Legislature opens extra-busy day…

It’s an extra-busy day at the Legislature today. The Senate State Affairs Committee is holding a hearing in the Capitol Auditorium on HB 450, to fund more law enforcement staff at the state office of Alcohol Beverage Control; as well as several other measures, including SB 1348, Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll’s bill regarding end-of-life care. The House Education Committee is opening a hearing that includes several bills, a presentation from Idaho Teacher of the Year Erin Lenz of Coeur d’Alene, and a new bill from Chairman Bob Nonini regarding salary-based apportionment. At 9 a.m., the House Rev & Tax Committee has scheduled a hearing on introducing cigarette-tax hike legislation. And that’s just the start of things today. Both houses are scheduled to hear from U.S. Sen. Jim Risch as well as take up a slew of bills; and committee hearings this afternoon will include everything from animal cruelty to bicycle rules of the road to endowment investments.