Idaho

Mid-Sized City Mayors Urge Feds Not to Forget Them in Climate Fight

The type of infrastructure investment needed to advance the Biden administration’s climate policy goals could be out of reach for many small and mid-sized cities without federal help.

  • By Andrea Noble

Lawsuit: State Vaccination Program Should Prioritize Seniors

An 87-year-old Idaho man filed the suit, seeking to force the state to alter its Covid-19 vaccination program.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Attorneys General, FTC File Antitrust Lawsuits Against Facebook

Trump administration proposes $600 direct payments… Protests disrupt a vote on an Idaho mask mandate… Michigan undertakes an election audit.

  • By Andrea Noble

Arizona Legislature Closed After Giuliani Hearing

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Covid-19 patients flown out of South Dakota… Alabama sheriff takes down “thugshots” social media post… Republican governors call for Congress to pass Covid aid.

  • By Andrea Noble

Rural Public Health Staff Strained by Covid Surge, Public Backlash

STATE AND LOCAL ROUNDUP | Two Minnesota state senators switch from Democratic caucus to independents, citing polarization … Plans for historic dam removal moving ahead … Matthew McConaughey for Texas governor?

  • By Bill Lucia

One Republican Governor Reversed Course on a Mask Mandate. Others Are Still Resisting.

Utah Gov. Gary Herbert declared an indefinite statewide mask mandate on Sunday as coronavirus cases continue to spike around the country, but other governors—including those in states hit hardest by the virus—haven't budged.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Concerned About Mail-In Voting? Maybe a Virtual Assistant Can Help.

Idaho is using IBM's virtual assistant platform to answer common questions about mail-in voting, a technology available for free in the lead-up to the presidential election.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Roadkill Dropped During Coronavirus Shutdowns, Study Found

The study, which found a 58% decrease in mountain lions killed by cars, examined crash reports involving large animals and traffic patterns in three states.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

Critics Question CARES Act Spending in Some States

“I’ve yet to meet a pothole that has the coronavirus.”

  • By Sophie Quinton, Stateline

Idaho Becomes First State to Ban Transgender Athletes From Women’s Sports

Proponents of the new law argue that a ban is intended to create a “level playing field.” Opponents say that the policy is discriminatory and unnecessary.

  • By Emma Coleman

Amid Closures, Libraries Find New Ways to Provide Services

As their branches close to protect public health, librarians turn to virtual programming and relief efforts to continue serving their communities.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram

A State Seeks to Boost Air Travel Within its Borders

There are no direct flights between cities in Idaho, so travelers must take connecting flights out of state to travel between them. One lawmaker hopes to establish a committee to tackle the problem.

  • By Kate Elizabeth Queram
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Supreme Court Declines to Consider Homeless Camping Ban Case

The high court is leaving in place an appellate court ruling that found it was unconstitutional to prosecute homeless people for sleeping in public outdoors when no shelter was available.

  • By Andrea Noble

Cities, States Urge Supreme Court to Hear Homeless Camping Ban Case

After a Boise, Idaho law that prohibits sleeping in public spaces was ruled unconstitutional by an appellate court, some local governments are raising concerns about how they can now legally address problems stemming from homeless people living on the streets.

  • By Andrea Noble

Smithsonian to Rural Regions: Your Wealth Is in Your Culture

A traveling exhibit will visit up to 165 rural cities across 28 states.

  • By April Simpson

Tracking State Spending in Real Time with Budget Transparency Websites

Oklahoma and Idaho are the latest states to launch budget transparency websites as a way to give residents access to real-time agency spending data.

  • By Andrea Noble

Six States to Craft Election Security Plans Through National Academy

The National Governors Association-sponsored policy academy will help officials from Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Nevada and Virginia devise communications and response plans to deploy if their election systems come under attack.

  • By Andrea Noble

Why Eating Roadkill Makes Roads Safer for People and Animals

States are legalizing roadkill salvaging to feed communities and track animal migration.

  • By Matt Vasilogambros

Medicaid Expansion Won Big on Election Day

Three out of four conservative states approved measures, while the election of a Democratic governor in Maine seemingly ends the Republican effort to block last year’s successful referendum.

  • By Dave Nyczepir

Appeals Court Finds That Anti-Camping Ordinance Violates Eighth Amendment Protections

The Martin v. City of Boise ruling offers caution for local governments looking to prosecute homeless people for sleeping on the streets without having adequate shelter resources.

  • By Michael Grass

Another Example of a Simple Idea That’s Spread From One City to Another

In Boise, traffic box art has become an important visual element of the downtown streetscape.

  • By Michael Grass