Idaho Gov. C. L. “Butch” Otter has proclaimed May to be National Hepatitis Awareness Month in Idaho. Hepatitis C is the leading cause of liver cancer and the No. 1 cause of liver transplants in the country. The proclamation helps shed light on the more than 3 million Americans living with Hepatitis C infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the fact that the majority of those people don’t know they are infected. It’s important for everyone to learn about the dangers of Hepatitis C and the importance of being tested if you have a higher risk of being infected. Continue reading “It’s Hepatitis Awareness Month in Idaho. How high is your risk for hepatitis?”
Governor’s Office releases draft child support enforcement bill
The Governor’s Office has released the legislation the Idaho Legislature will consider during its special session on Monday, May 18. If it is approved, it will bring the Idaho’s Child Support Program into federal compliance and avoid the loss of access to enforcement tools and funds.
“This has been a collaborative effort, and I am pleased we have a bill we can pass efficiently so our Child Support Program can continue to help Idaho families get the financial resources they’re entitled to,” said Department of Health and Welfare Director Richard Armstrong. Continue reading “Governor’s Office releases draft child support enforcement bill”
Gov. Otter convenes special legislative session for child support bill
Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter issued a proclamation today to convene a special session of the Idaho Legislature on Monday, May 18, to consider a bill that will bring Idaho’s Child Support Program into national compliance.
“It is a great relief to us that Gov. Otter is initiating this opportunity for lawmakers to reconsider legislation that is good for our children and good for our state,” Department of Health and Welfare Director Richard Armstrong said. “We know the extreme hardships that could occur if we don’t fix this. We have great confidence in our legislators that they will resolve this for the sake of our children.” Continue reading “Gov. Otter convenes special legislative session for child support bill”
Gov. Otter calls for news conference on child support system
Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter will conduct a news conference about Idaho’s child support system at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday in his Ceremonial Office on the second floor of the Capitol. It will be streamed via Idaho Public Television at http://idahoptv.org/insession/gov.cfm.
State’s second crisis center to be in Coeur d’Alene
A second regional behavioral health crisis center will be located in Coeur d’Alene and is expected to be up and running by the end of the year.
Details about the contract and specific location are still being finalized, according to Ross Edmunds, administrator for the Department of Health and Welfare’s Division of Behavioral Health.
Continue reading “State’s second crisis center to be in Coeur d’Alene”
Cottage food and food code meetings start today in North Idaho. Don’t miss them!
Officials from the Department of Health and Welfare’s Food Protection Program are very interested in hearing about what you think about the regulation of cottage foods, or those that are made in a personal kitchen and then given away or sold. Typically cottage foods include breads, cakes, cookies, fruit jams, candies, dried fruits and fruit pies. Currently, Idaho does not regulate cottage food producers.
Continue reading “Cottage food and food code meetings start today in North Idaho. Don’t miss them!”
Idaho Public Health schedules meetings statewide for cottage food and food code updates
The Idaho Department of Health and Welfare’s Food Protection Program is hosting a series of public meetings throughout Idaho in April and May to discuss two important issues: cottage foods and proposed Idaho Food Code updates.
Cottage foods are foods that are typically produced in a person’s home and sold or given away directly to other people. The production of these foods is currently unregulated. The public meetings will help clarify the types of foods that are allowed to be unregulated. Community members also will have the opportunity to discuss whether the state Food Protection Program should promulgate rules specific to cottage food production. Continue reading “Idaho Public Health schedules meetings statewide for cottage food and food code updates”
Here’s what would be affected if Idaho loses its TANF funds
If the state Idaho’s Child Support Program doesn’t meet federal requirements by June 12, the state’s Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) funding of $30.4 million is threatened.
A list of programs that receive all or part of their funding from the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families is below. The budgets for these programs are a mix of state and federal funds. The percentages vary for each program, so it’s impossible to say at this point what the impact might be if Idaho stops receiving TANF funds. But we do know that each of these programs would be affected. We’re seeking more information and clarification from federal officials. Continue reading “Here’s what would be affected if Idaho loses its TANF funds”
A roundup of questions we’re being asked about the child support legislation
This is a compilation of questions compiled and written by staffs of the Idaho Attorney General’s Office, Department of Health and Welfare and the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement.
Does the legislation threaten the due process rights of Idaho’s citizens?
No. In fact, the amendments expressly say that an Idaho court may refuse to recognize and enforce an order if the issuing tribunal (a court of law in another country) did not observe minimum standards of due process. This legislation actually increases due process protections compared to the current child support law in Idaho.
Continue reading “A roundup of questions we’re being asked about the child support legislation”
Gov. Otter: ‘We are engaged, and we are going to do something.’
Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter spoke to the media Thursday morning assessing the 2015 legislative session, and addressed the child support bill that was tabled, SB 1067. Otter said he is working with lawmakers to find a solution.
“I think it’s important that we understand the consequences of doing nothing,” he said.
Continue reading “Gov. Otter: ‘We are engaged, and we are going to do something.’”
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