Boatright Wheels A Deal On Truck Weight-Limit Bill

Heavier truck weights haven’t been that big of an issue for North Idaho legislators, since this year’s controversial legislation was specially designed to leave out all roads in the northern two-thirds of the state.

But Sen. Clyde Boatright, R-Rathdrum, came up with the crucial swing vote to allow the truck weight bill to get out of committee.

That vote came as senators and representatives are horse-trading furiously to get their bills considered in the other house. That’s because a passel of bills that have passed one house await action, and there won’t be time to get to them all. A favor here will get you a favor there.

Boatright said he was heavily lobbied. “I had numerous people communicate with me and give me advice one way or the other, lobbyists mostly,” he said. “But none of them left any bruises.”

Heavier weights for trucks are unpopular in North Idaho because our roads are so lousy. But the flat, wide-open, well-paved stretches of road that mark southeastern Idaho are likelier candidates.

Boatright, who had opposed the truck bill, said there were two factors that made him switch his vote at the deciding moment: the testimony in the committee, “and the fact that I got some promises of getting something done on (Highway) 95 - that was part of my deal.”

“I think we’ll see some improvements in Highway 95 now,” he said. “I hope that this turned a light on, saying that there is a connection between trucks and roads in the north.”

Where’s everybody going?

Sen. Atwell Parry, R-Melba, was in the midst of debating a bill in the Senate this week when suddenly, fire alarms began blaring.

The entire Capitol Building was evacuated and crowds of senators, representatives, lobbyists and visiting schoolchildren trooped out and across the street. Firefighters who sped to the scene quickly found the culprit: Burnt toast.

Fifteen minutes later, when the Senate came back into session, Parry opened with this comment: “I think that the members of this body owe me an apology. If they don’t like my debate, let me know - but don’t get up and leave.”

Weird ways of Boise, Part I

Want to know how a particular representative voted when the House State Affairs Committee killed the bill lowering the supermajority to pass school bonds? Tough luck, unless the representative will tell you. No votes were recorded.

Instead, the committee cast an unrecorded voice vote - and it was close. Chairman Rep. Ron Crane, R-Caldwell, called it. That’s the procedure when no one on the committee requests a division of the votes or a roll call.

Crane said he knew from the debate that the vote was 12-8, though it sounded closer when the members called out “aye” and “nay.”

“By tradition, we have always allowed voice votes,” Crane said.

“Committee members are appreciative of voice votes simply for the reason that their vote may be misinterpreted by some,” he said. “They can jump in there and call for a roll call at any time.”

Weird ways of Boise, Part II

It takes so much time in the Senate to cast votes, what with the need to call out every senator’s name, that late in the legislative session the Senate likes to try to save some time by getting on a roll.

Once there’s a unanimous roll-call vote, the Senate rolls through a number of bills that no one wants to debate, simply by unanimously agreeing to use the previous roll call.

That works fine - until someone’s momentarily out of the room. Last week, that someone was perpetual protester Sen. Stan Hawkins, and while he was gone, he got recorded as voting “yes” for an appropriation that adds dozens of auditors to the state Tax Commission.

Hawkins bitterly opposes the idea.

There’s labor beyond lobbying

The force behind the contentious legislation this year to keep minors from getting tobacco is a PTA volunteer from Blackfoot, a woman named Caryn Esplin who is very, very pregnant.

Esplin has won the praise of House and Senate leadership, who say she’s standing up to a huge crew of highly paid tobacco lobbyists to push her bill.

Lately, Esplin’s husband has been accompanying her around the Statehouse, sometimes holding her hand. Why? The baby is due any day.

, DataTimes MEMO: North-South Notes runs every other Saturday. To reach Betsy Z. Russell, call 336-2854, fax to 336-0021 or e-mail to bzrussell@rmci.net.