Hello District 19,
The right of Idahoans to pass laws through ballot initiatives is enshrined in the Idaho State Constitution. On Saturday, the Governor quietly signed Senate Bill 1101, rendering into law a threat to that sacred right.
The new law is a power grab by the Legislature and makes it nearly impossible for a citizen-led effort to qualify for the ballot. It requires meeting a signature target in every single legislative district across the state, which is nearly double the current requirement. This will make it harder for all voters–especially rural ones–to organize a ballot initiative effort.
We expect and support swift legal action to undo this abuse of power.
Emergency Powers at Risk
While Governor Little declined to protect the rights of voters, he vetoed legislation seeking to trim the powers of the governor in disaster emergencies and increase those of the Legislature. Democrats opposed both House Bill 135 and Senate Bill 1136. It is critical that the executive branch can respond quickly to protect Idahoans in emergencies. Read our statement about the decision here.
Higher Education Still Under Attack
The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee has yet to produce a new budget bill for our colleges and universities since an earlier budget bill died on the House Floor.
More than 100 Idaho businesses came together to urge the Legislature to enact the Governor’s proposed higher education budget. We agree with their statement, which reads, “As businesses that employ thousands of your constituents and rely on a strong higher education system, we urge you to stop turning our critical higher education infrastructure into a political football in the culture wars. Funding per student has already dropped 14 percent over the past 10 years. Chipping away at this critical economic engine of our state for political reasons is counterproductive for building an economically vibrant Idaho.”
You can send a message to House members here in support of fully funding higher education.
Also in the Legislature This Week
On Tuesday, the House defeated the public school budget, HB 354, for K-12 teachers on a tie vote. We both voted to support the budget but, once again, unfounded and conspiracy-like fears over social justice “indoctrination” led to the bill’s failure.
The House passed HB 339aa to prohibit any mask mandates from any governmental entity in Idaho, on a 47-22 vote, sending the bill to the Senate. We both voted against this bill.
The House also passed SB 1111aaH on a 53-16 vote, the amended city elections bill that grafts onto the Senate-passed bill a new requirement to shift all city elections from odd-numbered to even-numbered years, when they would join all partisan elections on the ballot. We voted against this bill because we do not want to see partisanship injected into nonpartisan races.
On Thursday, the House defeated a proposed constitutional amendment in a 42-28 vote, a count that failed to meet the required two-thirds majority of the body. HJR 4 would have permanently required a two-thirds vote of each house to legalize any drug that’s currently illegal, including medical cannabis and CBD oil or other hemp products containing any trace of THC. We both voted against this resolution. It significantly raises the bar to allow narrow use of medical cannabis, which is a compassionate alternative for opioids, especially for cancer patients.
On Friday, the House passed HB 366, a bill seeking to ban abortions as soon as six weeks, when most women do not even know they are pregnant. To become law, HB 366 would need to clear a Senate committee, pass the full Senate, and receive the governor’s signature (an earlier version of the bill already passed the Senate in SB 1183). We both debated vigorously against the bill, which will not reduce abortions, but simply make them less safe.
Lauren’s Corner
As this legislative session winds down, tax policy is a major piece of unfinished business. The Senate still has HB 332, the lopsided income tax bill, sitting in the amending order. I have been collaborating with Senate Democrats to propose various amendments to the bill. The amendments would spread the benefits more widely and also address property taxes.
As a member of the House Energy, Environment and Technology Committee, I attended a formal committee hearing about moving Oregon’s border to absorb more deep red counties. Watching how single-party rule is working in Idaho makes me strongly opposed to making our politics even more extreme. I was surprised that a committee hearing was held on a far-fetched idea that is unlikely to come to pass when we have urgent issues that need to be addressed.
Chris’s Corner
While it feels great to be fully vaccinated and protected against COVID-19, it does not feel great to still be in a legislative session that seems to have produced so little that will help people in local Idaho communities on the issues they care about. But alas, the work continues.
On January 21, the House passed HJR1 51-18, which would have allowed the legislature to call itself into ‘special’ session. We both voted against this bill and, like us, the Senate had some concerns; they decided to redraft the resolution.
This week, the House State Affairs Committee reviewed and approved the new resolution – SJR 2 – a proposed constitutional amendment allowing the Legislature to call itself into special session any time 60% of the members of each body request it.
SJR2 also requires the request for the special session to specify subjects to be addressed. When I mentioned this requirement would bring the legislature into alignment with all state employees who expect to be reimbursed for work travel, a couple legislators were quick to claim that legislators are not state employees but are rather “political subdivisions.” I found this surprising and odd and, afterwards, the House’s CFO confirmed that yes, legislators, while a unique type, are indeed state employees.
Next up for SJR2: the House Floor.
Vaccine Reminder
Residents over the age of 16 are now eligible to receive a COVID vaccine and availability has increased substantially. Please visit Idaho’s pre-registration system to book an appointment. Crush the Curve Idaho also has consolidated information about vaccination sites with available appointments.