Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, just announced that the Senate plans to suspend its rules and take up SB 1198, the "modified-closed primary election bill," tomorrow. That measure also is scheduled for its committee hearing tomorrow, at 8 a.m. in the Senate State…
The Senate has voted 26-9 in favor of HB 285, the GARVEE bonding proposal for next year, which would bond for $162 million worth of work to wrap up the bond-funded "Connecting Idaho" program. The money would be split between two final projects, and all…
Legislation to expand Idaho's Criminal Gang Enforcement Act to cover more crimes has won final passage in the Senate on a 34-1 vote, but Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, a lawyer who cast the only "no" vote, said he's concerned about the move. "I just worry…
HB 165, which would permit Medicaid to pay for midwife-assisted births rather than hospital births, if the mother chooses, has passed the Senate on a 33-1 vote, and now heads to the governor's desk. Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, said the bill is estimated to save…
Here's how Idaho senators voted today on HB 187, the end-of-life conscience law amendment: Voting in favor: Sens. Andreason, Bair, Brackett, Cameron, Darrington, Davis, Fulcher, Hammond, Heider, Hill, Lodge, McGee, McKague, McKenzie, Mortimer, Nuxoll, Siddoway, Smyser, Tippets, Vick, and Winder. Voting against: Sens. Bilyeu, Bock,…
The Idaho AARP has issued a statement saying the Senate's passage of HB 187 will "force dying patients to go doc shopping," and calling on Gov. Butch Otter to veto the bill. Jim Wordelman, state director, said, “This bill is government overreach, plain and simple…
House Democrats held a press conference this afternoon to call for hearings on two pieces of legislation that majority Republicans so far haven't agreed to hear: A $1.25 per pack increase in the cigarette tax, and a measure calling for an advisory vote on state…
The Senate has voted 21-13 in favor of HB 187, the "narrow fix" to Idaho's "conscience" law to address living wills. The conscience law allows any health care provider to refuse to provide any type of treatment that violates the provider's conscience, if it has…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A plan to boost staffing at the State Tax Commission to generate more than $19 million in additional revenue has cleared the Idaho House. The House voted 59-8 to approve the $34.9 million…
The House has killed HB 141a, the not-quite ban on texting while driving, on a 21-48 vote. The bill's sponsor, Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, told the House in his closing debate, "This is not a perfect bill, I will grant you that." He said, "Texting…
In the House's debate on HB 141a, the bill from Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, to ban use of a hand-held electronic device while driving if that use distracts the driver, but not if it doesn't, there've been lots of questions about the bill from other…
Here's a link to my full story at spokesman.com on today's House committee approval of SB 1184, the third in state Superintendent of Schools Tom Luna's three-bill school reform plan, and the one that shifts salary funds to technology purchases. The bill now moves to…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Democratic Party leaders are unhappy with legislative budget writers' decision this week to pay the state Republican Party $100,000 for attorney fees after the state lost a GOP-led lawsuit in federal court over…
The substitute motion, to amend the bill, failed, and then the House Education Committee voted 12-6 to send SB 1184 to the full House with a recommendation that it "do pass." Three committee Republicans, Reps. Bateman, Nesset and Trail, voted with the panel's three Democrats…
Rep. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, moved to send SB 1184 to the full House with a recommendation that it "do pass." Rep. Sue Chew, D-Boise, offered a substitute motion to send the bill instead to the House's amending order for changes. Rep. Linden Bateman, R-Idaho Falls,…
The House Education Committee is now debating SB 1184. Rep. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, said, "This gives power to parents to escape the effects of a poor teacher or a teacher that student doesn't get along with ... by being able to take online classes. ...…
In his closing comments on SB 1184 this morning, state schools Supt. Tom Luna told the House Education Committee, "A 21st Century classroom is not limited by walls, it's not limited by bell schedules, it's not limited by school calendars, it's not limited by geography.…
Roger Brown, aide to Gov. Butch Otter, told the House Education Committee, "It is important we take up this challenge with what we have," rather than waiting for the economy to improve. He said, "Whether a child lives in Boise or Blackfoot, it should not…
Karen Echeverria, executive director of the Idaho School Boards Association, is the final education stakeholder called to speak on SB 1184 to the House Education Committee. The hearing has now run for three hours - half an hour past the House's scheduled time to convene…
The Senate has voted unanimously in favor of HB 95a, the amended urban renewal bill. "What this bill is intended to do is put some further restrictions on urban renewal ... to be sure that they focus on the basic intended purposes of urban renewal…
Phil Homer, speaking for the Idaho Association of School Administrators, told the House Education Committee, "Without question, we are willing to deal with those cuts caused by the economic downturn. ... However, we do have some issues, after review of SB 1184." He said, "We…
The Senate has voted 26-9 for SB 1001a, which would require kids under age 16 who don't have a driver's license and who ride motorbikes, ATV's or other off-highway vehicles on federal lands to have completed an approved safety course. The U.S. Forest Service has…
After more than two hours of questions for state schools Supt. Tom Luna and his aide, Jason Hancock, the House Education Committee is now taking stakeholder testimony. Sherri Wood, president of the Idaho Education Association, told the panel, "What we know is that Idaho needs…
Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, said he's talked with many of his local school administrators, teachers and parents in the last several months, and they have two big questions about the school-reform plan. The first: Why the state would require online learning for all students. The…
Rep. Donna Pence, D-Gooding, asked Jason Hancock about the "Three Pillars Financial Table" distributed by the superintendent's office that shows how school funding would fare. "This basically is saying that if we accept this we are getting underfunded by that $10 mil dollars," she said.…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
