Lewiston Tribune reporter Bill Spence reports that though oversized loads have been one of Idaho’s most controversial transportation issues the past few years, that wasn’t the case on Tuesday, when new rules for loads of up to 129,000 pounds sailed through a House subcommittee. Under the rules, the process for designating a highway as suitable for the extra-heavy loads includes notification of adjacent counties and highway jurisdictions, an engineering and safety analysis by the Idaho Transportation Department, review by the ITD Board and a public hearing; you can read Spence’s full post here at his “Political Theater” blog. Lawmakers authorized such extra-heavy loads last year; the rules spell out how the new law would be implemented.