Gov. Jim Risch signed HB 1 into law this morning in his office, and he was all business – though an array of supportive legislators (plus state superintendent of schools candidate Tom Luna) were lined up behind him, Risch didn’t pause to provide them with souvenirs. (Former Gov. Dirk Kempthorne, in similar situations, often would sign just a part of his name with one pen, hand it to a supporter, and then do the same for the next supporter, so each got a pen that was used to sign the bill into law.) Risch just quickly signed the bill. “There it is,” he said. “There was concern about whether it would get a complete public hearing, or whether there would be a debate.” Turning to the legislators, who fought through a 15-hour-plus special session on Friday to finally pass the bill well after 11 p.m., Risch said, “Anybody here think there wasn’t a debate?”

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