Steve Kirch
Weekend Anchor/Multimedia Journalist
KMVT/KSVT, Twin Falls, ID
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Steve Kirch joined the KMVT team in June 2022. He previously worked at Alaska's News Source in Anchorage. Steve is a San Diego native and has also worked for KX News in North Dakota, and WOWK-13 News in West Virginia.
Education
Awards
Updated: Mar. 23, 2023 at 10:52 AM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
Governor Brad Little is thanking senate lawmakers, after they narrowly passed one of his most important budget priorities this session.
Updated: Mar. 23, 2023 at 4:53 AM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
The bill passed the House earlier this week in a close vote, with both Republicans and Democrats voting against it.
Updated: Mar. 23, 2023 at 2:20 AM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
With a 39 to 29 vote the House failed to override the governor’s veto.
Updated: Mar. 22, 2023 at 1:57 AM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
Idaho lawmakers are not going to be signing off on legislation that will eliminate the affidavit process for voters. By a narrow margin HB136 failed with 33 in favor and 36 against.
Updated: Mar. 21, 2023 at 11:44 PM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
Paleontologist have only found the dinosaur in Idaho and a very small corner of Montana.
Updated: Mar. 21, 2023 at 11:00 PM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
House Bill 339 failed with 27 in favor and 43 against, with both Republicans and Democrats showing support for the legislation.
Updated: Mar. 21, 2023 at 1:14 PM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
The bill sponsors told the House members $16.9 million females in the United States live in poverty and cannot afford feminine hygiene products.
Updated: Mar. 21, 2023 at 9:46 AM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
In a tight vote, House Bill 314 passed the House, 40 to 30, with both Republicans and Democrats having strong feelings in opposition to the legislation.
Updated: Mar. 21, 2023 at 9:07 AM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
House Bill 186 passed the Senate with overwhelming support, 24 in favor, and 11 against.
Updated: Mar. 16, 2023 at 11:25 AM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
Idaho 4th graders lobby for an official state dinosaur, lawmakers show unanimous support
Updated: Mar. 16, 2023 at 5:19 AM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
In a spirited debate, the HB293 failed by the thinnest of margins Wednesday afternoon, 34 to 35.
Updated: Mar. 16, 2023 at 4:32 AM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
Legislation that would prohibit transgender youth from using the bathroom of the sex they identify with is one step closer to becoming law in Idaho.
Updated: Mar. 15, 2023 at 12:44 PM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
Legislation relating to school choice is continuing to be introduced in the Idaho State Legislature. Two different bills were discussed Tuesday in education committees, but only one is going to see the light of day, as the other failed to win over lawmakers.
Updated: Mar. 15, 2023 at 3:56 AM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
On Tuesday morning in the House State Affairs committee, Rep. Jaron Crane re-introduced The Children’s School and Library Protection Act.
Updated: Mar. 15, 2023 at 2:44 AM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
SB1130 passed the Senate 28 to 7. The vote fell along party lines with all the Senate Democrats voting against it, and all the Republicans voting in support.
Updated: Mar. 14, 2023 at 3:55 AM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
Legislation aimed at addressing concerns related no-excuse absentee voting in Idaho is going back to the drawing board, after failing in the House Monday.
Updated: Mar. 13, 2023 at 5:40 PM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
Legislation that in part seeks to address the issues facing Idaho’s foreign workforce is receiving push back from Idaho lawmakers.
Updated: Mar. 13, 2023 at 5:23 PM MDT
|By Steve Kirch
Legislation that will bring back the firing squad to Idaho, as a secondary means of execution when lethal injection is not available, is heading to the Senate.
Updated: Mar. 9, 2023 at 10:52 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch
A resolution being sponsored by Magic Valley lawmakers is asking the Idaho Governor and Attorney General to take what legal actions are available - to encourage the Bureau of Land Management to select a “no build option” on the Lava Ridge project.
Updated: Mar. 9, 2023 at 10:23 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
House Bill 259 would only allow county clerks, election officials, and employees of the state to distribute absentee ballot applications.
Legislation introduced that would require paid signature gatherers to register and complete training
Updated: Mar. 9, 2023 at 10:00 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
An Idaho lawmaker is seeking to make the process of gathering signatures for an initiative or referendum more challenging.
Updated: Mar. 8, 2023 at 3:49 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
One of Idaho Gov. Brad Little’s key legislative priorities this session faced some hiccups in the Senate Commerce & Human Resources Committee, and it is now heading to the Senate floor to be possibly amended.
Updated: Mar. 8, 2023 at 12:52 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Legislation that would in part prohibit minors from being transported across state lines to get an abortion is heading to the Senate after passing through the House on Tuesday.
Updated: Mar. 5, 2023 at 1:14 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Avalanche warnings are in effects for parts of the Wood River Valley, according to the Blaine County Sheriff’s Office.
Updated: Mar. 4, 2023 at 3:06 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Idaho Governor Brad Little has ordered the lowering of U.S. and State of Idaho flags to honor former Idaho Governor Phil Batt, who passed away peacefully at his home Saturday, on his 96th birthday.
Updated: Mar. 2, 2023 at 5:52 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Emotions were running high in the House Education Committee on Wednesday after lawmakers decided not to advance two competing library bills out of committee.
Updated: Mar. 2, 2023 at 1:27 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
The bill passed through committee 13-3, and the only Republican to side with Democrats in a no vote was Rep. David Cannon.
Updated: Feb. 28, 2023 at 10:59 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Legislation that will open the door for restricted drivers licenses for undocumented idahoans is heading to the Idaho Senate, after facing some mixed reactions from committee members
Updated: Feb. 28, 2023 at 4:25 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Lawmakers are introducing legislation this session that will ban drag performance from public places and from venues where minors are present
Updated: Feb. 27, 2023 at 10:46 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Bill sponsor Rep. Doug Okuniewicz (R) told Senate members the aim of Senate Joint Resolution 101 is to make the initiative and referendum process more inclusive. The initiative process enables citizens to propose new laws. The referendum process enables citizens to repeal laws of the legislature
Updated: Feb. 27, 2023 at 10:36 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch
The legislation that would have created education savings accounts (ESA) for Idaho parents to receive roughly $6,000 annually per child, to use for things like tuition at private and religious schools, tutors, and books for homeschooling, failed in the Senate 12 to 23.
Updated: Feb. 27, 2023 at 10:50 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
The sponsors of the bill are arguing the program will save the state money in the long run and provide more opportunities for students regardless of income level, but a recent report is shining new light on the legislation
Updated: Feb. 27, 2023 at 9:36 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
An Idaho lawmaker is working to create an avenue for community colleges to offer a more diverse option of degrees for in demand careers
Updated: Feb. 23, 2023 at 12:35 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
The Idaho House Ways and Means committee is advancing a piece of legislation for a future public hearing that would bring back execution by firing squad
Updated: Feb. 22, 2023 at 5:12 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch and Joey Martin
Parents in Twin Falls are breathing a sigh of relief today, after an active shooter threat at Canyon Ridge High School turned out to be a hoax.
Updated: Feb. 22, 2023 at 9:12 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
The students did it to raise awareness about the importance of agriculture in people’s lives for National FFA Week.
Updated: Feb. 21, 2023 at 4:13 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Legislation is moving forward in the House that will prohibit rank choice voting in Idaho.
Updated: Feb. 21, 2023 at 11:43 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Legislation that will prohibit the use of student identification at election polls is heading to Senate, after easily passing through the House on Monday.
Updated: Feb. 21, 2023 at 11:41 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Legislation is heading to the Senate floor that will pave the way for voter guides for Idaho’s primary and general elections.
Updated: Feb. 21, 2023 at 11:39 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
HB155 passed through the house 49 to 21.
Updated: Feb. 20, 2023 at 1:32 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Legislation that will prohibit the use of student ID cards at the polls will be heading to House floor
Updated: Feb. 15, 2023 at 4:20 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch
The Greater Idaho movement is continuing its momentum in the Idaho Legislature, as House lawmakers voted in favor of legislation that would open the door for the Oregon and Idaho legislatures to begin talks about the possibility of relocating the border shared between the two states.
Updated: Feb. 15, 2023 at 2:03 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Legislation that would pave the way for Education Savings Accounts and universal school choice in Idaho for k-12 students was discussed in the Senate Education Committee Tuesday, but due to the large number of people that signed up to testify, public hearing on the legislation will continue into Wednesday.
Updated: Feb. 15, 2023 at 6:20 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
The legislation mostly fell along party lines, with Rep. Matt Bundy being the lone Republican to vote against the HB71.
Updated: Feb. 13, 2023 at 6:37 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Legislation that will pave the way for the Idaho and Oregon Legislatures to begin official discussions on whether it is feasible to move the Idaho border into Eastern Oregon is heading to the House floor.
Updated: Feb. 13, 2023 at 6:06 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch
On Monday at the Idaho State Capitol lawmakers voted in favor of advancing “The Children’s School and Library Protection Act”, which was introduced in the House State Affairs Committee.
Updated: Feb. 13, 2023 at 8:27 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Rep. Tina Lambert said she and other lawmakers are concerned that student ID’s are susceptible to fraud
Updated: Feb. 13, 2023 at 7:51 AM MST
|By Steve Kirch
Nelsen recently told the House Resources and Conservation Committee there has been near unanimous opposition to the project by local governments, including counties and highway districts.
Updated: Feb. 8, 2023 at 7:41 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch
After a lengthy debate yesterday, involving transgender youth and sex change treatment, Idaho lawmakers are moving another bill forward that will impact the transgender community.
Updated: Feb. 8, 2023 at 5:38 PM MST
|By Steve Kirch
The City of Twin Falls is still dealing with some staffing shortages, but things are improving.