SINE DIE | 2024 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
The Idaho State Legislature adjourned on April 10th, 2024
In the Fourteenth week of the Sixty-Seventh Idaho Legislature’s Second Regular Session, the Legislature adjourned Sine Die just before 3:00 PM on Wednesday. The Senate finished at 2:42 PM, and the House followed quickly behind at 2:49 PM, ending one of the most dynamic and politically hostile legislative sessions in recent history. Before adjournment, the Senate spent most of their last legislative day in caucus, followed by a heartfelt goodbye to retiring Senator Abby Lee. The Senate finished the last few procedural items and left some bills on the calendar in a familiar tradition. The House moved swiftly through goodbyes, with several members retiring after this year, but there was little fanfare or pleasantries before their adjourning.
Among the celebrations and sighs of relief that come with the end of a session, there was also a cloud of doubt as the Governor let HB 770, the Idaho Transportation Department (ITD) budget, and HB 726, the Department of Administration budget go into law without signature. The decision to let them go into law without his approval was a masterful political tactic but may not save the state from a costly lawsuit. Regardless of the outcome of the ITD State Street property, the budget enhancement bill fully funded employees and transportation projects that were approved as major policy wins for Idaho.
Governor Little also signed HB 398aaS. A strongly worded letter accompanied it, something he’s now accustomed to doing regularly, noting the Legislature needed to take immediate action to fix the issue created by the passage of HB 398. These issues are now setting the table for an extraordinary or “special” session that could happen as early as this month, further clouding the end of the session. The Governor vetoed two bills during the mandatory 5-day recess. S 1314aaS – gold and silver, which the Senate didn’t take up an override on, and S 1323, which the Senate failed to override on a 17-17-1 vote. Both these bills were contentious and came up quickly in the later part of the session. We expect to see the policy conversations around these bills continue into the next session.
Other significant successes this year included full program funding for Launch, Fentanyl mandatory minimums, Facilities funding for public schools, an overhaul of the public charter school’s system, additional regulatory changes and updates, record investments in infrastructure for education, broadband, transportation, water, mental health, an overhaul on regulating and reigning in PBMs, and more. While reduced this year, some funding and programs also became more transparent and will now last longer and do more for Idaho. While not everything we wanted to move forward made it through the process, it did help us move our policy goals forward and begin hard conversations that will lead to positive outcomes in the future.
This year’s successes can also be found in what didn’t pass. With another record year for the number of bills introduced from freshman to seasoned Chairmen, there were many policy fights in the Capitol this year, right down to the last minutes of the session. Often, the most difficult and contentious issues are those that would harm you or your interests. Defense is an important part of what we do. Protecting you and the state and its interests is always paramount.
Each session is unique, and there is always more work to do. Legislators have headed home to campaign for re-election, with fundraisers packing the calendar each day. Agencies have already started into rules and planning for budget and policy implementations from this session. It’s also the start of conference season, as the work for next year begins now. Thank you for your trust and patience with us, and we are proud of our work for you. As we close this session and begin preparing for the next one, again, thank you and onward!
