Be wary of tax scams, says local resident

Area residents might want to watch their mail boxes for Internal Revenue Service collection or lien settlement scams. Recently, collection notices appearing to be from the IRS or the state of Idaho have been found in mail boxes in Boundary County.

Saddling Idahoans with student loan cancellation is irresponsible, unaffordable

The higher education system warrants careful review as rising tuition costs and the amount of student loans disbursed for education saddle students and graduates with financial difficulties. But, placing the burden of our nation’s outstanding student loan debt on taxpayers, including Idahoans who have worked hard to pay back their loans, is irresponsible and unaffordable. Student loan relief is not free; it must be paid for in part by the overwhelming majority of Americans who do not benefit but are impacted by record-high inflation. The Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget estimates all of President Biden’s student loan policies may cost taxpayers as much as $1.4 trillion.

It's time to end the Direct File program

In May, the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) made the mistake of converting the Direct File pilot program into a permanent, unauthorized, multibillion-dollar government detour into the tax preparation business.

Gov. Little opens Idaho's legislative session with State of the State

School choice, an investment in the state’s natural resources and expanded efforts to address the state’s housing needs were some of the key issues highlighted in Monday’s opening of the legislative session.

Idaho Gov. Little visits area to talk 'Keeping Promises' plan

Governor Brad Little's laid out his vision for education policy Monday during a press conference at the StanCraft Jet Center as part of his "Keeping promises" plan for 2025.

Database shines line on candidates' donations

I recently did some research into local candidates' donations using the Idaho Sunshine Database. After this research, I have a few questions

Hutchings announces bid for District 1A seat

Bonner County resident Spencer Hutchings has announced his plan to run for the District 1A seat in the Idaho House of Representatives as a Republican.

Don't get fooled this election season

There's an old saying: “You can fool ALL people SOME of the time---you can fool SOME people ALL the time—but you can't fool ALL the people ALL the time!” I don't like to admit it, but I've been fooled. But it's not a disgrace to be misled—we are all deceived occasionally: the problem is if we fall for the scam a second time.

IRS must act quickly to help resolve identity theft cases

The Internal Revenue Service has been flush with funds since the Biden Administration enacted an incredible $80 billion in addition to the agency’s $12.3 billion annual budget. Despite these funds being described as a cure-all for the IRS’s shortcomings, some customer service has actually worsened. One in particular is the resolution of identity theft cases, sometimes leaving identity theft victims in stressful financial limbo for nearly two years.

Facility committee waiting until after legislative session before discussing school bond

The Boundary County School District’s facility committee is recommending the district wait to run a possible school bond until after the legislative session is over.

Legislative candidates debate the issues

Legislative candidates for the upcoming election shared more about their platform and views during a candidate forum hosted by local media and the Selkirk Association of Realtors on Tuesday.

Idaho’s water is in trouble and farmers, not government mandates, are the solution

Most people don’t know it, but Idaho has a problem – a big problem only Idahoans can solve.

Veterans: Don’t feed the ‘claim sharks’

Sharks are circling local veterans. They’re not out for blood, but for a cut of disability compensation benefits.

2024 legislative session saw many successes

District 1 legislators discuss local issues, legislation, and concerns in the weekly Notes From Boise column.

Bonners Ferry’s Adam Hiatt receives Frontier Conference Coach of the Year Award

Even though Hiatt is now in Butte achieving numerous historical feats and milestones at Montana Tech, he hasn’t forgotten the town in which he hails from… Bonners Ferry.

It's time to honor Idaho's wildland firefighters

The Interagency Wildland Firefighter Monument stands on the grounds of the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC) in Boise. NIFC offers a virtual tour of the monument available at nifc.gov/wildland-firefighters-monument.

ALICE update: Wage growth no match for inflation

Despite bigger paychecks, struggling households in Idaho rose from 2021 to 2022, updated report shows

The findings in this one-year period are consistent with a more than decade-long trend: Since the end of the Great Recession, despite some ups and downs, the number of ALICE households in Idaho has been steadily growing.

Proposed firearms bill draws concern

A firearms bill being heard by the Senate State Affairs Committee would add a level of “nuance” to state statute, according to its author. However, critics dispute Herndon’s contention, saying the bill could jeopardize their property rights allowed under a lease and could put such events as the Festival at Sandpoint at risk.

Legals for March, 28 2024

Funding, taxes and the Idaho Legislature

We have finished seven weeks of the 2024 legislative session. It looks like we have four to five weeks to go.