On The Record

Highlights from the past week in the Idaho Legislature

They said it

“It appears to me the lobbyists are heavily involved in this action. I think the state of Idaho should be represented.” - Gov. Phil Batt, on a Senate committee’s quashing of the bill that would raise gas taxes and registration fees to fix roads and repair North Idaho flood damage. The bill, held hostage by a senator who favored an unrelated increase in truck weights, later was revived.

Votes

Here are some of the votes cast by North Idaho lawmakers in the past week:

Lakeshores: A timber industry bill to exempt 200,000 acres on Priest Lake from a 1927 law that designates lakeshores for recreation passed the House, 46-23. Voting yes were Reps. Jeff Alltus, R-Coeur d’Alene; Chuck Cuddy, D-Orofino; June Judd, D-St. Maries; Hilde Kellogg, R-Post Falls; Wayne Meyer, R-Rathdrum; Don Pischner, R-Coeur d’Alene; and Marvin Vandenberg, D-Coeur d’Alene. Voting no were Reps. Tom Dorr, R-Post Falls; Carol Pietsch and Jim Stoicheff, both Sandpoint Democrats.

Not amused: A bill to relieve amusement parks like Silverwood from lawsuits over injuries to customers passed the House 35-32. Reps. Alltus, Dorr, Kellogg, Meyer, Pischner and Vandenberg all voted yes. Voting no were Reps. Pietsch and Stoicheff.

Farm workers: Gov. Phil Batt’s bill to end Idaho’s 79-year exemption from worker’s compensation insurance for agriculture passed the House 41-29. All North Idaho representatives voted yes except for Alltus, Dorr and Meyer.

To reach your lawmaker, call (800) 626-0471, fax to 334-5397 or e-mail to infocntr@lso.state.id.us.

To check on legislative agendas or the status of legislation, anyone with a computer, modem and Internet access may go to http://www.state.id.us, or search for the keywords “Idaho Legislature.”

, DataTimes