There was another odd moment during this afternoon's Senate Transportation Committee meeting when Sen. Diane Bilyeu, D-Pocatello, asked ITD official Alan Frew, "Why bring in such a big bill at the end of the session?" Frew reddened, and suggested to Chairman John McGee, R-Caldwell, "I…
Jason Kreizenbeck, Gov. Butch Otter's chief of staff, said of the governor, "He is appreciative of the action by the Senate today. This might be the way to wrap up the session - these might have potential to be the going-home bills, if they're adjusted…
Now the Senate Transportation Committee has voted to send HB 96, the House-passed bill to eliminate the ethanol exemption from the fuel tax, to the 14th Order for amendments as well. "Both of these bills are revenue bills, and I suspect amendments would have to…
No one testified against the ITD fee-increase bill, SB 1087, but Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls, moved to send it to the 14th Order for amendments, and Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, seconded the motion. Sen. Elliot Werk, D-Boise, responded, "I might've missed it, I might've…
The Senate Transportation Committee is hearing SB 1087, legislation that would raise $13.1 million for the state highway account by raising various administrative fees charged by the state Department of Motor Vehicles. Alan Frew, an administrator with the Idaho Transportation Department, said many of the…
The House is done for the day, having passed a slew of Senate-passed budget bills and sent them to the governor's desk. The Senate, after passing the higher education budget, SB 1207, on a 34-1 vote, has recessed for lunch until 2:30 p.m. Boise time.
The Senate has voted 30-5 to pass SB 1184, the redistricting legislation sponsored by Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs. Idaho's legislative districts used to be redrawn by lawmakers themselves; voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1994 to instead hand the job to an…
In the debate over reapportionment legislation in the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, complained about "doughnut" shaped legislative districts. "I guess doughnuts are not an irregularly shaped district," he said. "We're excited about preserving the hole, and the hole justifies the doughnut.…
The Senate is now debating SB 1184, legislation from Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes to change Idaho's redistricting laws. Geddes told the Senate in his opening debate, a bit tongue-in-cheek, "Each and every senator here will still reside in a legislative district." Democrats, however, raised…
After much debate, the House has voted 51-19 in favor of HB 303, legislation introduced through the Ways & Means Committee to make several changes in school funding rules in light of budget cuts, including easing rules regarding spending of federal stimulus money, giving school…
House Democrats extended an olive branch to the governor late last week, the Associated Press reports: "They would consider rounding up enough minority votes for a ''moderate' gas-tax increase of between 2 and 7 cents — if Otter agrees to limit state agency personnel cuts…
Legislation designed to respond to the Frazier decision on municipal and other public debt has stalled, the Times-News reports today, and won't go forward this session. Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley, told reporter Jared Hopkins that the measure, a constitutional amendment that would require a vote…
Gov. Butch Otter has signed legislation into law to help permanently disabled law enforcement officers like Mike Kralicek of Coeur d'Alene with health insurance costs for their families. The bill, SB 1111, actually won't help Kralicek, a Coeur d'Alene police officer who was critically injured…
Senate Republicans were in a closed caucus this afternoon for more than two hours, and a rather odd sight presented itself - a big chair, pushed up against the door, as if to block them all in. That prompted some speculation about just who pushed…
Former GOP Idaho Sen. Steve Symms is holding a fundraiser for Democratic Congressman Walt Minnick, according to this article by Dan Popkey of the Idaho Statesman. Popkey reports that Symms, now a Washington, D.C. lobbyist, is planning a $1,000-a-plate breakfast fundraiser for the Idaho Democrat…
SB 1142, legislation sponsored by Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden to revamp Idaho's Open Meeting Law after an Idaho Supreme Court decision in 2007 made parts of the law near-impossible to enforce, was signed into law today by Gov. Butch Otter. The bill, which passed…
The Senate has wrapped up its official business for the day, including suspending its rules and passing HB 281, the IRS conformity bill; and appropriation bills to fund the state Capitol Commission and the Agricultural Research and Cooperative Extension Service. Now, Senate Republicans have headed…
SCR 112, a resolution asking the state Department of Health & Welfare to make changes in its program that covers adults with cystic fibrosis, has passed the Senate on a unanimous vote, and now moves to the House. Earlier, JFAC agreed to the plan after…
Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d'Alene, back fresh from a week of golfing in Palm Springs, says there's no truth to the rumor that he was summoned there by an angry Duane Hagadone over Nonini's opposition to the Coeur d'Alene Lake Management Plan. "I visited with…
The Senate has unanimously passed HB 264, the comprehensive aquifer management plan legislation. Senators also passed various bills on their calendar, but skipped over a slew of appropriation bills, moving them to the bottom of the calendar, and passed over HB 262, the controversial legislation…
Without suspending rules or taking up the liquor license bill, the House has adjourned for the day, a full hour before noon in the Mountain time zone. "We're way ahead," said House Speaker Lawerence Denney, who said the House didn't suspend rules to do more…
Freshman Rep. Jeff Thompson, R-Idaho Falls, came in for a heavy grilling in the House this morning on his bill to protect companies from liability if they have policies letting employees store firearms in their vehicles in the company parking lot. Several attorney members of…
Statehouse reporters have been wearing ugly ties for some time to try to spur the session to end (tradition holds that lawmakers will be so dismayed by the press' hideous neckwear that they'll just want to leave town), but it hasn't worked yet. We're still…
For those who missed it, here's a link to my story from last week's Spokesman-Review on how the Sunshine law expansion, giving Idaho its first personal financial disclosure requirements for elected officials and candidates, is being held hostage in the House, though it's passed the…
There was some rueful laughter in the Senate during the roll call this morning, when, as the various senators' names were called, the name of Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls, came up. Dolefully, he responded, "Still here."
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
