Otter urges ‘no’ vote on HJR 5
Idaho Gov. Butch Otter is urging a “no” vote on HJR 5, the constitutional amendment on the November ballot, and he’s added a new twist to the debate: Otter says a clause in the amendment that says “in whole or in part” actually would vastly expand the Legislature’s current power to review administrative rules, rather than simply writing that current power into the state Constitution. “I’d call it unnecessary but its potential consequences are more serious than that implies,” Otter writes in a guest opinion; you can read the full piece here. Under current law, lawmakers review administrative rules at the start of their legislative session each year, and either approve or reject them/Betsy Russell, SR. More here.