Idaho Reports

Idaho legislators have made only minor changes to the state's abortion laws since the U.S. Supreme Court restored their power to regulate abortion. Lead organizer Melanie Folwell with Idahoans United for Women & Children sits down with associate producer Logan Finney to explain the early drafts of a voter initiative that seeks to put a new abortion law on the ballot in 2026, as well as the next steps before they begin collecting signatures.

President Joe Biden announced on Sunday that he is no longer seeking reelection this November. Now, the Democratic Party has swiftly aligned behind Vice President Kamala Harris as their new nominee. Associate Producer Logan Finney sits down with delegate Rep. Lauren Necochea, chair of the Idaho Democratic Party, to discuss the race and what comes next at the DNC in Chicago.

Former president Donald J. Trump has selected U.S. Sen. JD Vance of Ohio as his running mate in the 2024 election. Idaho delegate Theo Wold joined Melissa Davin on Thursday from the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee to discuss what a Vance vice presidency might mean for Idaho and for the Republican Party.

Idaho state law now requires "reasonable age verification methods" on adult websites to prevent minors from accessing pornography and other harmful content. Associate producer Logan Finney sits down with Molly Buckley, a legal fellow at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, to learn about these verification tools and the privacy concerns that arise with collecting sensitive personal data online.

Break: July 4, 2024 by Idaho Public Television

Associate producer Logan Finney sat down with Charlie Hunt of the School of Public Service and Jen Schneider of the College of Innovation and Design at Boise State University to share what happened this year at the Idaho Republican Party Convention.

The Big Tent is a public affairs radio show on Radio Boise hosted by School of Public Service faculty at Boise State University. Learn more: https://www.boisestate.edu/sps/big-tent-radio/

In observation of the Juneteenth federal holiday, we're re-airing "Race and the Gem State," an Idaho Reports special produced in June 2020 as communities across the nation protested against racism and police brutality following the death of George Floyd. The episode discusses the role of protests and vigils in effecting change, as well as the history of anti-black racism in Idaho.

The Idaho Republican Party 2024 Convention is underway in Coeur d'Alene where delegates will consider resolutions, platform updates and rule changes. Associate producer Logan Finney spoke with Mary Souza and Dorothy Moon, the two candidates for party chair, about their motivation to run and their visions for the party.

Joining the podcast this week is Alex Adams, the new director of the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. He has served for the past five years as budget director for Gov. Brad Little, and now he takes the helm at one of the largest – and most expensive – state agencies. Associate producer Logan Finney discusses Adams’s first week on the job, his actions to streamline adoption and foster care placements, and the relationship between the Legislature and IDHW moving forward.

The results from Idaho's spring primary are official. The Idaho Board of Canvassers — made up of the Secretary of State, State Controller and State Treasurer — met Wednesday in Idaho Falls to certify the results of the May 21st primary election and review post-election audit findings. Several four-person auditor teams from the Secretary of State's Office spent the week ahead of the state canvass conducting precinct-level audits of specific races in several counties. Idaho Reports observed part of the Valley County audit on Monday at the courthouse in Cascade.

View the photos: https://blog.idahoreports.idahoptv.org/2024/06/06/election-results-finalized-no-major-audit-findings/

More from Idaho Capital Sun: https://idahocapitalsun.com/2024/06/05/idaho-election-officials-certify-may-primary-election-results/