Sen. Jim Hammond, R-Coeur d'Alene, urged the Senate to approve SB 1295a to license massage therapists in Idaho. "It is not unusual to find massage therapy prescribed as part of a physical therapy program," he said. Licensing, he said, would "assure that the provision of…
The Senate killed SB 1362a, a measure from Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, about national constitutional conventions, on a 13-21 vote, and now has taken up SB 1295a, the massage therapist licensing bill.
The Senate has voted 32-0 in favor of HB 450a, the bill to shift $1.5 million from alcoholic beverage license fees away from the state's general fund and into a new dedicated fund to pay for liquor license enforcement. Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, the bill's…
The Senate is back in session, and is now debating HB 450a, the bill to fund the state's Alcohol Beverage Control operation and allow it to add back 10 officers to return to its staffing level from decades ago. Alcoholic beverage license fees of $1.5…
The Senate Education Committee has approved HB 603, the bill to restore "97 percent" funding protection to Idaho school districts to protect them from sharp state funding drops if they lose enrollment from year to year, but to charge the districts themselves to pay for…
A stinging mass email sent by Rep. Robert Schaefer, R-Nampa, to people who contacted him about a proposed cigarette tax increase - he voted against introducing the bill, which was rejected - has raised concerns for the American Lung Association and others who received the…
The House Agriculture Committee has passed SB 1303, the Senate-passed animal cruelty bill that's sponsored by the state's livestock industry, on a unanimous voice vote. Wyatt Prescott, executive vice president of the Idaho Cattle Association, told the committee his industry needs to stand up to…
Stan Boyd, lobbyist for the Idaho Cattle Association and Idaho Wool Growers, is pitching SB 1303 on animal cruelty to the House Agriculture Committee this afternoon, saying the Senate-passed bill is complementary to HB 650, Rep. Ken Andrus' animal cruelty bill that passed the House…
After two days of hearings, the Senate Resources Committee has held HB 495, the bill to restrict the state Land Board's business investments for the state endowment, in committee for lack of any motion to either pass or kill the measure. The bill was proposed…
The House Transportation Committee has voted 11-3 to kill SB 1317, the bill that earlier narrowly passed the Senate to expand the GARVEE bonding program to also include bridge replacement or repair. Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, the bill's sponsor, said without the bill, the Idaho…
The Senate has recessed to 4:30 p.m., and the House has adjourned for the day, after a flurry of legislative action in both houses this morning. This afternoon's agendas include numerous bills to be considered in both House and Senate committees; those include the other…
The House has voted 64-4 in favor of HB 650, Rep. Ken Andrus' animal cruelty bill; the measure now moves to a Senate committee. The only "no" votes came from Reps. Barrett, Barbieri, Hart and Harwood. In his closing debate, Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs, said,…
As the House continues debating HB 650, Rep. Ken Andrus' animal cruelty bill, Rep. Bill Killen, D-Boise, spoke in favor of the measure. "I think the good gentleman has done an excellent job of navigating the rocks and shoals of one of the more complex…
The Senate has voted 26-8 in favor of SB 1373, the new version of an anti-union bill regarding "project labor agreements" that passed last year, but was overturned in court; click below for a full report from the Associated Press. The Senate then moved into…
Rep. Ken Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs, answering questions in the House about his animal cruelty bill, HB 650, said legislation that's already passed the Senate, backed by livestock groups, was seen by some animal advocates as not going far enough. "In my opinion, we're dealing…
The Senate has voted 24-10 in favor of HB 464, the oil/gas development bill that asserts state authority over siting, potentially conflicting with some aspects of a new county ordinance just passed in Washington County. The House-passed bill now heads to Gov. Butch Otter's desk.…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Legislation killed in an Idaho House committee today aimed to require private education companies receiving state tax dollars to detail their expenditures in yearly reports. Democratic Rep. Brian Cronin's measure followed last year's…
The House has taken up HB 650, Rep. Ken Andrus' animal cruelty bill; the House voted to suspend its rules to allow the bill to come up now, though it was on the 2nd Reading calendar. Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs, said his initial feeling as…
The Idaho Senate has begun its debate on HB 464, the oil/gas pre-emption bill, which has bounced from the full Senate to the amending order - on a tied vote broken by Lt. Gov. Brad Little - and then back to the full Senate without…
The Senate State Affairs Committee has voted 7-2 along party lines to send the pre-abortion ultrasound bill to the full Senate with a recommendation that it "do pass," prompting several loud, angry shouts from a few in the audience. Security guards quickly moved to stand…
Sen. Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, questioned Right to Life of Idaho President Jason Herring about why the bill requires a list of free ultrasound providers to be given to women, but then still requires another one to be done by the abortion provider. "I don't…
As the hearing continues this morning on the pre-abortion ultrasound bill, Julie Lynde of Cornerstone Family Council told senators, "If women have the right to choose, they have the right to see the facts." She said the pre-abortion ultrasound bill ensures that with "wisdom and…
Among the testimony at this morning's continuing hearing on the pre-abortion ultrasound bill: Betsy McBride of the League of Women Voters told the senators, "If an ultrasound procedure is not medically necessary, the Legislature should not require that a doctor or an ultrasound technologist perform…
Brandi Swindell told the Senate State Affairs Committee, "Numerous clients have changed their mind after receiving ultrasound at our clinic. ... They didn't know that their baby had a heartbeat. ... They thought it was merely a blob of cells. ... They were not given…
Among the testimony so far this morning on the pre-abortion ultrasound bill: Yvette Sedlewicz of Boise said transvaginal ultrasounds performed as a result of passage of the bill "should be considered mechanical rape by government - I am sure this is considered a form of…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
