Idaho Matters is a wonderful way to stay up to date, meet people and understand there’s much more to this great state. Hosted by Gemma Gaudette on Boise State Public Radio News, it features arts and politics, growth and education, and the interesting stories that make Idaho unique. Send us your questions, comments or story ideas by emailing idahomatters@boisestate.edu or sending us a voicemail using the “Talk To Us” feature on the free Boise State Public Radio app.
A deadly mushroom has shown up in Boise
May 04, 2022
Show notes A Death cap mushroom found in Idaho last fall by Susan Stacy, a member of the Southern Idaho Mycological Association.( Susan Stacy)
People who know mushrooms say there will be more of them. The Death Cap mushroom can be deadly if eaten.
A member of the Southern Idaho Mycological Association found the Death Cap mushroom and the group is now on a mission to educate folks on how to spot them in order to protect people and their pets.
Joining the show to talk more about why the mushrooms are showing up in Boise is the President of the SIMA group, Krista Willmorth.
Call your doctor or the poison control center (800-222-1222) immediately, if you or someone you know has ingested an unknown wild mushroom.
If a pet has eaten an unidentified mushroom, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center’s 24-hour hotline at 888-426-4435 or a veterinarian or veterinary emergency clinic.
What would a Roe v. Wade reversal look like in Idaho?
May 03, 2022
Show notesThe U.S. Supreme Court(Jose Luis Magana / AP)
According to a draft opinion leaked to Politico, the U.S. Supreme Court could be poised to overturn the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade case that legalized abortion nationwide.
A decision to overrule Roe would lead to abortion bans in roughly half of the United States and could have huge ramifications for this year’s elections.
University of Idaho law professor, Shaakirah Sanders joins Idaho Matters to talk more about what this could mean for Idaho and other states.
Are batteries the future for Idaho Power?
May 03, 2022
Show notesAn artist rendering by Powin, the Portland-based company that will be providing the batteries for Idaho Power storage.(Bertholt Schroeder / Powin)
It may be cool now, but that won’t last for long!
Senior Vice President of Operations and Chief Operating Officer of Idaho Power, Adam Richins, joins Idaho Matters to tell us exactly where our power comes from and why the company wants to build its first battery storage facility.
Downtown Boise welcomes back summer events
May 03, 2022
Show notes(Joshua Lindgren - BSPR)
After a two-year pause, downtown Boise's signature summer events will be back, and we’re told they’ll be better than before!
Executive director of the Downtown Boise Association Jennifer Hensley joins us to talk about what we can expect this summer.
Guilty verdict in von Ehlinger trial
May 02, 2022
Show notes Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger (R-Lewiston) during the first day of an ethics hearing into allegations he raped a volunteer staff member. (James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio)
On Friday, a jury found a former Idaho lawmaker guilty of raping a 19-year-old intern last year.
Aaron von Ehlinger is a former House member who could face life in prison.
We should note that during this segment we will be talking about sensitive subjects, including rape and descriptions of sexual violence.
Our own James Dawson covered von Ehlinger's trial in Boise and was there for the verdict. He joins Idaho Matters today to talk more about what he saw in the courtroom, as well as what's next for the case.
Reclaim Idaho says it has enough signatures to bring education funding proposition to the ballot this November
May 02, 2022
Show notesAmy Pratt, a volunteer for Reclaim Idaho, gathers signatures by going door-to-door in Idaho Falls in October 2018 to encourage voters to expand Medicaid eligibility in Idaho. Social distancing measures are making the kind of campaigning needed for ballot measures nearly impossible.(James Dawson / Boise State Public Radio)
Supporters of an initiative to inject millions of dollars to Idaho schools said they have enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot.
Reclaim Idaho gathered nearly 97,000 signatures by the April 29 deadline, which now have to be verified by county clerks and then the Secretary of State. The group expects between 25% through 30% of signatures will be declared invalid during verification.
“[Signers] might not be registered to vote, they might have written their name down not quite legibly, they might have written down a different address than the address where they’re registered,” said Luke Mayville, co-founder and director of Reclaim Idaho. “There are a number of reasons why someone’s signature can be counted as invalid.”
He said the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and a new law greatly increasing signature requirements to get initiatives to statewide ballots created a big challenge. The new law was struck down by Idaho's Supreme Court last August.
Nearly 65,000 verified signatures are required to get the initiative on the ballot, according to the Idaho Secretary of State. Petitioners also need to get signatures from at least 6% of registered voters in at least 18 of Idaho’s 35 legislative districts.
Mayville said Reclaim Idaho received enough signatures to qualify 20 legislative districts - two more than the minimum. About 20,000 people signed the petition during April, he added.
The Quality Education Act would add an additional $323 million annually to schools by adding a 4.5% tax on Idaho taxpayers' income above $250,000 ($500,000 for joint filers), and by returning the state’s corporate tax rate to 8%. In February, Governor Little signed a bill that lowered the corporate tax rate to 6%.
Mayville said the response to the proposed initiative was universally positive across the state. Reclaim Idaho will launch an education campaign leading into Election Day.
“We strongly believe that if we can inform the voters of Idaho about what this issue is and the positive impact it can have on their communities, we will win in November,” he said.
The Secretary of State should announce verification results sometime in July. Mayville said he expects the Quality Education Act will appear on the ballot as ‘Proposition 1.’
Reimagining our meat system with the Women's Work podcast
May 02, 2022
Show notes
For many ranchers their connection and control of their livestock ends when the animals are shipped off the ranch to either be grain-finished and fattened up in a feedlot or sent to slaughter and processing at a large corporate-owned facility. But that's starting to change as women carve out their place in the meat supply chain.Ashley Ahearn has been visiting working ranches across the West in her podcast Women's Work and today we listen in on one episode where she meets rancher Cory Carman who is leading the charge, marketing her beef – and the beef of other ranchers she’s partnered with in the Northwest – to urban, eco-minded consumers.You can listen to all of the Women's Work series wherever you get your podcasts.
Idaho Matters Reporter Roundtable: April 29, 2022
Apr 29, 2022
Show notesCandidates for Idaho Office of Secretary of State debating on stage at Idaho Public Television. ("Idaho Debates" / Idaho Public Television)
Candidate debates, the latest on North Idaho College, and college enrollment. It’s Friday, which means it's time for our Reporter Roundtable where Idaho Matters gets you up-to-date on all the news that made headlines this past week.
Our journalist panel today:
Kevin Richert, senior reporter and blogger with Idaho Ed News
Boise City Council votes in favor of Interfaith Sanctuary's move to State Street
Apr 28, 2022
Show notes(Interfaith Sanctuary / Facebook)
After 20 hours of hearings the Boise City Council voted to let the Interfaith Sanctuary move from its downtown location to a new building on State Street.
The vote was 4-2 in favor of the move. To get those votes, members of the council put a cap on the number of beds at the sanctuary and added 30 new conditions to the project.
The process to get to this point has been a long one for the Interfaith Sanctuary. Joining Idaho Matters to talk more about this story are senior reporter Margaret Carmel with Boisedev.com and Executive Director of Interfaith Sanctuary Jodi Peterson.
Idaho's Constitution takes a road trip
Apr 28, 2022
Show notesConstitution of the State of Idaho( AR1-20106983, Idaho State Archives)
A new traveling exhibit on Idahos Constitution opens today at the community library in Ketchum. The goal of the exhibition is to look at the document’s early history, as well as the conservation efforts taking place to help restore the document.
The Executive Director and Historic Preservation Officer for the Idaho State Historical Society, Janet Gallimore, Joins us to talk more about what you can expect from this exhibit.
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