When House Transportation Chairman Joe Palmer  opened debate in the House last week on his bill to shut off parking meters around the Statehouse during the legislative session, he said, "I'll just let everybody know up front that this is about parking and parking tickets, and I've had my share of parking tickets. That is not the reason I'm bringing this bill. The reason I'm bringing this bill is because I had a constituent come to me." Asked today if that constituent was his son, Ty, who currently has three outstanding parking tickets - one last week, one the week before, and one from Jan. 20 - and whose car was towed for six outstanding unpaid Capitol-area parking tickets on the opening day of this year's legislative session, all incurred during last year's session, Palmer had a one-word answer: "No."

"That's his problem - I'm not going to worry about him," Palmer said of his 24-year-old son's parking ticket problems. Ty Palmer is sponsoring a bill this year to ban state agencies from making more than 10 paper copies of their annual report or strategic plan, and has testified to the House State Affairs Committee on the bill; the measure, HB 515, is currently awaiting amendments.

The elder Palmer said a hearing on a fire marshal bill three years ago was when he heard complaints from constituents about Capitol-area parking. "There were people testifying who were mad as hell," he said.

Asked if he thought he should have mentioned his son's situation when introducing his bill in the Transportation Committee and on the floor of the House, Palmer said he thought he'd been clear enough. "You know what? There's not a bill on this floor I vote for that won't have some sort of effect on me," he said. "We're a citizen Legislature - it's ridiculous."

Asked about the issue, House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, said, "It is a citizen Legislature, and we all bring in our history and experiences. But in order to have people believe that when we're here, we're acting in their best interest, I think we have to be more open." Rusche said he had no specific comment about Palmer's actions, but said, "Restoring confidence is what this whole ethics goal is," as lawmakers examine ethics reforms this session.

House Speaker Lawerence Denney said, "I don't think that crosses that ethical line." He said, "He did announce that he's gotten tickets - I've gotten tickets."

According to Boise city records obtained under the Idaho Public Records Law, Rep. Palmer was issued a parking ticket near 6th and Jefferson streets on Jan. 10, but it was voided because of a non-functioning parking meter. He hadn't had a ticket before that in more than a year.

The city of Boise tows cars for unpaid parking tickets only after a vehicle owner accumulates five or more open citations more than 30 days old, or more than $200 in parking citations over 30 days old. Palmer introduced his bill, HB 480, in the committee he chairs on Feb. 6, four weeks to the day after his son's car was towed.