Here’s a link to my full story at spokesman.com on today’s legislative developments, in which the House and Senate reached an impasse over road funding and both opted to convene a rare conference committee; it’ll meet at 9 a.m. on Thursday. You can listen live…
After bouncing back and forth between the House and Senate multiple times, legislation to raise fines for violations of the Idaho Open Meeting Law won final legislative approval tonight and went to Gov. Butch Otter. The latest version of the bill, HB 324, passed the…
The Senate has reconvened – at nearly 7 p.m. – and named its three appointees to the conference committee on HB 312a, the transportation funding bill. Senate Transportation Chairman Bert Brackett, R-Rogerson, is the Senate chair. The other two appointees are Sens. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert,…
After more than two hours at ease, the House has briefly reconvened tonight, held all bills until tomorrow, and read across the desk the letter to the Senate requesting the conference committee on HB 312a. According to the House’s letter, the committee will meet at…
Shortly after the Senate State Affairs Committee vacated it, top House and Senate GOP leaders began filtering into the small conference room next to Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill’s office, to hear House Speaker Scott Bedke’s petition for a conference committee. Before the door closed,…
The Senate State Affairs Committee, in a brief meeting held in the conference room of the Senate president pro-tem’s office, has agreed to introduce a resolution setting up a new study committee to examine broadband services for Idaho schools and report back to the Legislative…
The Senate has now convened, but Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, said there will be some “starts and stops,” including a “very brief” State Affairs Committee meeting at 4:15. Then, he said, the Senate will reconvene.
After a bit of a delay with the House at ease, the House reconvened and Speaker Scott Bedke announced that there were procedural questions about the earlier voice vote to not concur in the Senate amendments to HB 312. So Sen. Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, again…
The House has voted to accept the recommendation from its Transportation Committee, to not concur in the Senate amendments to HB 312a, the transportation funding bill. “It is my intention to petition the body across the rotunda to convene a conference committee,” House Speaker Scott...
The House Transportation Committee has voted unanimously – 17-0 – to NOT concur in the Senate amendments to HB 312, the transportation funding bill.
The House Transportation Committee is about to convene; here are its options on HB 312a, the transportation funding bill as amended in the Senate, per House Rule 73: RULE 73 Amended Bills. -- When a bill, resolution, or memorial passed by the House of Representatives...
Chelsea Gaona Lincoln writes on the “Better Idaho” blog today about her meeting with Rep. Paul Shepherd, R-Riggins, which she requested after his comments to the House about gays. “On Thursday, I went with two other gay Idahoans,” she writes. “We sat down with Shepherd,…
With funding for roads on the docket To schools, health and prisons we’ll sock it If things are so dire And funds we desire We’ll just reach in our other pocket.
The Senate has now recessed until 4 p.m.
The Senate has voted 25-9 in favor of HB 95a, the Senate-amended version of HB 95, to exempt materials used in public roads from the sales tax. Sen. Jim Rice, R-Caldwell, the bill’s sponsor, said, “I think it’s important if we’re asking the citizens of…
After spirited debate, the Senate has voted 18-16, narrowly passing HB 318 to create a special liquor license for a single small event center in each of Idaho’s established resort cities, for use only during conferences or events. The bill earlier passed the House 40-28;…
The House has recessed until 3 p.m., with the House Education Committee to meet immediately, and the House Transportation Committee to meet at 1:30. The Education Committee has a bill on charter school debt reserves; the Transportation Committee will consider whether to concur in Senate…
Legislation to end a special retirement perk for Idaho state lawmakers who take high-paying state jobs late in their careers had died without a hearing in a Senate committee. “It’s not scheduled for a hearing,” said Senate State Affairs Chairman Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa. “There’s nothing…
House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, has referred HB 312a, the Senate-amended transportation funding bill, to the House Transportation Committee. This year, Bedke has been referring amended bills to committees to consider whether or not to concur with Senate amendments, rather than just making that call...
Sen. Jim Rice, R-Caldwell, presented the amendment to his bill, HB 95, to the Senate just now. That’s the bill to exempt materials used in public roads from the sales tax. The amendment changes the effective date of the new exemption to “July 1, 2016,…
SB 1174, the budget bill for the Idaho Transportation Department, has passed the Senate on a unanimous, 34-0 vote, with no debate. That was the last major budget bill remaining on the Senate calendar that still needs to go through the House before lawmakers adjourn…
The Senate has just agreed, by unanimous consent, to send HB 95 to the 14th Order for amendments. That bill, sponsored by Sen. Jim Rice, R-Caldwell, is the House-passed measure that's long been hanging on the Senate calendar, to exempt road materials from the sales...
The Senate Transportation Committee has voted 6-3 in favor of HB 310, sending it to the full Senate with a recommendation that it “do pass.” Sen. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, praised Rep. Jason Monks for proposing HB 310. “We will be maybe another $10 million shorter...
Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian, moved to send HB 310 to the full Senate with a recommendation that it “do pass,” and Sen. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, seconded the motion. No one chose to testify for or against the bill. Sen. Chuck Winder, R-Boise, noted that...
Sen. Cherie Buckner-Webb, D-Boise, asked Rep. Jason Monks if Idaho would still be able to adequately fund law enforcement with his proposed $16 million fund shift away from the Idaho State Police in HB 310. He said he thought economic growth would cover that. Sen.…
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