Starting to Count Down

I think it's a fairly unanimous call ringing throughout the Statehouse - "We're going to be done by the 21st."

Here's a brief update on what's been going on in the Idaho Legislature since my last post. To put it simply -- a LOT has been going on. We've past the "date of no return," in other words, no more new legislation can be introduced, and today is the goal date for the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, the budget-setters, to wrap up the state's 2015 budget.

Here's the update from The Argonaut --

The full House passed Senate Bill 1254, the bill that would allow concealed firearm carry on Idaho college and university campuses, by a 50-19 vote. It will now be moving on to Gov. Otter's desk -- and in the past he said he supports it.

JFAC set the budget for 4-year colleges and universities, giving them a 6.6% increase in funding along with a 2% uptick in employee compensation.

Otter signed the "ag-gag" bill -- Senate Bill 1337 -- the one that would punish activists who surreptitiously gather photos or video of an agricultural production without owner permission. The bill stemmed from a video of employees severely abusing cows at a large southern Idaho dairy. But, Greek yogurt maker Chobani wrote a letter to Gov. Otter requesting he veto. He's one of the key stakeholders in the dairy business, as his $450 million-dollar factory brought over 500 jobs to Twin Falls, Idaho. There have been no statements that Otter will reconsider.

And finally, Otter is officially running for a third term as Idaho governor. That is all.

Playing Catch-Up

Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, stands to debate Senate Bill 1254 -
the highly-controversial bill allowing concealed weapons on campus
Tuesday, Feb. 18 on the Senate Floor. The bill passed 25-10.

What a whirlwind week! Even if a lowly reporter like me is down with a bad cold, the legislature must go on.

This week we've seen the S.E.C.U.R.E Idaho Campuses Act -- Senate Bill 1254 -- pass through the full Senate by a 25-10 vote, as well as the pulling of Rep. Lynn Luker's highly controversial religious freedoms bills from the House reading calendar. I suspect they're both pulled for the remainder of the session, but we'll see.

Here's a quick update on stories from Boise in The Argonaut:

Breaking barriers to post secondary education, right here.

Campus carry continues, the bill passed through the Senate Floor. Read that here.

Finding fiscal balance, right here.

Read today's edition of The Argonaut right here.

Twitter: @crchloerambo | Instagram: @crchloerambo | The Argonaut

Update from The Argonaut

UI Interim President Don Burnett sits
next to other state college and
university presidents at the SBOE meeting
Monday, Feb. 3.

Here's a link to an interactive and readable PDF copy of today's Argonaut.

Happy Friday!



















Twitter: @crchloerambo | Instagram: @crchloerambo | The Argonaut

Capitol Report for KUOI

Just posted - here's an update on my stories broadcast on KUOI, the University of Idaho's student-ran radio station.

Link found here.

Twitter: @crchloerambo | Instagram: @crchloerambo | The Argonaut

Week in review

Jeff Brooks, chair of UI's Department of Leadership and Counseling
 gives a presentation to educators and students on leadership
and curriculum needs to celebrate the 125th birthday of UI.
Brooks has lived in Boise for six months and Idaho's biggest
problem in education is crafting a connection between curriculum
and the various ways students process information.

Wow - this week has brought with it a lot of rumbling in the Idaho legislature. So much I haven't quite had time to update the blog. Here are a few quick links to my stories in The Argonaut with a bit of a review.

Here's the official Argonaut updated on Campus Carry. Link found here.

Here's a piece celebrating the 125th birthday of the University of Idaho on Vandals working in Boise. Link found here.







Twitter: @crchloerambo | Instagram: @crchloerambo | The Argonaut

Rebooting Otter's executive budget

Here's the full story from the Argonaut on Mike Ferguson's "Responsible Alternative to the Executive Budget."


Twitter: @crchloerambo | Instagram: @crchloerambo | The Argonaut

New session, new ideas

Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter gives the  State of the State address Monday, Jan. 6  in the House Chambers. Otter said furthering education funding tops  his list of priorities for the 2015 budget.

Update from The Argonaut. Read the full article here. Published Jan. 16.

BOISE — Today marks the end of the second week of the 2014 legislative session, and much has been discussed, beginning with Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s State of the State address Jan. 6. 

 In it, Otter said his three primary goals for this year’s budget are education, securing state water and control of Idaho’s wolf population, but other issues including the changing hands of the Idaho Correctional Facility, an increase in state employee compensation and more have crossed the desks of legislators so far.

Otter introduced his “blueprint for going forward,” which will include a focus on K-through-Career education funding and a five-year plan to replenish the state’s rainy day funds.

Twitter: @crchloerambo | Instagram: @crchloerambo | The Argonaut

Giving hope, ensuring safety

From the Arg, covering the rally from last Saturday.....

Under Idaho state law, it is still possible to fire a person on the basis of sexual orientation — just as it is lawful to ban a person from renting an apartment or discriminate against members of the LGBT community when they seek public accommodation.

“This is the year to change that,” said Mistie Tolman, organizer of the Add the Words movement, a Boise group working toward the addition of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the Idaho Human Rights Act.

The activist group put on a rally at 1 p.m. Jan. 11 at the Idaho Statehouse as a message to lawmakers that discrimination needs to end.

Read the full article here.

Twitter: @crchloerambo | Instagram: @crchloerambo | The Argonaut

'Blueprint for going forward'

Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter met with the media Friday, for a preview of the upcoming legislative session.

Straight from the webpages of the Argonaut...

Despite the 2014 legislative session being just a day shy of its commencement date, Idaho’s Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter spoke with reporters and the public during the Associated Press legislative preview Friday, about what he thinks will be the most important issues to cover throughout upcoming weeks.

In what Otter called his “blueprint for going forward,” the foremost issues the Idaho Legislature will cover include deciphering Idaho’s role in the changing healthcare laws, the state’s takeover of the formerly privately-operated prison, Otter’s five-year plan for refilling the state’s piggy bank, and most importantly, he said, to put more funding into education.

“This year we’ll be able to start out with a very aggressive fulfillment of that agreement (to support education) and that promise,” Otter said.

Read the full piece here: http://www.uiargonaut.com/2014/01/05/blueprint-for-going-forward/

Twitter: @crchloerambo | Instagram: @crchloerambo | The Argonaut

Associated Press Legislative Preview

As of today, we’re simply two days shy of the start of the start of the legislative session – Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s state of the state address on Monday. Until then, he staved off the media by giving a brief tease as to what would be appearing in the address as well as what would be the legislature’s primary issues.

Media set up cameras to hone in on Gov. C.L.
"Butch" Otter during his short speech at
 the  the AP Legislative Preview Jan. 3 in the Capitol.
Instagram: @crchloerambo

He said there would be four areas of focus throughout the upcoming legislative session – what Otter called his “blueprint for moving forward.” Education funding, deciphering Idaho’s role in changing healthcare laws, the state’s plans to begin running the previously privatized Idaho Correctional Center, as well as Otter’s five-year plan for replenishing the state’s piggy bank.

  "The first year -- which we'll be announcing Monday -- will be written in ink, the next four will be written in pencil," Otter said.

Following the governor’s short speech, he took a series of questions from the media. The reporters, while trying to get more information on Monday’s address, asked Otter to touch on a range of topics from the state’s future jurisdiction on same-sex marriage, whether the state’s mild winter would create a shortage of usable water come spring, how the legislature would handle funding Boise's public transportation, as well as how funding education could be this year's biggest issue.

"The state of Idaho is doing great," Otter said. "Could it do better? Yes. Will it do better? We hope so."

 More information will be released on Monday, Jan. 6 following Otter's address.

Twitter: @crchloerambo | Instagram: @crchloerambo | The Argonaut