Idaho Legislature in photos this week 3/9-3/13/09

Here's the ninth week of the Idaho Legislature's 2009 session in photos

Section:Gallery

Sun., March 15, 2009

Sen. Brent Hill, R-Rexburg, urges the Senate to pass legislation to reform secret tax deals at the state Tax Commission. The bill passed unanimously on Monday and headed to the House.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Rep. Jim Clark, R-Hayden Lake, asks the House Judiciary Committee to support his bill to ban repeat DUI offenders from buying, possessing or consuming alcohol, but the panel killed the bill on a 6-5 vote.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Gov. Butch Otter enjoys a performance of an Irish reel by young dancers, as he declares "Irish Heritage Month" in Idaho. After the proclamation-signing and dancing, Otter reflected on his first meeting with his economic stimulus committee on Monday, and said he'll meet with the group, which includes three former governors, again on Wednesday, in hopes of finalizing his recommendations for spending the federal stimulus money.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Sen. Monty Pearce, R-New Plymouth, speaks out for a resolution urging the federal government to de-list the wolf in Idaho. Though it's already done so, the measure won the Senate's unanimous support on Tuesday, gaining final passage.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, presents legislation to eliminate Idaho's "nursing exemption" from its child car safety seat law, which disqualifies the state from federal aid to buy car seats for needy families. The Senate Transportation Committee unanimously endorsed the bill on Tuesday.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Rep. Eric Anderson, R-Priest Lake, champions his anti-quagga mussel legislation in a long afternoon hearing Tuesday at the House Environment Committee.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Wayne Hammon, budget director for Gov. Butch Otter, presents the governor's recommendations for spending $1.24 billion in federal economic stimulus money to lawmakers on Thursday morning.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Gov. Butch Otter's stimulus committee, which includes three former governors and five former state budget directors, meets with Otter and his staffers on Wednesday to analyze the federal economic stimulus and what it means to Idaho. Otter then released his plan late Wednesday, and his staff presented it to lawmakers Thursday morning.

Courtesy State Of Idaho Courtesty State Of Idaho
Gov. Butch Otter outlines his stimulus spending plans on Thursday at a news conference.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
This photo shows the Hyde Park district in Boise's historic North End, a neighborhood - and legislative district - that state budget director Wayne Hammon spoke disparagingly of when he presented the governor's budget and stimulus recommendations to JFAC on Thursday. Of the area, which tends to vote Democratic, Hammon said, “The future of Idaho is not contained in the North End.”

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
The Idaho House was in session early on Friday morning, but got bogged down in a long debate on a bill regarding dyed motor fuel, and didn't get to hotter issues further down its agenda. It was the 61st day of this year's legislative session.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Legislative budget director Cathy Holland-Smith briefs the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee as the panel prepares to set budget target figures for the coming year. That number, lowered by recession-hit state revenues, then drives all budget decisions for state agencies, which must fit within it.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, left, checks his watch as the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee debates half an hour past the time the Senate was supposed to start its session on Friday. JFAC was setting its budget target for next year. Also shown are Lt. Gov. Brad Little, center, and lobbyist Skip Smyser, right.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review
There's a full house in the Senate Resources Committee on Friday, for the second day of testimony on a proposed increase in Fish & Game fee. The committee is scheduled to vote on Monday.

Betsy Russell The Spokesman-Review