Though yet another transportation bill was introduced today, Idaho's second-longest legislative session ever is no closer to ending. Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on today's developments in the Legislature, as the 103rd day of the session gives way to the weekend.…
The four-member House GOP leadership team has issued a statement, saying, "It's time for the Legislature to wrap up its business and go home." They also wrote that while they "respect" Gov. Butch Otter's "convictions," they don't want to raise gax taxes because it's "the…
Gov. Butch Otter, talking with reporters after two bill signing ceremonies this morning, didn't come right out and say the conditional, economically-triggered general fund shift proposal is unacceptable to him as a means of funding transportation, but he sure threw cold water on the idea.…
The House Ways & Means Committee met just now, though no meeting had been scheduled or announced as of the House's adjournment this morning. The leadership panel introduced a new bill to raise registration fees for heavy trucks by 5 percent, as originally proposed in…
With uniformed officers standing by, Gov. Butch Otter and Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, praised legislation today that will help permanently disabled law enforcement officers with health insurance costs for their families. At a formal signing ceremony for the bill, SB 1111, Otter and officers…
The Senate has adjourned its session for this morning, after hearing the news of the death of longtime Idaho lobbyist Allyn Dingel. "It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that Allyn Dingel passed away," Sen. Diane Bilyeu, D-Pocatello, told the Senate. She…
House Democrats gathered for a brief open caucus this morning, at which Caucus Chairman Bill Killen, D-Boise, said he just wanted to keep an "ear to the ground" and keep the caucus up to date on the latest. Assistant Minority Leader James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, said,…
The House convened this morning at 8:30 Boise time, and was done by 8:45. There were 26 members absent out of the 70-member chamber. When Majority Leader Mike Moyle moved to adjourn until 9:30 on Monday morning, Assistant Minority Leader James Ruchti responded, "Mr. Speaker,…
It's been a day of ups and downs at the Idaho Legislature, as the 102nd day of the session draws to an end. Gov. Butch Otter met with lawmakers multiple times throughout the day, but the basic disagreement of the session, on his transportation initiative,…
AAA Idaho has come out against the latest transportation funding plan, saying "it again raises the specter of higher registration fees for cars, while giving big trucks a free pass." Click below to read AAA's full statement.
Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs, asked what he thinks of the House GOP's latest transportation proposal, said, "I'm encouraged that they're hatching a plan. Whether this is the plan, I don't know. It's encouraging to see that their creative juices are flowing." Geddes…
Keith Allred, the influential Harvard professor who heads the citizen group The Common Interest, asked about the House's latest four-part transportation proposal, said, "I think there's one obvious missing piece." The change in registration fee brackets for cars and light trucks means owners of those…
House Assistant Minority Leader James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, said his caucus had a discussion today about ideas that are being kicked around on transportation. "We made it really clear to our caucus, this is not a deal, this is just the beginnings of some conversation," Ruchti…
The House Ways & Means has introduced two new bills, one with Rep. Frank Henderson's car registration fee bracket change, which raises $3.1 million a year; and one with the $13.1 million in annual increases in DMV fees. The idea, House GOP leaders said, is…
Gov. Butch Otter's press secretary, Jon Hanian, said, "I wouldn't say we have an agreement - we've had some productive meetings, we're still having those meetings." Asked if the governor would settle for a transportation deal that doesn't include a gas tax increase, Hanian said,…
Here's how Rep. Frank Henderson, R-Post Falls, explained his idea about changing the bracket for car and light truck registration fees, a proposal that raises $3.1 million without changing registration fees, back in March: Henderson said he’s been promoting his idea about changing the “bands,”…
Ken Roberts, House GOP caucus chairman, said, "We had a conversation with the governor this morning. We are working together." Roberts said, "We're kind of in the third overtime of the game. We'll put these bills forward, and if they pass, they pass. If they…
The tentative deal on transportation, which still is taking shape today, doesn't mean Idaho's 2nd-longest legislative session will get done this week. House Majority Caucus Chairman Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, said, "It will not be Friday. ... If things go well, I think we'll be out…
House Majority Caucus Chairman Ken Roberts, R-Donnelly, said, "At this point, the gas tax is not part of the discussions we're having now." Instead, he said, the tentative plan is to look at a series of bills, which would stand on their own individual merits,…
Both House Democrats and House Republicans have emerged from their closed-door caucuses, and there's a tentative deal on transportation. The House Ways & Means Committee will meet at 1:30 p.m. to introduce at least two bills.
The Senate has adjourned for the day. "We have done all the work that we can do," Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, told the Senate. The House, he said, has "some legislation that they're working on," and the Senate wants to "be respectful…
House Democrats, who have held open caucuses for years, closed their caucus today when they took up discussion of a tentative deal. House Assistant Minority Leader James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, told his caucus that he'd committed to House Majority Leader Mike Moyle that the caucus would…
Gov. Butch Otter has signed into law SB 1141, the much-revised bill to raise Idaho's Fish & Game fees next year, but only for non-residents. Oddly, the bill's title reads, "FISH AND GAME - FEES - Amends and repeals existing law relating to fish and…
Both parties in the House are headed into caucus, after the House completed its business for the day and adjourned until 8:30 a.m. tomorrow. Among the bills debated today was HB 218a, a measure from Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, that was amended in the Senate…
Rep. Carlos Bilbao, R-Emmett, while carrying legislation in the House to remove a requirement to place a specific yellow sticker on every bottle sold by the state liquor dispensary, held up a bottle. "It's not the real thing, it's just orange juice," he noted. Removing…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
