Senate Panel OKs Wilderness Bill

The Boulder-White Clouds wilderness bill went to mark-up in the Senate Resources Committee today and won committee approval by unanimous consent; the measure, authored by 2 ^nd District Rep. Mike Simpson, already has passed the House without objection. Idaho Sen. Jim Risch is sponsoring the bill in the Senate, but his press spokesman didn’t return calls or emails today about the bill and its prospects for a vote in the full Senate. Nikki Wallace, press spokesman for Simpson, said, “I do know that Sen. Risch is working very hard on that, I know that our office is working very hard on that, and I also know that the interest groups involved are making phone calls and trying to get that moved up on the calendar. I know there are a lot of people working to try to make that happen so that a vote can occur”/ Betsy Russell , Eye on Boise. More here .