WEEK SEVEN | 2024 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
In the seventh week of the Sixty-Seventh Idaho Legislature’s Second Regular Session, policies and ideas are flying with another year-over-year increase in the number of bills introduced. While not all bills pass, a considerably higher number of bills are introduced again this year, many of which will not move forward through both chambers. Many of these bills, produced from out-of-state special interest groups, are using Idaho as a conservative testing ground. While Idaho has not been immune to this type of influence in past years, the variety and number of bills from these groups that gain introduction and committee hearings continue to increase. This year so far, the House and the Senate have introduced over 450 bills, with at least a third of the session left to go. Compared to last year’s session, the total number of bills introduced was 596.
With omnibus maintenance budgets keeping the total number of appropriations bills down this year, it’s a record number of policy bills introduced for sure. There were 157 budget bills last year. This year there have been 26 budgets introduced, 10 of which failed earlier this session. With many more bills containing agency line items still working through the budget process and the bill introduction deadlines passing but not causing the traditional slowdown of new bill introductions, the weight of policies and decision-making behind the bill count continues to rise in another contentious and political legislative session in Idaho.
The House has maintained general decorum and even some friendly banter this week as they continued through their calendar voting on bills moving through committee and to the floor quickly. The Senate floor has had several lengthy hearings causing their calendar to grow again this week as they continue their work. Interestingly, the school’s facility funding, income tax reduction bill HB 521, cleared the House Friday afternoon with a vote of 61-6-3. It now heads to the Senate with strong momentum.
In JFAC this week, efforts continued to move funding forward to agencies as the maintenance budgets cleared the floors. The supplemental budgets, with various requests from agencies and recommendations by the governor, continue to pass with a strong majority. Perhaps most impressive this week was the passage of funding for the Workforce Development Council, which included the line items to fund the Launch program passed last year. JFAC passed this budget to the floor on a 16-4 vote, clearly saying that they want the House and Senate to fund the program they approved last year. While this funding is heading to the floor with support, it will undoubtedly be a contentious vote on the floors of the House and Senate.
The staff in the Capitol, legislators and all those who work in the policy arena are feeling the weight of the increase in bills and the contention they cause. The heavy work of the session is in full effect, and emotions continue to run high as fatigue and frustrations begin setting in. Both sides' leadership continues to convince their caucus and the full body that the direction and control they have asserted is working. The Governor began treating bills this week. His inbox will begin filling next week and beyond with bills that he will have to decide to sign, veto, or allow to become law without his signature.
While many of the big-ticket items have shown progress this week, many bills remain to be considered. And although the list of bills continues to grow, there is still time to get good policy through the process. While much of our efforts have now shifted to stopping predatory bills, we remain in good favor, and relationships are strong. It’s important to remember in this work that we often disagree but never want to be disagreeable. Despite the challenges, we remain optimistic about your positive outcomes this year. We are continually grateful for your trust and welcome you to be even more involved in the process as you see fit. Please continue to reach out with questions as they arise, and we look forward to entering what we hope to be the final third of the 2024 Idaho legislative session.
As always, stay up-to-date on what we’re monitoring through our Bill Tracker.
