The Senate State Affairs Committee today sent HB 155, Rep. Linden Bateman’s bill to increase fines for violations of the Idaho Open Meeting Law, to the Senate’s 14^th Order for amendments. Several senators on the panel raised questions about some of the bill’s wording, in how it distinguished between knowing and repeated violations. “I don’t know if it’s going to make it, because it’s late in the session,” said Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg.

Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, the committee chairman, said he’d support a move “to try to send it to the amending order and try to get it passed … within the time we have.” He added, “I talked to the House transportation chairman this morning. … We may have some time.” With that, the committee voted to send the bill to the amending order.

Katrine Franks of Risch-Pisca, speaking on behalf of the Newspaper Association of Idaho, backed the bill. “We support responsible initiatives of transparency and that’s what we believe this bill is,” she said. “It stays true to the intent of the law and hopefully continues its integrity for years to come.” Bateman told the committee, “It’s to encourage public officials to recognize the integrity of their meetings, have open meetings.”