Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on today's developments, as lawmakers in the House and Senate clashed over the budget and transportation funding. In this photo, from the Senate Transportation Committee meeting, Sens. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, Tim Corder, R-Mountain Home, and Shawn…
SB 1222 has passed the Senate on a 34-1 vote. The bill eliminates the proposed 3 percent across-the-board pay cut for state employees, imposes a 5 percent general-fund reduction in personnel costs but "backfills" it with federal stimulus funds to bring the effect of the…
Sen. Denton Darrington, R-Declo, just offered his interpretation on how the Legislature can pass a "non-severable" bill though the governor has line-item veto power on appropriation bills. "He can line item out one of the appropriations or another at will," Darrington told the Senate. "He…
Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, has given the introduction to SB 1222, the omnibus bill that covers the final JFAC actions, from statewide personnel cuts to spending of federal stimulus money. It's a big, complex bill that also provides various tools to the governor…
The Senate is back in session, and is suspending rules and passing budget bills that were on its second-reading calendar. So far, the votes all have been unanimous or near-unanimous. Senators are working their way up to the omnibus bill from JFAC regarding statewide personnel…
There was another odd moment during this afternoon's Senate Transportation Committee meeting when Sen. Diane Bilyeu, D-Pocatello, asked ITD official Alan Frew, "Why bring in such a big bill at the end of the session?" Frew reddened, and suggested to Chairman John McGee, R-Caldwell, "I…
Jason Kreizenbeck, Gov. Butch Otter's chief of staff, said of the governor, "He is appreciative of the action by the Senate today. This might be the way to wrap up the session - these might have potential to be the going-home bills, if they're adjusted…
Now the Senate Transportation Committee has voted to send HB 96, the House-passed bill to eliminate the ethanol exemption from the fuel tax, to the 14th Order for amendments as well. "Both of these bills are revenue bills, and I suspect amendments would have to…
No one testified against the ITD fee-increase bill, SB 1087, but Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Post Falls, moved to send it to the 14th Order for amendments, and Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, seconded the motion. Sen. Elliot Werk, D-Boise, responded, "I might've missed it, I might've…
The Senate Transportation Committee is hearing SB 1087, legislation that would raise $13.1 million for the state highway account by raising various administrative fees charged by the state Department of Motor Vehicles. Alan Frew, an administrator with the Idaho Transportation Department, said many of the…
The House is done for the day, having passed a slew of Senate-passed budget bills and sent them to the governor's desk. The Senate, after passing the higher education budget, SB 1207, on a 34-1 vote, has recessed for lunch until 2:30 p.m. Boise time.
The Senate has voted 30-5 to pass SB 1184, the redistricting legislation sponsored by Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs. Idaho's legislative districts used to be redrawn by lawmakers themselves; voters approved a constitutional amendment in 1994 to instead hand the job to an…
In the debate over reapportionment legislation in the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, complained about "doughnut" shaped legislative districts. "I guess doughnuts are not an irregularly shaped district," he said. "We're excited about preserving the hole, and the hole justifies the doughnut.…
The Senate is now debating SB 1184, legislation from Senate President Pro-Tem Bob Geddes to change Idaho's redistricting laws. Geddes told the Senate in his opening debate, a bit tongue-in-cheek, "Each and every senator here will still reside in a legislative district." Democrats, however, raised…
After much debate, the House has voted 51-19 in favor of HB 303, legislation introduced through the Ways & Means Committee to make several changes in school funding rules in light of budget cuts, including easing rules regarding spending of federal stimulus money, giving school…
House Democrats extended an olive branch to the governor late last week, the Associated Press reports: "They would consider rounding up enough minority votes for a ''moderate' gas-tax increase of between 2 and 7 cents — if Otter agrees to limit state agency personnel cuts…
Legislation designed to respond to the Frazier decision on municipal and other public debt has stalled, the Times-News reports today, and won't go forward this session. Rep. Fred Wood, R-Burley, told reporter Jared Hopkins that the measure, a constitutional amendment that would require a vote…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
