House committee hears bill early

The House Transportation Committee is holding a hearing this morning on a bill that actually hasn’t yet passed the Senate. SB 1147a, from Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, would allow the Idaho Transportation Department to enter into design-build contracts, something that’s been permitted for other public works projects in the state since 1987. The department could do that only after a negotiated rule-making process. The idea is that the House committee will already have heard the bill, allowing it to go right to the House’s second reading calendar once the Senate passes the measure. The bill is now on the Senate’s third reading calendar.