Thu., March 22, 2018
Legislative limerick No. 4: On not debating health care...
Why did they not take a vote? After six years, it’s now rote The primary’s near There’s political fear What a sad session-ending note.
Eye On Boise
THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 2018
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21, 2018
Wed., March 21, 2018
Senate Ethics Committee dismisses ethics complaint against Sen. Foreman
The Senate Ethics Committee has “concluded its work and lacks probable cause to move forward” on an ethics complaint against Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, who yelled “abortion is murder” at a group of University of Idaho students who were pushing for birth control legislation at…
Wed., March 21, 2018
Otter lets 'stand your ground' bill become law without his signature, while saying it would allow mischievous kids to be shot
Gov. Butch Otter has allowed SB 1313, the “stand your ground” bill, to become law without his signature. “I commend those portions of SB 1313 that codify existing case law and recognize the sanctity of private property,” Otter wrote in a letter to Lt. Gov....
Wed., March 21, 2018
Bill easing driving without privileges heads to governor
A proposal reducing the penalties for driving with an expired license is on its way to the Idaho governor's desk for consideration. Idaho's Senate agreed to advance the proposal Wednesday. The bill had already passed the House. The bill would reinstate driving privileges for people who were previously slapped with suspensions due to not paying...
Wed., March 21, 2018
Senate adjourns 'til 9:30 am tomorrow after passing lots of budget bills; House is close behind
After passing lots and lots of appropriation bills, the Senate has now adjourned until 9:30 a.m. tomorrow. The House is close behind, having also passed lots and lots of budget bills; it’s now debating its final bill of the day, SB 1380, the budget bill...
Wed., March 21, 2018
Attorney tells Idaho Secretary of State the clients he represented on anti-trespass bill were Rep. Boyle and Sen. Harris
Attorney Gary Allen, of the prominent Boise law firm Givens Pursley, advised the Idaho Secretary of State’s office today that the clients he’s been representing in drafting and advocating for the anti-trespassing bill, HB 658a, are Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, and Sen. Mark Harris, R-Soda...
Wed., March 21, 2018
Labrador claims Idaho Health Care Plan bill was 'Medicaid expansion'
Oddly, GOP gubernatorial candidate Raul Labrador has just sent out a statement headlined, “Labrador praises conservatives in the Idaho Legislature for rejecting Medicaid expansion,” saying of the Idaho Health Care Plan bill that was sent back to committee from the House today, “There’s no question...
Wed., March 21, 2018
Bedke: 'The issue stays alive better for what happened today'
House Speaker Scott Bedke said today that the reason he pushed to send the governor’s health care bill back to committee again rather than have a full House debate and vote on it was because he was taking “the long view, and there weren’t the…
Wed., March 21, 2018
Health care advocates decry House move to kill health care bill without a vote
Health care advocates are decrying the House’s move today to send the Idaho Health Care Plan bill back to committee without a vote for a second time, marking a sixth straight year lawmakers have declined to take action to address the state’s health coverage gap.…
Wed., March 21, 2018
Both houses pushing hard toward adjournment; Senate passes DWP bill, House passes new SPI budget
The Senate has passed HB 599, Rep. Greg Chaney’s bill to lighten penalties for driving without privileges, on a 32-2 vote. Meanwhile, the House has passed HB 717, the new version of the budget bill for the state superintendent of schools, on a 61-7 vote;…
Wed., March 21, 2018
House rejects bill to cut back Correctional Industries job program for prison inmates
The House has killed legislation from Rep. Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, to sharply cut back the Correctional Industries program that employs Idaho inmates and teaches them job skills while in prison; among other products, the CI program produces office furniture, license plates, upholstery and more. The…
Wed., March 21, 2018
Senate rejects move to amend, passes HB 675, increasing child tax credit
The motion from Sen. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, to send HB 675, the child tax credit increase bill, to the Senate’s amending order to increase it died on a 6-28 vote, with just the five Senate Democrats who were present and Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, voting…
Wed., March 21, 2018
Senate debating increase in new Idaho child tax credit
The Senate has now taken up HB 675, the bill to up the new Idaho child tax credit from $130 per child to $205, and Sen. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, moved to send the bill to the 14th Order for amendments to increase it further. “There…
Wed., March 21, 2018
Senate passes amended anti-trespassing bill on straight party-line vote
The Senate has voted 29-6 in favor of HB 658a, the Senate-amended version of the trespassing crackdown bill – a straight party-line vote, with all Republicans voting in favor of the bill and all Democrats voting against it. “This bill will only affect those that...
Wed., March 21, 2018
Senate takes up anti-trespassing bill...
After the House’s dramatic move this morning to once again dump the governor’s health care bill without a vote – after its Health & Welfare Committee twice sent it to the House floor for a vote of the full House – the Senate is now...
Wed., March 21, 2018
Motion to return health care bill to committee without a vote passes House, 42-27
The motion to return HB 464, the health care bill, to committee without a vote has passed on a 42-27 vote, after an emotional and heated debate.
Wed., March 21, 2018
Tearful Rep. Perry: 'They can't get medical care, they can't get help'
A tearful Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa, spoke out against the move to return the governor’s health care bill to committee. “I have been all but spit on in this body for bringing it back,” she told the House. “I don’t give a damn what anybody...
Wed., March 21, 2018
Wood moves to return health care bill to committee
House Health & Welfare Chairman Fred Wood, R-Burley, has moved to return HB 464, the governor's health care bill, to committee. House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, seconded the motion.
Wed., March 21, 2018
Chanting protesters disrupt House, calling for action on health care; ISP escorts them out of gallery
A group of chanting protesters just disrupted this morning’s House session, standing in the House’s fourth-floor public gallery, holding small signs saying, “SHAME,” and chanting, “Save Our Plan, Save Our Lives, Shame, Shame, Shame.” The protesters want the state to address Idaho’s health coverage gap;...
Wed., March 21, 2018
Monday funeral plans add urgency to end-of-session scramble; House health-care bill vote possible today
Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill’s father, Harold, passed away at 1 a.m. today, and his funeral is set for Monday in Rexburg. That’s adding urgency to lawmakers’ scramble to finish this year’s legislative session this week. “We will not be here next week,” said House...
Wed., March 21, 2018
MADD: Ignition interlock bill is 'biggest DUI reform to pass Idaho Legislature since '97'
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is applauding the Idaho Senate’s passage this week of HB 551, which would require an ignition interlock device – something the driver blows into, and the car won’t start if the device detects alcohol on their breath – for first-time drunken…
Wed., March 21, 2018
North Idaho lawmaker’s vote against NIC budget was a mistake – he’d meant to vote ‘yes’
Post Falls Rep. Don Cheatham didn’t realize until afterward that he'd accidentally voted against the North Idaho College budget in the House on Tuesday – he'd meant to vote yes. “No, oh no,” Cheatham said when asked about his vote – one of just two...
TUESDAY, MARCH 20, 2018
Tue., March 20, 2018
Among bills signed into law today: Breastfeeding decency, school board election date change, Medicaid dental coverage...
Among the 51 bills that Gov. Butch Otter signed into law today was Rep. Paul Amador’s bill to exempt nursing mothers from Idaho’s public indecency and obscenity laws, HB 448; Rep. Priscilla Giddings’ bill to grant a property tax break to fully disabled veterans, HB…
Tue., March 20, 2018
Idaho governor signs 'abortion reversal' bill into law
Idaho will become the latest state to require women seeking medical abortions to be informed that drug-induced abortions may be halted halfway through, despite opposition from medical groups who say there is little evidence to support the claim. Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter quietly signed the proposal into law on Tuesday...
Tue., March 20, 2018
Sen. Martin again opposes two new state liquor stores slated for Boise area
Just as he did earlier in JFAC, Sen. Fred Martin, R-Boise, debated in the Senate this afternoon against a state Liquor Division budget that includes two new Treasure Valley stores, one of which likely will be in his district. Martin said he believes Idaho already...
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