During the pandemic, days and weeks have had this way of bleeding together. Why should legislative sessions be any different? Everything Idahoans saw from the Legislature this week they will see again — in just 53 days, when lawmakers return to the Statehouse.
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After 311 days, the 2021 Legislature calls it a year
Lawmakers wrapped up a record-setting session Wednesday. In three days, they passed only one piece of legislation: a nonbinding memorial decrying the Biden administration’s vaccine mandates.
West Ada to phase out mask mandate
The policy, in place for two months, will expire after Thanksgiving.
Idaho fall reading results show improvement from pandemic drop
Kindergarten was a novel exception. Only 40% of kindergarteners entered school reading at grade level this year, the lowest percent in recent memory.
The Legislature returns, and sanctions Giddings
MORE INSIDE on how the rest of the morning unfolded. Legislative leaders hope to wrap up business by Wednesday following the unusual decision to reconvene in November.
Analysis: Idaho’s on-call Legislature is coming back to town. Like it or not.
The 2021 Legislature resumes early Monday morning, and will start quickly with a whopping 32 bills. All of them relate to federal vaccine mandates.
‘It’s serious’: Emails reveal details leading up to closure of two charter schools
The principal downplayed claims the schools enrolled far less students than what was reported to the state, and teachers cried when hearing of closures, according to emails.
A new political map charts a course for high-profile Statehouse showdowns
The list of big-name incumbents that could face primary challenges from fellow lawmakers includes House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, Senate Education Committee Chairman Steven Thayn, and the chairs of the Legislature’s tax committees.
K-12 enrollment rebounds, virtual schools see declines
Thousands of students returned to school this year, reversing last year’s pandemic-driven decline.
Analysis: It was an unusual school election. Or is it the new normal?
Vows to oppose mask mandates and critical race theory resonated with many voters. But now it’s time for dozens of new board members to move out of election mode.