The House has given final passage to tougher requirements for new teen drivers on a 55-12 vote, but not without plenty of concerns and personal anecdotes, reports S-R reporter Parker Howell. When several legislators expressed concern that new restrictions on unrelated passengers would hinder teens working on farms, Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, said he's sensitive to rural folks, but there’s a reason the requirements won't be a problem: "Everyone in Oakley and every other small town in southern Idaho is related by blood, adoption or marriage." That’d make them exempt from the restrictions, he said.

Rep. Raúl R. Labrador, R-Eagle, declared a conflict of interest. "My son and all of his friends are all taking driver's ed, and they have been all lobbying me against this bill," he said. Coeur d'Alene GOP Rep. Marge Chadderdon said her granddaughter just completed driver's training and passed along a special request from her instructor: to vote in favor of the bill. House Minority Leader Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum, also supported the bill, saying one of her sons crashed and the other got a ticket soon after earning their licenses.

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