Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A majority of the Idaho Land Board is against a plan to place limits on the kind of investments it can make. Department of Lands spokeswoman Emily Anderson says the board voted 3-1 Tuesday to oppose three bills currently in the Idaho Legislature. “All three bills, in their view, infringed upon their constitutional powers as a board to make decisions,” Anderson said. House lawmakers want to halt the state endowment fund's expansion into storage facilities, saying it unfairly meddles in the private sector's business. They voted 66-3 on Monday for HB 495, to require the Land Board to sell or lease all improvements on endowment-owned ground and sell all business operations. The board is now weighing in, with state Controller Donna Jones, Secretary of State Ben Ysursa and Attorney General Lawrence Wasden opposing the legislation. Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Luna did not support the move, while Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter abstained.

The other two bills are HB 477, from Rep. Bob Schaefer on cottage site leases; and HB 612, another measure from Schaefer that seeks to restrict the endowment from purchasing buildings.