HB 155, the measure from Rep. Linden Bateman, R-Idaho Falls, to significantly increase fines for violations of the Idaho Open Meeting Law, has passed the Senate on a 33-2 vote. Senators amended the bill to clarify a section about repeat offenses and to recognize the already-passed recodification bill that assigns new code numbers to the Open Meeting Law, as part of creating of a new Transparent and Ethical Government section of law to highlight, and make easier to find, the Open Meeting Law, the Idaho Public Records Law, and the Ethics In Government law.

The amended bill now goes back to the House for concurrence in the amendments.