Governor Brad Little has acted on all of the bills delivered to his desk from the 2020 legislative session. During the session, the governor has five days—not counting Sundays—to act on bills. He can either sign them into law, veto them, or allow them to become law without his signature. The end of the session extends that deadline to ten days.
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On Friday, Governor Brad Little announced additional executive measures to assist Idaho’s response to the 2019 novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. Through executive order, he is directing a $39.3 million transfer from the Tax Relief Fund to the Disaster Emergency Account.
What is the Tax Relief Fund?
Read MoreSpring is in the air, and Idaho legislators are itching to wrap up and return home for the year. Their target date for the end of session has been March 20, which means bills are moving quickly at the capitol. Lawmakers are trying to push that adjournment date even earlier amid concerns over the spread of novel coronavirus.
Read MoreLawmakers are once again considering changes to Idaho’s voter initiative process, though not the ones attempted last year. Rather than upping the number of signatures or districts needed to qualify an initiative for the ballot, House Bill 548 and Senate Bill 1350—each approved by their respective chamber last week—make adjustments to how those signatures are gathered and how initiatives are prepared and presented to voters.
Read MoreApproximately 200 students from across the state gathered in Boise to learn about government and civic engagement. Idaho’s annual 4-H Know Your Government Conference took place over President’s Day Weekend.
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After three days of hearings and hours of testimony from county and city officials, an Idaho House panel has approved a bill that would temporarily freeze the portions of local government budgets funded by property taxes. The House Revenue and Taxation Committee approved the bill last week with a do pass recommendation on a 12-3 party line vote.
The bill prohibits local governments—except for school districts—from certifying a property tax budget or levy in 2020 that exceeds the amount budgeted in 2019.
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State lawmakers have introduced a bill to remove partisan requirements for members of the Idaho Fish and Game Commission. Under existing law, no more than four members of the seven-person commission may belong to the same political party.
Read MoreLast week the Idaho House approved a bill that would affect the frequency of local bond elections, and the House State Affairs Committee takes up a second one this week.
If passed into law, House Bill 347 would prohibit taxing districts from holding a bond election for eleven months after a failed bond on the same subject. According to sponsor Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, the proposal is meant to protect voters from what she calls aggressive taxing districts.
Read MoreA proposal to designate January 16 as Religious Freedom Day in Idaho has been held in the House State Affairs Committee. The concurrent resolution sponsored by Rep. Jake Ellis, D-Boise, and Sen. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, would commemorate the 1786 adoption of the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom drafted by Thomas Jefferson.
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The House Revenue & Taxation Committee is gearing up to consider this year’s tax proposals. Wednesday’s hearing saw the introduction of several bills aimed at property and grocery taxes.
“It doesn’t necessarily mean that your property taxes are going to go down,” said House Majority Leader Mike Moyle. “It puts a Band-Aid on it, and it gives the opportunity for those of us in the Legislature to sit down and find out a way to proceed with this.”
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The Idaho Senate Education Committee is considering a bill that would decrease the number of finalists that public state universities must name in presidential searches. The proposed legislation creates a new exemption in the public records law that would only require the names of three finalists for public four-year postsecondary institution president positions, rather than five.
Read MoreSen. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, introduced a bill Tuesday to decriminalize the possession of illegal drugs and allow commitment in treatment facilities for substance abuse disorders. The legislation is intended to shift the state’s drug approach from arrest and incarceration to treatment and rehabilitation.
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Governor Brad Little delivered his second State of the State address Monday, highlighting past achievements and calling for increased education spending amid an otherwise lean budget year. The governor’s proposed budget calls for improved K-3 literacy, increased teacher salaries, and investments in specific higher education programs.
Photo by Riley Haun, Idaho Public Radio
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