Idaho Politics Weekly Newsletter

Thursday, April 25, 2019

Your one-stop source for Idaho political, government and public policy information, presented by Zions Bank. Subscribe to have our weekly e-newsletter delivered to your in-box each Monday morning.

This Week In Idaho Politics

Idahoans like the direction of their state; but the nation, not so much
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
By a plurality, Idahoans think the United States is on the wrong track, but a majority believe Idaho is doing just fine -- headed in the right direction -- a poll for Idaho Politics Weekly finds.

North Idaho is Siberia for Dems for now
By Chuck Malloy, Idaho Politics Weekly contributor
North Idaho, a one-time stronghold for Democrats in the Legislature, is down to one. And it appears to be a pretty good one in freshman Sen. David Nelson of Moscow.

A common sense immigration proposal from Mike Simpson
By Jim Jones
Congressman Mike Simpson has once again distinguished himself as the member of Idaho's congressional delegation who can think for himself. Simpson reportedly told the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce last week that undocumented immigrants in the U.S. should be given permanent Green Card status.

What now after the release of the Mueller report?
By Steve Taggart, Idaho Politics Weekly contributor
Last week the public finally got to see much of what special counsel Bob Mueller found after months of investigation, numerous indictments and convictions, and plenty of speculation.

Guest opinion: A bipartisan conservation success for Earth Day
By Sen. Mike Crapo
At the end of last year, both the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives passed by overwhelmingly bipartisan votes one of the largest, if not the largest, environmental bills.  President Trump then signed this bipartisan bill into law.  The environmental bill I am referring to is the new Farm Bill. 

Guest opinion: Idaho's forests need us as much as we need them
By State Board of Land Commissioners
With 40 percent of Idaho covered in trees, the management of our forests affects us all.

Political news notes: Capital for a Day, and other items
By Idaho Politics Weekly staff
Emmett to host Little's first 'Capital for a Day'. Gov. Brad Little's hometown of Emmett will host his first "Capital for a Day" event since becoming Idaho's 33rd governor. The event will be held April 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Emmett City Hall, located at 501 E. Main Street. Governor Little will be joined by First Lady Teresa Little.

Guest opinion: The people of Idaho triumphed in the legislative session
By Luke Mayville, co-founder, & Rebecca Schroeder, executive director, Reclaim Idaho
The people of Idaho have a lot to be proud of even if their elected leaders do not. Nearly two-thirds of Idaho voters approved Medicaid expansion last November, ushering in the most positive and transformative legislative feat in a generation. Medicaid expansion is a colossal achievement:

Press release: Good Neighbor Authority helping with restoration on private lands
By Press release
For the first time, funding from Idaho's Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) is providing seedlings to help with a landscape-scale restoration project on private land following the 2015 Clearwater Complex Fire.

Idahoans mostly in agreement on impact of #MeToo movement, but not on whether it has gone too far
By Bob Bernick, Contributing Editor
Different Idaho demographic groups are not too far apart in their beliefs about sexual harassment in the workforce whether the #MeToo movement has impacted that problem, a recent Idaho Politics Weekly poll shows.

Idaho Legislature rambles to a close with wins and losses
By Steve Taggart, Idaho Politics Weekly contributor
After 95 days, the Idaho Senate and House brought the legislative session to a shambling, squabbling close.

There is a bright side to the Medicaid sideboards
By Chuck Malloy, Idaho Politics Weekly contributor
A good number of people especially on the Democratic side have good reason to be seething over the passage and governor's signing of the controversial "sideboards" law that goes with Medicaid expansion. But there is a bright side to an otherwise sorry story.