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
Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and Sen. Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) bipartisan bill over the EPA’s rule failed in the Senate.
This new direction of the GOP party has prompted a lot of long-term Idaho republicans to question how this happened and what can be done about it.
What’s the spendiest legislative primary in Idaho?
It’s no surprise. And it isn’t even close.
Thanks to a series of deadline issues, the responsibility for selecting about 20% of the delegates to the Republican National Convention that normally fell to a broad group of Republicans at the state convention will now be handled by a much smaller executive committee chaired by Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon. The delegates will be sent to the July 15 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which is where the Republican Party is expected to officially nominate its candidate for president.
The Idaho Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously affirmed a district court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit related to two Idaho voting laws passed during the 2023 legislative session — effectively bringing an end to the lawsuit.
The deadline to register to vote ahead of the 2024 Presidential Primary Election is Friday, April 26, according to the Ada County Elections Office. Primary voting is on May 21, 2024.
The Idaho Freedom Foundation has gone beyond the education culture wars by targeting local bond and levy elections, which districts rely on heavily to build and repair schools.
The Idaho Legislature usually can be counted on to generate embarrassing headlines, and this year was no exception. But it wasn’t all bad. Some of it was good, while some of it was just plain ugly. Here’s our breakdown of the 2024 Idaho legislative session.
False claims of widespread liberal infiltration by those with opposing views may stir emotions, but they do little to foster constructive dialogue for the real 21st Century challenges we face. We must remember that the strength of our Republican Party lies in our ability to debate our ideas vigorously within a framework of mutual respect and to emerge united in our purpose.
Legislators missed their self-appointed adjournment deadline twice due to in-fighting and behind-the-scenes debates. Legislative leaders originally hoped to wrap up the session on March 22. But the Idaho House got bogged down in a leadership struggle and contentious budget debate that set legislators back at least a week.
The Mike Moyle legislative session ended Wednesday. Yes, it was officially the 2024 legislative session. Or, if you want to be formal, the second regular session of the 67th Idaho Legislature.
But for all practical purposes, this was Moyle’s session. The speaker of the House got pretty much everything he wanted over the past 94 days.
Before Idaho legislators adjourn for the year, they have to pass a balanced budget. And on Friday, the powerful Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee, or JFAC, is set to take up a major piece, as it sets the budget for Medicaid, Idaho’s largest state government program.
The Idaho House State Affairs Committee voted to advance House Bill 652 restricting citizen initiatives to the House floor, recommending passage. Why should you care? Citizen-led initiatives give ordinary people a voice in determining the laws they must live by, as a safeguard against oppressive laws, legislatures in the pocket of powerful special interests or politicians who refuse to act on behalf of the people.
More than 93% of GOP voters in Idaho didn’t vote in the Idaho Republican presidential caucus Saturday, making it the lowest primary turnout in more than a decade.
Many believes the bill complicates an already complicated process. Under Idaho law, campaigns need signatures from 6% of voters in 18 of Idaho's 35 legislative districts. "It's like a solution in search of a problem," she said. "It feels like they're trying to throw up so many roadblocks that people will give up."
GOP leaders and lawmakers should look at these caucus participation numbers with embarrassment and as a marker demanding change. It’s time to truly hear from the people they serve–including the other 93% of Republicans–and take immediate action to rectify the caucus’ failures. Anything less is a betrayal of the principles upon which our party was founded and a disservice to the citizens of our great state.
All 105 seats in the Idaho Legislature are up for election this year. Learn about the 203 active candidates who have filed for office.
As the dust settles–and the hand stamps fade–from the Idaho GOP caucus, serious questions are emerging about the integrity and security of the electoral process. From erasable ballots to restrictive voting hours, the caucus has left many voters and observers wondering about the fairness and transparency of the proceedings.
Despite rapid population growth in the state, fewer Idaho Republicans voted in Saturday’s caucus, which required in-person voting, than in 2012 caucus. There are 579,723 registered Republicans in Idaho but only 39,584 votes were cast in the caucus.