Politics & Goverment

U.S. Congressman Raul Labrador introduced a bill in the House Tuesday seeking to tighten enforcement of immigration laws and cracking down on so-called Sanctuary Cities.

The bill is called the Davis-Oliver Act; it’s named after two California law enforcement officers who were killed in 2014 by an undocumented immigrant.

Among the provisions of the bill are requirements that all applicants for a visa to the U.S. undergo additional screening. Part of that enhanced vetting includes letting security agencies access an applicant’s social media profiles.

Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter says he's endorsing Republican Lt. Gov. Brad Little in Idaho's 2018 governor race.

Otter said Tuesday that while the gubernatorial race currently has a several capable candidates, he's always supported Little. Otter appointed Little to serve as his second-in-command in 2009.

Otter's announcement is the first high-profile endorsement of the 2018 gubernatorial race. It's roughly one year until the Republican primary election takes place.

Members of the Idaho Senate from the right and the left jointly filed a petition to intervene in the lawsuit over Governor Butch Otter's veto of a bill that would've repealed the state's tax on groceries.

The field of candidates for Idaho’s Lt. Governor has again increased. There are now five GOP hopefuls seeking the position.

The former chairman of the state’s Republican Party, Steve Yates, is the most recent to throw a hat in the ring for Lt. Governor. The businessman from eastern Idaho previously served as an aid to Vice President Dick Cheney.

Update 10:34 a.m. Thursday: Former Republican Lt. Governor David Leroy has filed paperwork to run for Labrador's seat. He is the first candidate to enter the race.

Earlier this week Republican Rep. Raul Labrador filed paperwork to run for Idaho governor, ending a long period of speculation about whether he would jump into the race. Now, political wonks are turning their attention to who might seek his congressional seat. 

In a 5-to-2 vote Monday, the Twin Falls City Council decided to label the community a “Neighborly City.”

In the run-up to the decision, the city council heard more than three hours of public comment at meetings over the last month.

The “Neighborly City” label is a tamer version of declarations other cities have made calling themselves either “Welcoming” or “Sanctuary Cities” where federal immigration law is either downplayed or outright flouted.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order that questions the validity of some national monuments in the West.  The order applies to any national monument created after 1995 that totals at least 100,000 acres.

Friday, the Interior Department released the list of monuments up for review and announced the first-ever public comment period on the topic. In a new twist, Idaho's Craters of the Moon National Monument made the list.

Ahead of August’s total solar eclipse which will pass through Idaho, the state’s Department of Commerce is launching a website to help eclipse watchers coming to the Gem State.

Anywhere from 500,000 to a million people are expected to descend on Idaho this August to watch the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle of day turning to night as the moon blots out the sun.

Sunday night, Congress negotiated a budget bill to fund the government for the next six months. One provision not included was a reauthorization of the Secure Rural Schools Act, or SRS.

Monday evening in Twin Falls, the city council heard two hours of testimony about a resolution that would declare the community a “Neighborly City.”

The language in the resolution describes Twin Falls as “a community where all residents are welcomed, accepted and given the opportunity to connect with each other without bias.” Out of 28 speakers who shared views on the proposal, 21 spoke in favor of it.