Panel approves ban on smoking at lanes

Some supporters of House Bill 121 wore bright stickers emblazoned “Bowlers for Clean Air” in a Senate hearing room. Also in the crowd Monday was a group of teen bowlers who traveled from the Twin Falls area to support the ban. Not even the Idaho bowling proprietors’ association opposes the bill, though some members have concerns.

“We do not want to kill kids,” said Mona Lindeen, speaking for the association.

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee backed the bill unanimously. “We hope that more people will be turning out to bowl,” said committee Chairwoman Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston.

The bill, which earlier passed the House 48-17, now heads to the full Senate, and if passed, to the governor’s desk.

House backs bill on surplus ITD land

House Bill 144, which would give contiguous property owners first bid on some surplus Idaho Transportation Department land, was approved Monday by the House over the objection of some Panhandle lawmakers.

The bill would apply to parcels smaller than an acre and with values of less than $50,000. Under current rules, adjacent landowners get first shot if the land is worth less than $10,000. The change was sought, in part, to help Coeur d’Alene-based North River LLC acquire IDT land that runs through the company’s proposed commercial development at an Interstate 90 off-ramp.

Lead sponsor Phil Hart, R-Athol, said the change would prevent Idahoans from being treated like “second-class citizens” compared with public agencies that now sometimes have the first option on surplus land, and at a reduced price.

Opponents, including Rep. George Eskridge, R-Dover, and George Sayler, D-Coeur d’Alene, said the change might allow adjacent property owners to snag surplus land for less than what it would bring at auction. After passing the House by a 56-13 vote, the bill goes to the Senate for consideration.

Senate panel kills worker-care bill

Senators Monday questioned the need for Senate Bill 1158, which sought to make employers liable for medically necessary health care for injured workers if they’d knowingly hired the workers illegally.

Members of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee noted that it’s already illegal to hire illegal immigrants. And employers already are liable for their employees’ health care costs for on-the-job injuries through workers’ compensation laws, they said.

“The need is to send a message to employers.” said Sen. Mike Jorgenson, R-Hayden Lake, who co-sponsored the measure.

The committee voted 5-4 to kill the bill.

Bill offers tax credits for land easements

Supporters say they don’t expect much of House Bill 262 this year, but they introduced it to heighten awareness of the loss of open spaces. The bill would offer tax credits of up to $500,000 if owners place some or all of their land in a conservation easement.

The tax credits could be transferred with the land, bringing in money for rural residents whose land in many areas has shot up in value, often creating pressure to sell for housing developments.

A coalition of ranchers, farmers, conservationists, timber companies and sportsmen supports the bill, called the Idaho Ranch, Farm and Forest Protection Act.

From staff and wire reports