While the Idaho Republican Party's immediate focus is the November election and winning back a few legislative seats the party lost in 2018, new chairman Tom Luna is looking to growing the party for the future.

Hello, and welcome to Campaign Notebook, where I will be summarizing political developments in the Gem State, and eastern Idaho in particular, every Sunday from now through Election Day.

The Libertarian Party’s presidential nominee was in Idaho Falls Thursday evening, saying she wants to dramatically reduce the federal government’s imprint on American life.

The U.S. Department of Transportation has awarded $20 million to improve transportation connections between Driggs and Jackson, Wyo. through Teton Pass.

Rapper filed as independent, though registered Republican

Gov. Brad Little defended his response to the coronavirus pandemic Wednesday, acknowledging some missteps and upcoming challenges but pointing to good budget and economic numbers as signs that his approach was largely successful.

National laboratories nationwide, including Idaho National Laboratory, have been ordered to suspend all diversity, equity and inclusion-related trainings pending an investigation of all such programs.

BOISE — Gov. Brad Little's Coronavirus Financial Advisory Committee on Tuesday voted unanimously to authorize the use of federal CARES Act funds to reimburse the Boise Police Department for providing security during the recent three-day special session of the Idaho Legislature.

Libertarian Party presidential nominee Jo Jorgensen will be in Idaho this week, visiting Meridian on Wednesday and Idaho Falls on Thursday.

BOISE — Beyond the marquee matchup of Biden vs. Trump, there are five more names on Idaho’s presidential ballot, from Kanye West to Rocky “Rocky” de la Fuente.

Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle will be in Stanley Tuesday for a $2,800-a-plate fundraising dinner.

Lawyers for the Idaho Democratic Party and two Idaho voters filed a lawsuit Friday to kick Kanye West off Idaho’s presidential ballot.

A group of thousands of women in one of the reddest states in the country are doing what they can to help get Joe Biden elected president.

Kanye West will be on Idaho’s presidential ballot, even though there is still an outstanding question of whether he can legally be on it.

Despite pandemic, big surplus possible if current trends hold

BOISE — GOP state Treasurer Julie Ellsworth says House leaders want to spend “over $10 million on private offices for legislators to use three months out of the year.”

With the exception of Pocatello’s District 29, most legislative districts in eastern Idaho are solidly Republican. Districts 34, which covers Madison and northern Bonneville counties, and 35, which covers Butte, Clark, Fremont and Jefferson counties, are the most Republican in the state in g…

While the partisan composition of the Idaho Legislature likely won't look too different next year, there will still be new faces, with turnover due to the May primaries, retirements in some important positions and a handful of legislative seats that could be up for grabs in November.

EMMETT — Following a tumultuous special session of the Idaho Legislature last month, Rep. Heather Scott on Thursday applauded the group largely responsible for the mayhem, People’s Rights, an anti-government group led by Ammon Bundy.

Editor's note: This article has been updated to correctly identify which Pew organization authored a 2020 report about federal funding tied to census counts.

BOISE — The recent three-day special session of the Idaho Legislature ran up $78,600 in costs for the Idaho State Police alone, with more bills still pending from the Boise Police.

Urges flu shots, as flu season arrives atop pandemic

Several local communities are set to benefit from $48.9 million the state announced Tuesday it is giving out for 102 broadband projects.

BOISE — Idaho’s Republican and Democratic party leaders came together Tuesday in a bipartisan push to recruit poll workers and help Idaho pull off the upcoming November election amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The Lemhi County Airport is getting $1.16 million in federal funds, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao announced Tuesday.

Radford lone ‘no’ vote

BOISE — It was a special session all right.

Update: The Senate and House adjourned shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday, after the Senate passed House Bill 6, the coronavirus civil immunity bill. The House adjourned last, at 9:18 p.m., ending the special session.

BOISE — Ammon Bundy was arrested at the Capitol by Idaho State Police for the second day in a row on Wednesday.

BOISE — The Idaho Legislature met for a second, tumultuous day of its special session Tuesday that started with a lengthy debate on ending the coronavirus emergency and ended with Ammon Bundy’s arrest for refusing to leave a Capitol auditorium.

BOISE — Idaho State Police troopers arrested Ammon Bundy at the Idaho Capitol late Tuesday afternoon, after he sat for several hours at the press desk in the Lincoln Auditorium, surrounded by a handful of supporters, and refused to leave.

BOISE — Kanye West has filed to be on the ballot as a presidential candidate in Idaho.

BOISE — Idaho lawmakers convened Monday for the first day of a busy and at times chaotic special session.

BOISE — Angry spectators who couldn't get into the Idaho House of Representatives for a special session to deal with the coronavirus pandemic Monday shattered a glass door and rushed into the gallery that had limited seating because of the virus, including at least one person carrying an ass…

The Idaho Falls City Council held a quiet and quick budget hearing Thursday night.

Bonneville County commissioners plan to adopt the county’s 2020-2021 budget on Thursday.

The Idaho Falls City Council will hold a hearing on the city’s proposed 2020-2021 budget at 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

BOISE — The Idaho Legislature's special session starting Monday will address the COVID-19 pandemic with election law changes and establishing "temporary and consistent standards for civil liability," Gov. Brad Little announced Wednesday.

Also allows ISU athletes to intervene in defense of the law

Infected residents projected to more than double by December

BOISE — Gov. Brad Little announced Monday that Idaho will “opt in” to the $300 per week in additional unemployment benefits President Trump has offered states in an executive order and will seek five weeks of benefits retroactive to Aug. 1, but won’t add an additional $100 per week in state …

BOISE — When he said during a legislative hearing Monday that “listening to experts to set policy is an elitist approach” and that he’s “fearful it leads to totalitarianism,” Sen. Steven Thayn didn’t expect his comments to go viral and show up in newscasts about Idaho across the country.

Supreme Court stay and ballot deadline cited

Kevin Swearingen remembers the shutdown.

‘It’s a very detailed process’

A proposal to recall Gov. Brad Little over his response to the coronavirus pandemic will not be on the November ballot.

FORT HALL — U.S. Senate candidate Paulette Jordan of Idaho pressed for Congress to renew the $600 a week CARES Act funding during her visit to the Fort Hall Fairgrounds, where she came to watch the horse races on Saturday.

Many questions remain as to when or whether any Idahoans will see the extra unemployment payments authorized in a recent executive order.