Senate Assistant Majority Leader Chuck Winder, R-Boise, says the Senate could suspend its rules and take up HB 311, the tax bill, as soon as this afternoon. “If not, no later than tomorrow,” he said. Both the Senate and the House go back into session this afternoon at 3.

Winder said, “Hopefully through this process, we’ll be able to look at these three bills (HB 311, 310 and 312) and come up with a transportation funding mechanism.” The other two bills also passed the House yesterday and would raise funds for road work through general-fund shifts and increased registration fees.

Asked why he didn’t propose sending HB 311 to the Senate’s 14^th Order for amendments, Winder said, “I don’t think we know how to amend it – it still could get amended.” He said the overall question for the Senate is “do we want to see that type of tax policy” in a transportation-funding bill.

House Speaker Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, said, “I think that the House came prepared to do three major things, and we still want to do three major things. If we have to end up doing only one major thing, that’s fine.” Bedke’s three things are improving education, transportation and economic competitiveness.