Friday, January 31, 2025
27.0°F

Judge rules in favor of education funding ballot initiative

Keith Ridler | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 7 months AGO
by Keith Ridler
| June 23, 2020 3:36 PM

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A federal judge on Tuesday ordered Idaho officials to decide by Friday afternoon whether to put an education funding initiative on the November ballot or allow more time for electronic signature gathering.

U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill issued the order after granting a preliminary injunction to Reclaim Idaho, a group that backs citizen initiatives.

The education funding initiative seeks to raise $170 million for K-12 education by raising Idaho’s corporate tax rate and increasing taxes on individuals making $250,000 a year or higher.

Reclaim Idaho in a lawsuit filed earlier this month said that Republican Gov. Brad Little's statewide stay-at-home order in late March due to the coronavirus pandemic didn’t include any exceptions for ballot initiative signature gathering.

The group said that violated the First Amendment-protected process of signature gathering, a form of political speech.

Winmill in granting the injunction said Reclaim Idaho was likely to win the case and, except for the pandemic, likely would have gathered enough signatures for the initiative to appear on the November ballot.

Secretary of State Chief Deputy Chad Houck said that agency hadn’t had time to review the decision and had no comment.

MORE IMPORTED STORIES

Judge rules in favor of education funding ballot initiative
Columbia Basin Herald | Updated 4 years, 7 months ago
Judge rules in favor of education funding ballot initiative
Columbia Basin Herald | Updated 4 years, 7 months ago
Federal judge revives Reclaim Idaho initiative
Bonner County Daily Bee | Updated 4 years, 7 months ago

ARTICLES BY KEITH RIDLER

September 6, 2021 12:06 a.m.

US to bolster firefighter ranks as wildfires burn year-round

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — U.S. wildfire managers have started shifting from seasonal to full-time firefighting crews to deal with what has become a

September 5, 2021 12:03 a.m.

US to bolster firefighter ranks as wildfires burn year-round

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — U.S. wildfire managers have started shifting from seasonal to full-time firefighting crews to deal with what has become a

September 5, 2021 12:03 a.m.

Idaho special session for Texas-type abortion law unlikely

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho lawmakers being called back to the Statehouse to pass a law similar to one in Texas banning most abortions is not likely, top elected officials said Thursday.