The Idaho Legislature wrapped up an 80-day legislative session on Wednesday, opting at the end not to try to override a veto from Gov. Butch Otter, though lawmakers had remained in session for five extra days just for that purpose. Otter on Wednesday vetoed legislation…
The Senate has now joined the House in adjourning sine die, after numerous thank-you and goodbye speeches. The Senate adjourned at 5:56 p.m. That marks the end of the Idaho Legislature’s annual session for this year; it went 80 days.
The House has now adjourned sine die, taking the vote at 5:19 p.m MT. Prior to making the motion, House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, checked the time. “5:18,” he reported – the exact time that the clock runs out on the governor’s time to...
For a story I’ve been working on about bills that made a splash earlier in the session and then just – poof – disappeared, I asked Rep. Ron Nate, R-Rexburg, this afternoon if he knew why his bill to designate huckleberry pie as the official…
Gov. Butch Otter has announced that he’ll hold a press conference in his office tomorrow at 1 p.m., with legislative leaders, to give his response to this year’s legislative session – his last of his three terms as governor. The session will be streamed live…
The Senate has begun its sine die goodbyes, after Majority Leader Chuck Winder told senators, “We’re rapidly approaching the witching hour of 5:18 and 5:26 when the clock runs out.” That's the deadline for the governor to act on House and Senate bills that were...
Gov. Butch Otter has allowed HB 658a, the controversial trespassing law, to become law without his signature; you can read his transmittal letter here. "The myriad problems and bad actors plaguing the agricultural community and other large landowners need to be addressed," Otter wrote. "However, this legislation...
Two of the three bills that Gov. Butch Otter indicated earlier today he had problems with have now been dealt with; Otter has allowed the non-compete bill, SB 1287a, to become law without his signature. You can read his transmittal letter here. The bill repeals…
After the reading of the governor’s veto message on HB 566a, the charter school administrator certification bill, the House went straight to its vote on a possible override, and the alarm bell rang signaling that House members should cast their votes – but they didn’t.…
A full hour after it was scheduled to convene, the House has come back in; you can watch live here. The House is expected to take a vote on possibly overriding Gov. Butch Otter’s veto of the charter school administrator bill, HB 566a.
So far today, Gov. Butch Otter has signed 10 bills, including the Medicaid budget, an amended bill regarding local building codes, and several other budget bills; issued one veto, on the charter school administrators bill; and allowed two bills to become law without his signature,…
House and Senate Democrats touted their legislative successes this year, but said when it came to the session’s top-tier issues – from two major tax bills to the “stand your ground” law and anti-trespassing bill – majority Republicans shunted them aside. “Democrats were completely cut…
Senate Republicans wrapped up their caucus in about 15 minutes, but the Senate hasn't gone back into session; it's now waiting for the House. "We can't do anything until we know what they're going to do," said Senate President Pro-Tem Brent Hill, R-Rexburg. The Senate…
Well, the Senate convened as scheduled at 1:30, but immediately went at ease for a closed-door majority caucus, which reportedly will last until 2:30 (that's Boise time - the time stamps on this blog are in Pacific time, because that's where The Spokesman-Review's servers are).…
Gov. Butch Otter has vetoed the charter school administrator certification bill, HB 566a. The amended bill passed the Senate 23-10 and the House 58-11; the original bill passed the House 49-18. The measure would set up a new certification for charter school administrators that lacks...
Some brothers from Texas bought land ‘No hunters,’ they said – that’s their stand The Idaho law May have stuck in their craw But the Lege now says trespassing’s banned.
A southeastern Idaho tribe is seeking to intervene in an Idaho utility's attempt to negate an Oregon law requiring fish passage as part of relicensing for a hydroelectric project on the Snake River, the AP reports. The Shoshone-Bannock Tribes on Tuesday filed documents with the U.S. Court of Appeals...
Officials with the Coeur d'Alene Tribe say they have hired employees to counter claims surrounding a proposed ballot initiative, but deny accusations their operatives are intimidating voters, the AP reports. Tyrel Stevenson with the North Idaho Voter Project...
All Idaho school personnel must be trained in suicide awareness and prevention, under legislation that Gov. Butch Otter and suicide-prevention advocates celebrated at a ceremony in the governor’s office on Wednesday. The governor had earlier signed HB 634, the Jason Flatt Act, into law; it…
After a ceremonial signing ceremony in his office this morning for HB 634, the Jason Flatt Act, which requires suicide prevention training for all school personnel in Idaho, Gov. Butch Otter talked briefly about the current task he’s facing – making decisions, in a short…
There are just three bills left that Gov. Butch Otter is considering possibly vetoing, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Winder told the Senate this morning. “It sounds like we’ll have a decision fairly early afternoon, so I’m going to ask that we come back on the…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
