Governor Orders State Offices to Use Fuel Efficient Vehicles

Earlier this month Gov. C. L. Butch Otter ordered state offices to refrain from buying SUVs unless necessary for the job and to make it a priority to buy hybrids or fuel efficient vehicles. State agencies will also have to report…

Out-of-State Inmates, Sali, U of I

Idaho inmates being held in a Texas prison because of overcrowding are being forced to sleep in temporary diggs that are… well, overcrowded. The Legislature is gearing up to address the prison overcrowding problem, but it’s not yet clear how.…

Growth, Guns and Gingrich

Idaho growth still among fastest in nation, with people moving here to either find a job or slow down their lives. Perhaps the growth is part of the reason for continued battles over CAFO’s in Jerome County. And Gingrich is…

Cops, Craig, Smoking

Thursday’s Newsrack includes a story that raises plenty of questions about who is policing us now. Do ex-military guys training to be civilian police need extra training or treatment? Are academies training cops to inflict PTSD on us? And has…

Otter’s agenda & response

Gov. Otter’s ‘08 agenda — grocery tax relief, money for southern Idaho water users, a freeze on property taxes — is getting a public airing prior to his state of the state address, but some law makers feel left out…

Teachers, Logging, Nukes

There has been surprisingly little commentary on Supt. Luna’s plan to pay teachers more in exchange for their contract rights, but groups of teachers are starting to meet, like this group in Lewiston, and they are not too happy about it…

Also,…

Info on Payette Nuke Plant

Whether state or county officials should have veto power over siting of nuclear (and coal) power plants in Idaho was discussed in the 2007 Legislative session, but not resolved. The prospect of a nuclear plant in Payette and another in Owyhee County will focus this debate in the upcoming session.

Also, new reports on health care in Idaho and Moscow City Hall’s decision to offer insurance to domestic partners could test the state’s gay marriage laws. Or not.

Tuesday: State school board, immigration training and mental health

Russell takes a look at how the State Board of Education go to where it finds itself today: broke and leaderless. The story foreshadows a possible shift in power back to the department under Tom Luna.

Also, Ada County’s sheriff is looking at training deputies to assess immigration cases and the NRA seems a bit confused about federal land designations in the Statesman’s washington bureau report on Crapo’s guns on federal land push.

Thursday: Power, PETA and SnowPack

Slow news day in Idaho. Interesting Statesman story about Idaho Power capacity, nothing about Craig in Bali, Transportation Board meets again to approve road funds. Read it here…

It’s Hannuka in Boise

Got a dreidl and gelt on Main St. yesterday. Guys in the coffee shop debating whether it’s eight or nine or 12 days. Deli serving Matzoh Ball Soup and Pulled Pork.

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