The Senate State Affairs Committee made relatively short work of passing an update to the state’s notary public laws this morning, approving HB 209 after a series of questions from senators to an official from the Idaho Secretary of State’s office, focusing on the fees and mechanisms outlined in the measure. Unlike in the House – where a handful of lawmakers objected to the bill on grounds of international concerns, references to the United Nations, and concerns about uniform laws, a full reading of the bill lasted more than an hour and it finally passed 63-7 – the bill quickly cleared the Senate panel this morning and headed to the full Senate. It still needs passage there and the governor’s signature to become law.