The House has suspended its rules to take up HB 687, the court emergency surcharge bill, and passed it on a 58-12 vote. The bill would impose a temporary fee, starting April 15th, on all convictions through June 30, 2013, to fund the state's court system through the state's budget cuts. Every felony offense would have a $100 surcharge added; every misdemeanor, $50; and every infraction, $10. It would raise about $4.3 million a year to keep courts functioning. Among those objecting to the bill was Rep. Pete Nielsen, R-Mountain Home, who said his wife doesn't wear her seat belt because it causes pain in her hip, and it's too much hassle to find child-safety seats to transport youngsters under age 6 in each of his three cars. The bill now moves to the Senate.

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