Politics/Policy

After months of self-examination following last year's election losses, the Republican National Committee released a self-assessment this week.  The R-N-C issued a 100-page report that outlines dozens of recommendations to make the GOP a more welcoming and inclusive party.

The report says Republicans "must embrace and champion comprehensive immigration reform," and reach out to Hispanics.

A sales tax exemption for Girl Scout cookies sold in Idaho will advance to the upper chamber after lawmakers in the House approved the measure 59-11.

Idaho and Hawaii are the only two states that tax the sale of Girl Scout cookies. In Idaho, 22 cents from every box sold goes to the state. That amounts to about $140,000 in revenue each year.

Three Idaho school districts and a county have been honored for their websites. The non-profit government transparency organization Sunshine Review gave its annual Sunny Awards to the 247 government websites it deemed most transparent.  

The Boise, Blaine County and Caldwell School Districts made the list. Canyon was the only Idaho county to show up.

Idaho Congressman Raul Labrador joined the GOP's biggest stars Thursday morning as thousands of conservatives and tea party activists gather near Washington DC.

The Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, offers Republican leaders a high-profile stage to talk about issues, including immigration.

Labrador told CPAC members that conservatives need a grander vision for immigration reform.  He laid out a three-point plan.

After seven hours of debate, Idaho House lawmakers voted 41-29 to pass a bill that would give Idaho control over building and maintaining an online insurance marketplace.

Public comment on the Idaho Legislature’s new health insurance exchange bill starts bright and early Thursday morning. With signup starting at 6:30 a.m., interested citizens will have the chance give the House Health and Welfare Committee their opinion on the revamped bill that would create a state-based health insurance exchange.

Idaho aims to return the hilltop mansion to the Simplot family by June 30 in a tentative agreement over the would-be governor's residence-turned-money pit that remained vacant even as maintenance costs skyrocketed.

That's according to a resolution approved unanimously by Idaho Governor's Housing Committee Friday at a meeting in Boise.

J.R. Simplot, the deceased billionaire who built his agricultural empire, in part, on french fry sales to McDonald's, donated the home in 2004.

The White House says automatic spending reductions will be put off until late this evening.  President Obama must issue the order for $85 billion in cuts sometime today.  And White House press secretary Jay Carney says that means midnight, because Obama remains "ever hopeful." 

Idaho Governor Butch Otter weighed in on the cuts known as the sequester yesterday.  He was on the east coast, speaking to a meeting of Farmers Insurance officials.