Former Idaho Sen. Joe Stegner of Lewiston, now the University of Idaho's chief lobbyist, said the U of I was fine with an amendment to the anti-Occupy bill proposed earlier by Sen. Dan Schmidt, D-Moscow, to exempt state colleges and universities from the new camping ban on state property. “We're comfortable and if it passes, we would be fine with that,” Stegner said. “We did not initiate that effort.” That's because the university's general counsel thinks other laws might protect the university's abilities to manage it campuses, Stegner said, so the UI is “kind of neutral,” but, he said, “If that is the amendment and it goes through, the university community would appreciate the clarification."

The amendment earlier passed the Senate, but then was lost on procedural grounds after a different amendment that replaced entire sections of the bill was approved. Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, who sponsored that other amendment, said the plan is to return to the Senate's amending order when the Senate reconvenes this afternoon to give senators a chance to reconsider that. Said Davis, “All I wanted to do was make sure that Sen. Schmidt had a more fair shot at this university amendment, that he is treated with the dignity that any senator is entitled to.”