Real News for the Gem State
The Idaho Bulletin provides news and commentary that helps you better understand the forces and people shaping Idaho politics. Our mission is to offer the inside scoop so you can be informed. We welcome tips and comments at idahobulletin@gmail.com.
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News Round-up
Idaho’s House, Senate caucuses appear poised to shift further to the right, thanks in large part to a series of upsets in the Magic Valley.
Fifteen incumbent Republican legislators, including Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder, R-Boise; Sen. Scott Herndon, R-Sagle; and Rep. Julianne Young, R-Blackfoot; lost their re-election bids Tuesday, according to unofficial primary election results released by the state and counties.
The American Federation for Children has run and distributed ads in Idaho over the past few weeks promoting pro-school choice candidates. So far they’ve spent $400,000 this election cycle with no signs of slowing down. One of their targets asks: “Why would groups from Dallas, Texas, be interested in Idaho and in my school? What’s in it for them?”
Incumbent Mark Harris is being challenged in the upcoming primary election for the District 35 State Senator seat. Read about these candidates in their own words.
The problem – according to officials on both sides of the fight for control and influence of the Republican Party – is that many voters have no idea what precinct committeemen are and likely don’t recognize the names of candidates running for these positions because they aren’t high profile offices like a congressional representative, state legislator or even a county commissioner or city council member.
One look at the vitriol on Tammy Nichols’ social media accounts shows that she’s an extreme antagonist who’s more interested in fighting culture wars, vilifying public schools, and spreading conspiracy theories than she is in being a serious legislator.
Incumbent Sen. Geoff Schroeder is running against former state senator Christy Zito for Legislative District 8 in the Republican primary. Learn about the candidates in their own words.
Attorney General Raul Labrador recently claimed a “resounding victory” when District Judge Lynn Norton only required his office to pay a portion of the lawyer fees racked up in a suit with employees of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW). The judge awarded the employees only $9,500 of their $186,000 fee request. The outcome was not a victory for Idaho taxpayers, however…
Six term Bonneville County legislator Wendy Horman has two challengers in the upcoming Republican primary.
Read how the three challengers compare, in their own words.
A Washington, D.C.-based group, Retire Career Politicians, has spent $76,000 on negative campaigning. Their sole target is Moyle, R-Star, the senior member of the Legislature, who is seeking a 14th term. The high spend raises questions about Moyle’s legacy at the Statehouse.
What they couldn’t achieve at the Statehouse, they are trying to achieve at the ballot box in the May GOP primary election, writes Idaho Business for Education CEO, Rod Gramer.
A trio of developers has sued the state of Idaho after the Legislature canceled a $51.8 million sale of the 44-acre Idaho Transportation Department campus on State Street.
A prosecuting attorney from another county says all three Canyon County commissioners violated Idaho’s Open Meeting Law by attending a Republican Central Committee meeting and deliberating facts there, without first telling the public that they would meet together.
The “conservative” label is used by almost everyone running in the Republican Party’s closed primary election. What does it mean and how do you tell if a candidate is really a conservative?
Residents across the state can go to VoteIdaho.gov for more information on how and where to vote early in their counties. All qualified voters can register at their early voting locations or on election day by bringing proof of residence and a valid ID.
Idaho’s public education system narrowly escaped some dramatic damage this legislative session: the relentless push for school vouchers. These government-funded private school scholarships divert taxpayer dollars away from our local schools while benefiting the wealthiest families in our state.
All 105 seats in the Idaho Legislature are up for election in 2024, but some races may be more competitive than others
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) bipartisan bill over the EPA’s rule failed in the Senate.