otter stays silent — for now — on the 2017 session
Gov. Butch Otter canceled a post-session news conference Thursday, citing laryngitis. But at some point, he will have the last word on repealing the state’s grocery tax.