Latest news with #IdahoSenate
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Western states like Idaho are drowning in legislation
Members of the Idaho Senate work from the Senate floor on the morning of March 10, 2025, at the Idaho Capitol Building in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) Who knew there were this many things that had to be fixed? The legislative sessions in Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Washington are over. Depending on your political perspective, the benefits — or damages — will be felt for years to come. One thing that isn't in dispute? Lawmakers couldn't help but introduce a record number of bills in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming. Washington may also be added to that list, depending on what happens in the second part of its biennium. More pieces of legislation were prepared for Idaho's 2025 session than in the last 30 years In Idaho, lawmakers introduced nearly 800 pieces of legislation — the highest mark going back at least 16 years. Less than 50% of the legislation actually made it across the finish line. Higher numbers are expected in Idaho, as lawmakers now individually introduce and approve every state department budget, rather than just one large state budget. Still, the numbers are staggering, not only for lawmakers who work at the state capitol, but also for citizens who try to follow the session and be involved in the process. Making it more challenging in Idaho is the sometimes minimal lack of notice regarding hearings for bills that have been introduced. We've recommended that lawmakers commit to a Rule of Three to allow citizens more time to be engaged. In Montana, lawmakers also hit a record of 1,761 bills introduced, with a little more than half being signed into law by Gov. Greg Gianforte. Montana's joint Rule 40-40 'allows members of the Montana Legislature to request an unlimited number of bill or resolution drafts before December 5. After that date, a member may request the Legislative Council to prepare no more than seven bills or resolutions. Unused requests by one member may be granted to another member. The limits do not apply to code commissioner bills or committee bills.' In Wyoming, which divides sessions among general session years and budget years, lawmakers also hit a record of 556 bills introduced. But only 31% became law. Washington state lawmakers were by far the least productive, passing only 19.5% of the more than 2,000 bills they introduced. And they're not done yet, as Washington works on a biennium and lawmakers will return next January to continue increasing the number. Passing legislation certainly isn't a contest. And this column is in no way an encouragement to increase the across-the-finish-line percentages. But it is worth pointing out that introducing legislation takes time and resources — resources that are provided by taxpayers (so perhaps a new state rock shouldn't be high on a lawmaker's list). More bill introductions also make tracking your elected official's work more difficult. Some states, including Arizona, California, New Jersey, Colorado, North Carolina, Florida, North Dakota, Indiana, Louisiana and Montana have sought to restrict how many bills a legislator can introduce each session. Do all states need a rule that limits a lawmaker's appetite for more and more legislation? Maybe. But we'd rather see a self-imposed diet. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Proposed cuts to Medicaid, health care services will produce actual harm to Idahoans
Large cuts to Medicaid on top of the cuts in services already being rolled out will produce actual harm, real hardship and catastrophic overload for Idaho families caring for family members with disabilities, writes guest columnist Gary Sandusky. (Photo by) U.S. Mike Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, should be lauded for his vocal and enthusiastic support of increasing and renewing the Child Tax Credit. It is one of those pandemic-era programs that made a big difference in a working, Idaho family's ability to survive and thrive during tough times. In many ways, the times have not improved. It is not easy or inexpensive to have and raise kids in 2025, and Sen. Crapo's support for the Child Tax Credit reflects a sensitivity to that challenge. Amid protests and Democratic pushback, U.S. House GOP launches work on Medicaid cuts I would like to see him extend the same support to the 89,000 Idaho families that do not have enough income to qualify for the tax credit under the proposed guidelines. Those families face the same costs and the same challenges, but they have fewer resources to deal with it. But on the issue of the proposed cuts to Medicaid, Sen. Crapo's statements are much more cautious. I first met Sen. Crapo in 1989 when I was working with a group of people attempting to move the state of Idaho to adopt Personal Care Services as an option of the state's Medicaid program. We met in his office during the time he served as the Idaho Senate's president pro tempore. He agreed to let our bill get a hearing, a controversial stance due to the opposition of some in the Idaho Legislature. He struck me as fair minded and willing to do the right thing, even if that thing was controversial. By 1990, a Personal Care Services bill was signed by Gov. Cecil Andrus and the program has subsequently allowed elders to stay in their own home, with assistance, rather than being placed in a nursing home. And it has given people with disabilities, who otherwise would be institutionalized, the option to live in community. Fast forward to 2025 and the national clamor to cut Medicaid due to waste, fraud, and abuse. Sen. Crapo has stated that he is not in favor of cutting benefits or coverage under Medicaid, but it is possible to cut the budget without technically changing the rules about coverage and benefits. It hardly matters if one qualifies for benefits and coverage if the dollars are not there to make it a reality. Cutting the budget will result in fewer people being served, services being cut out, and new recipients on waiting lists for years. Idaho has avoided wait lists, and most people with disabilities cannot wait for years to access services. What always gets lost in this loud and vocal conversation that implies that users of Medicaid are engaging in waste, fraud and abuse is the unavoidable fact that big cuts to the Medicaid budget nationally will fall heavily on people with disabilities. The result will be life threatening harm to the same people we were working to protect in 1990 – elders and people with disabilities. I personally know many adults with disabilities and families caring for their disabled family member. The suggestion that the families and individuals I know are engaging in waste or abuse is beyond outrageous. They carry huge burdens even with Medicaid assisting them. The pandemic took a nationwide toll on the services for people with disabilities. The headline of an article last week from Disability Scoop, a national newspaper on disability-related issues stated, 'Nation's Disability Services System Begins To Buckle As Funding Threats Intensify.' And this characterization of services for people with disabilities was about other cuts being pushed through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services — before the proposed cuts to Medicaid have landed. Large cuts to Medicaid on top of the cuts in services already being rolled out will produce actual harm, real hardship and catastrophic overload for Idaho families caring for family members with disabilities. Surely that is not a good strategy to address waste, fraud, and abuse. It is more like an inquisition than problem solving. Sen. Crapo needs to exhibit the same fair mindedness we witnessed in 1989 as we discussed personal care services, the same sensitivity that he is exhibiting for the plight of Idaho families raising children in 2025 – AND he should stand up for Medicaid with the same vocal enthusiasm he has brought to the Child Tax Credit. It is the right thing to do, even if it is a controversial stand within his own party. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Former Idaho legislator Carl Crabtree dies after brain cancer diagnosis
Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Yahoo is using AI to generate takeaways from this article. This means the info may not always match what's in the article. Reporting mistakes helps us improve the experience. Generate Key Takeaways The late Sen. Carl Crabtree, R-Grangeville, works from the Idaho Senate floor at the Statehouse in Boise on Jan. 17, 2022 in this file photo. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) Carl Crabtree, a rancher and former member of the Idaho Legislature who was known for his support of students and public schools, died Tuesday following a battle with brain cancer, state officials said. Crabtree, a Republican from Grangeville, served in the Idaho Senate from 2016 to 2022. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX During his tenure in the Idaho Legislature, Crabtree supported literary instruction initiatives and pushed to make kindergarten available all day, not just as a half-day class. During his final legislative session in 2022, Crabtree co-sponsored House Bill 731, a law that spells out requirements to screen Idaho students for dyslexia and provides dyslexia professional development training for educators. House Bill 731 received bipartisan support, passed both chambers of the Idaho Legislature unanimously and was signed into law by Gov. Brad Little on March 23, 2022. Idaho Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield announced Crabtree's death in social media posts Tuesday night and issued a press release mourning Crabtree on Wednesday. 'Today, I lost one of my dearest friends and Idaho lost a true champion,' Critchfield wrote. 'Carl Crabtree was more than a colleague — he was a cowboy at heart, a fierce advocate for education and a man whose integrity shaped everything he touched. Carl's passion for serving Idaho's students and families never wavered, even in the face of his personal battle with cancer. From his work championing early literacy and dyslexia resources to his tireless efforts supporting educators, Carl's legacy will live on in the lives he changed.' Former Idaho legislator was a 'Friend of Education' award recipient The Idaho School Boards Association honored Crabtree in 2022 with its 'Friend of Education' award, and in 2023 Lewis-Clark State College honored Crabtree with its 'President's Medallion' award. Need to get in touch? Have a news tip? CONTACT US After he was defeated in the 2022 Republican primary election, Crabtree worked for the Idaho Department of Education as director of intergovernmental affairs. Before serving in the Idaho Legislature, Crabtree worked as a rancher, an extension agent for the University of Idaho, oversaw local 4-H programs in his community for decades and was active with several cattle organizations. Before his recent battle with brain cancer, Crabtree had beaten esophageal cancer following a 2022 diagnosis, officials said 'Carl was one of the most genuine, hardworking and kind-hearted people I've ever known,' Critchfield wrote. 'He was a cowboy through and through — steadfast, loyal and full of grit. While I mourn the passing of my dear friend, I am deeply grateful for the time we shared.' Information about memorial services was not immediately available Wednesday. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Idaho Legislature on the brink of wrapping up its work for the year
The Idaho State Capitol building in Boise on Jan. 23, 2024. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) After 88 days in session, the Idaho Legislature moved closer to finishing its business for the year Thursday at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise. On Thursday night, the Idaho House of Representatives adjourned until 10 a.m. Friday, while the Idaho Senate adjourned until 9:30 a.m. Friday. Legislators hoped to wrap up all of their work Thursday. But just before 7 p.m., Senate Majority Leader Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, said the Senate was short on staff and the paperwork and procedural work necessary to wrap up would have taxed the staff and kept everyone at the Statehouse way too late. Moments later, House Majority Leader Jason Monks, R-Meridian, said the House hopes to finish its work Friday, but House members may need to work into the afternoon. 'Hopefully we'll be able to finish it all up tomorrow,' Monks said Thursday night. To move closer to adjournment, legislators passed many of the unresolved agency budgets over the course of about 12 hours Thursday. The Idaho Senate kicked off the action Thursday morning by unanimously passing a key fiscal year 2026 natural resources maintenance of operations budget that the Senate had retained on its calendar for a month without taking action. The natural resources budget, House Bill 248, was the last of 10 maintenance of operations budgets that needed to pass both chambers of the Idaho Legislature. The Idaho House of Representatives had already passed the natural resources budget back on Feb. 20. By Thursday afternoon, the House picked up the budget-passing baton, passing key budgets for the Idaho Transportation Department, the Idaho Office of Energy and Mineral Resources and Idaho State Liquor Division — all three of which had previously failed. Thursday's action by the Idaho Senate and Idaho House to pass many of the final budgets built upon the momentum JFAC generated a day earlier by rewriting the final failed budget enhancements and sending those rewritten budgets on to the Idaho House and Idaho Senate. During a break in the action Thursday, Rep. Wendy Horman, R-Idaho Falls, provided a summary of the fiscal year 2026 budget. Horman said the full budget represents a 6.7% increase over the current budget, with 5% of the increase accounted for in the maintenance of operations budgets. Horman said legislators are leaving a $400 million ending balance, in case of an economic downturn. 'We have work that we can all be proud of, because we have been able to fund essential governance services while returning as much money to the taxpayer as possible in setting a balanced budget,' Horman said. Thursday was the 88th day of the 2025 legislative session, which gaveled in back on Jan. 6. There is no requirement to adjourn legislative sessions by any certain date. Most legislative sessions run for about 80 to 90 days. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
31-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Idaho Legislature approves ban on SNAP coverage for candy, soda
A "SNAP welcomed here" sign is seen at the entrance to a Big Lots store in Portland, Oregon. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is a federal program. (Getty Images) A bill to ban a food assistance program from covering candy and soda is headed to Gov. Brad Little for consideration. Idaho also needs federal approval for the proposed ban. House Bill 109 would require the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare to seek federal approval to exclude candy and soda from foods eligible for coverage by the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Idaho's bill is part of the national movement coined 'Make America Healthy Again,' or MAHA, promoted by U.S. health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the bill's cosponsor Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d'Alene has told lawmakers. And, he said, soda is the 'number one commodity spent on SNAP.' Business industry representatives oppose the bill. Arguing the bill wouldn't be workable, Idaho House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, has said it would cause grocery stores to stop accepting SNAP. But bill cosponsor Senate Majority Caucus Chair Ben Toews, R-Coeur d'Alene, says he's skeptical the bill would be hard on retailers. He said the bill's candy definition is used in 24 other states' sales tax laws. The Idaho House passed the bill on a 48-20 vote on Monday, after the chamber had already narrowly approved the bill. It came back to the House after the Senate amended the bill to tweak the candy definition. The Idaho Senate passed an amended version of the bill on a 25-10 vote last week. Idaho Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, critiqued the bill as another way to control poor people. Sen. Camille Blaylock, R-Caldwell, suggested it isn't likely Idaho would make the change alone. Idaho's waiver, she argued, would join other states' requests, applying pressure for a nationwide change. When the bill is transmitted to the governor, he has five days, excluding Sundays, to decide on it. He has three options: sign it into law, allow it to become law without his signature, or veto it. If passed into law, the bill would take effect July 1. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Pushback has largely focused on the bill's broad candy definition, which critics say would also ban granola bars and power bars. The bill defines candy as 'a preparation of sugar, honey, or other natural or artificial sweeteners combined with chocolate, fruit, nuts or other ingredients or flavorings' in several forms. Under the bill, candy would not include items that contain flour or need refrigeration. The Senate amended the bill to tweak the candy definition, removing an exemption for items with more than 10% flour by weight. The bill's soda definition also appears to be broad. Under the bill, soda includes nonalcoholic beverages with sweeteners, artificial or natural. But the bill doesn't consider soda to be drinks with more than 50% juice, contain milk or milk substitutes, or that need preparation, such as powders or concentrates. About 132,000 Idahoans are enrolled in SNAP, according to Idaho Department of Health and Welfare figures, receiving an average of $177 in monthly program benefits. If the federal U.S. Department of Agriculture, or USDA, doesn't grant Idaho's candy/soda SNAP ban waiver, the bill says Health and Welfare 'shall request such a waiver annually until such a waiver is granted.' The bill's fiscal note estimates it would not have a fiscal impact. Republican legislators in Arizona, Kansas, Utah and Wyoming introduced similar bills, Stateline reported. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
