This year’s legislative session seems to be moving at breakneck speed, with lots and lots going on; that certainly was true yesterday, and it is again today. Among the items in store today, just this morning: The House State Affairs Committee’s 8 a.m. meeting will open with a hearing on HB 419, Rep. Eric Redman’s anti-Sharia law bill; House Rev & Tax will consider several tax policy bills at 9, including HB 559, Rep. Mike Moyle’s bill to overturn an Idaho Supreme Court decision regarding taxes on Simplot’s JUMP building and HB 561, Rep. Jason Monks’ bill to require future income tax cuts when state revenues increase; JFAC meets at 8 a.m. and has big-dollar statewide budget decisions to make today that will impact the bottom line as it sets all agency budget in the coming weeks; the House Ways & Means Committee holds its first meeting of the session at 8 a.m.; the full Senate could get to several appointments on its calendar, including those of former Rep. John Rusche to the Idaho Water Resources Board and former Rep. Janet Moyle to the state Tax Commission; and the full House has SB 1208 on its calendar, the bill to expand inmate labor programs in Idaho to all agricultural industries including forestry, beekeeping and more. Also, Gov. Butch Otter will hold his annual on-the-record Q-and-A meeting with the Idaho press corps at the Idaho Press Club’s Headliner breakfast this morning. And there’s more this afternoon.  

In addition to my posts on these topics below from yesterday, here are links to my full stories at spokesman.com from today's paper:

Idaho lawmakers again reject raising smoking age to 21

House panel backs bill to declare that state lawmakers can overturn federal laws, court decisions

Idaho lawmakers look to protect folks who break into hot cars to rescue suffering pets

Testimony favors new Idaho science standards

 

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