Commission for Reapportionment co-chairs Bart Davis and Dan Schmidt discuss the new legislative and congressional district maps, as well as criticisms the commission has faced.

On Wednesday, Nov. 10, the redistricting commission held its final meeting to approve electoral maps and a final report. The commissioners finished their work before the legal deadline at the end of the month, and now the maps face likely legal challenges before eventually coming into play in the spring 2022 primaries.

Rudy Soto, chairman of the Idaho Democratic Party’s Native American Democrats Caucus, outlines his concerns with the state’s redistricting process and what the new maps mean for minority representation across the state.

On Wednesday, Nov. 10, the redistricting commission held its final meeting to approve electoral maps and a final report. The commissioners finished their work before the legal deadline at the end of the month, and now the maps face likely legal challenges before eventually coming into play in the spring 2022 primaries.

This week, Idaho Department of Health and Welfare officials confirmed the first pediatric death from COVID-19 in Idaho. The infant lived in southwest Idaho, was younger than a year old, and passed away in October. The department didn’t release any other details to protect the family’s privacy.

The news comes as COVID cases and hospitalizations are dropping statewide, with ICU admissions now at levels Idaho hasn’t seen since August. Those numbers are still higher than officials would like to see, but they’re trending in the right direction.

Currently, the counties with the highest 7-day rolling average case rates are Benewah, Bonneville, Madison, Lewis, and Bonner counties.

As of Friday, 4,701 children between the ages of 5 and 11 have received their first dose of the Pfizer COVID vaccine. Idaho’s vaccination rates continue to lag behind national numbers. Nationwide, 80 percent of adults ages 18 and older have received at least one dose. In Idaho, that number is just 64 percent.

Lawmakers are ready to return to Boise, but what they will accomplish is anyone’s guess. This week, redistricting commission co-chairs Bart Davis and Dan Schmidt discuss challenges in creating the new electoral district maps. Rudy Soto outlines his concerns with minority representation under the new redistricting plan. Finally, House Speaker Scott Bedke, House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, and Senate Pro Tem Chuck Winder join us for a preview of the legislature’s return next week.

On Wednesday, Nov. 10, the redistricting commission held its final meeting to approve electoral maps and a final report. The commissioners finished their work before the legal deadline at the end of the month, and now the maps face likely legal challenges before eventually coming into play in the spring 2022 primaries. Clark Corbin of the Idaho Capital Sun joins Logan Finney to break down the process and what happens next.

This week the CDC gave its final approval for emergency use authorization of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5-11 years old. The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare urges parents to consider the vaccine, saying it is both safe and effective.

The children’s vaccine is available at your Idaho public health districts, or visit www.vaccines.gov to find a vaccine near you.

The statewide test positivity rate, or percentage of tests that come back positive, has dropped to 10.3 percent, down from this surge’s high of 17 percent. That’s the lowest that number has been since the beginning of August. Public health officials aim to keep the rate below 5%.

Hospitalizations and ICU admissions continue to drop, but some hospitals in Idaho continue to operate under crisis standards of care, meaning there are more patients in need than there are resources to help everyone.

On Nov. 4, the state reported that there were 19 available ICU beds statewide. As of Thursday, 3,629 Idahoans have died of COVID-19 related causes.

This week, producer Logan Finney explores the impact of local option sales tax on Idaho resort towns, and why other Idaho cities wish they had that option. Then, Dr. Jaclyn Kettler of Boise State University and Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News give us a run-down of Tuesday’s election results, and whether we can draw any statewide conclusions from them.

Producer Ruth Brown is joined by University of Idaho College of Law Professor Shaakirrah Sanders to discuss the state’s recent decision to challenge President Biden’s executive order on vaccines.

The state of Idaho has joined multiple other states in the lawsuit, led by Georgia, which challenges an executive order that would require employees of federal contractors be fully vaccinated by December 8, 2021, with few exceptions. The State Board of Education is also party to the lawsuit on behalf of Idaho universities.

Sanders applies constitutional principles around executive authority, states' rights, and federal contracting to examine the issue.

On Friday, the FDA authorized COVID-19 vaccines for children ages 5 to 11. The CDC must still give the final approval before pediatricians can begin administering those shots, but that approval may come as soon as next week.

The statewide test positivity rate, or percentage of tests that come back positive, has dropped to 11.5 percent, down from this surge’s high of 17 percent. That’s the lowest that number has been since the beginning of August. Public health officials would like to see the percentage drop to 5 percent or lower.

Still, north Idaho continues to see much higher levels of community spread, with a test positivity rate of 19.2 percent. Those rates are especially high in Boundary, Shoshone, and Bonner counties. In southern Idaho, Bonneville and Jefferson counties have the highest seven day rolling average case rates.

Hospitalizations and ICU admissions continue to drop, though are still higher than they were at the peak of last December’s surge. A number of Idaho hospitals continue to operate under crisis standards of care, meaning higher nurse to patient ratios and cancelled procedures.

It’s the start of our fiftieth season! Idaho Reports started in 1972 as a live program called “Statehouse Report” that was broadcast directly from the capitol in Boise. Over the coming months, we’ll be taking a look back at some of the highlights from the last five decades, while bringing you the latest Idaho political news on taxes, healthcare policy, education and more.

This week, producer Ruth Brown explores a shortage of juvenile mental health care in rural north central Idaho. Dr. Chris Yates of Idaho State University's Department of Counseling discusses what they are doing to address those shortages, and what the state can do to help. Then, Kevin Richert of Idaho Education News discusses vaccine mandates and the potential impact of next week’s school district elections.

Watch the broadcast show Friday nights at 8pm on Idaho Public Television. Stream it online at www.idahoptv.org/idahoreports or on the PBS app.