The Senate has voted 26-9 in favor of HB 312aa, the revised transportation bill. The nine “no” votes came from Sens. Bayer, Burgoyne, Hagedorn, Martin, Nonini, Nuxoll, Souza, Thayn and Vick. “I reject the notion that we’ve failed,” said Sen. Bert Brackett, R-Rogerson. “We have...
By the end of Senate Transportation Chairman Bert Brackett’s opening debate, he was inadvertently speaking in rhyme: “We’ve got one more step to take, and one more vote to make,” he told the Senate. Sen. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, said he splashed cold water on his...
If the Idaho Lege goes much longer Lawmakers will have to be stronger Eyelids they may droop ‘Fore they all fly the coop Could this all-nighter feel any wronger?
Here’s the Senate, just five minutes before midnight, voting to suspend rules and immediately take up the newly re-amended transportation bill, HB 312aa. There were two “no” votes on the rules suspension, from Sens. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, and Sen. Steven Thayn, R-Emmett. “We’ve come a...
When it is this late at night Few have the verve for a fight. Sen. Brackett may drone As the bill he intones But still it may pass before first light.
Here's the revised Statement of Purpose for the transportation bill, HB 314a. It shows that the bill raises a total of $94,147,100 for transportation. That includes $63.2 million from the 7-cent increase in Idaho's 25-cent per gallon gas tax; $26.8 million from increased registration fees…
The Senate has now convened. “What we’re going to do while you’re continuing to study (the bill) is we’re going to run through the different orders of business to put the legislation in the 14th Order of business,” Majority Leader Bart Davis announced. “At that…
The Senate is now printing copies of the transportation bill, for which it'll be considering amendments proposed by a rare six-member conference committee; the copying job was extensive enough that it's being done on multiple printers and copiers, including one adjacent to the secretary of…
The House still hasn’t reconvened, and won’t until the Senate gets the transportation bill, amends it and sends it over; drafting errors have prolonged the wait for that into unaccustomed dark hours of the night for the Idaho Legislature. But while they’re waiting, House Speaker…
On tonight’s “Idaho Reports,” I join Bill Dentzer, Jim Weatherby, and co-hosts Aaron Kunz and Melissa Davlin to discuss the tumultuous developments of the 13th week of the legislative session, perhaps its last, perhaps not. Also on tonight's show, Davlin interviews Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur...
Lt. Gov. Brad Little says he’s been in several meetings with Gov. Butch Otter’s staff about the child-support enforcement bill killed in a House committee. “It’s a little bit of a problem,” Little said. “There’s conversations taking place.”
The Idaho Department of Health & Welfare has sent out an unusually strongly worded news release, warning, “The future of Idaho’s Child Support program is uncertain after members of the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration committee voted Friday afternoon to table Senate Bill 1067. The…
Here’s a link to the full AP story on how an Idaho House panel voted 9-8 today to kill legislation to bring the state into compliance with federal child-support collection rules after some lawmakers said they were concerned about Sharia law influencing Idaho's enforcement authority;…
Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, has just announced that the Senate is going to recess until 7:30 p.m., at which time it hopes to have the conference committee report and the proposed amendments to HB 312a. “It is our intent, with your patience,…
A narrow House committee vote to kill a child support enforcement bill this afternoon could keep Idaho lawmakers from adjourning their session today; joint leadership is in a meeting about the issue now. House Judiciary Chairman Rich Wills, on his way to the meeting, said,…
The conference committee, after debate about legalities, rules and details, has voted unanimously, 6-0, in favor of the $95 million compromise on transportation funding, including a surplus eliminator with a two-year sunset. The bill is expected to take about three hours to draft; House Speaker…
Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa, moved to approve the compromises the committee has been discussing, including a 7-cent gas tax increase, $28 million in increased registration fees on cars, light trucks and motorcycles and new fees on electric and hybrid vehicles; a $25 flat increase…
The conference committee is now discussing accepting the “surplus eliminator” plan, with no provision for local highway jurisdictions to get any of the funds; they’d be split 50-50 between ITD and the Budget Stabilization Fund, but that provision would expire in two years. “I think…
That was a weird one: House GOP members of the conference committee proposed a change to a section of legislative intent in HB 312a, to alter it so that it would require all funds that got to the Idaho Transportation Department under state law to…
Sen. Roy Lacey, D-Pocatello, proposed a change to the House GOP’s latest plan in the conference committee: Since local highway districts wouldn’t get to share in any of the surplus eliminator money, he proposed changing the distribution of new gas tax funds from the proposed…
The conference committee has returned, and Rep. John Vander Woude is outlining a new proposal, which includes an immediate 7-cent gas tax increase and $21 flat increases in car registration fees.
Hurry up and wait A dreadful and odious fate Lobbyists are singing Rumors are winging And all that we’re getting is late…
There's still a fair crowd waiting in vain for the conference committee to reconvene. Idaho EdNews reporter Clark Corbin just sent this informative tweet from the Senate floor: "I know this will shock you, but the Senate has gone at ease after briefly reconvening to...
Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An eastern Idaho race track faces possible suspension of its simulcast license if it doesn't receive approval from county officials. The Idaho Racing Commission met April 3 to discuss the validity of Sandy…
It's getting close to 1 p.m.; House conference committee members are finally starting to filter back into their meeting room. House Speaker Scott Bedke passed through first, joking about "seeing white smoke" and whether there's a pope...
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