WEEK ELEVEN | 2024 LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
In the eleventh week of the Sixty-Seventh Idaho Legislature’s Second Regular Session, the Legislature’s proposed adjournment date is now behind us. The Legislature is working to wrap up soon, but we anticipate the Legislature may recess to allow Governor Little the time necessary to take action on the bills that will come across his desk. If the Governor does veto any bill(s), the House or Senate may attempt to override the veto with a 2/3 majority vote before they adjourn “Sine Die.” While we don’t know the end date, we know we are getting close.
On Tuesday, the Speaker of the House moved the Launch funding bill, HB 772, to the Ways and Means Committee — It's a rare move. On Thursday, the funding bill was moved back to the floor for the whole body to vote on. The House and Senate traded bills to clear up the log jam preventing bills from moving forward. HB 521 – Income Tax and School Facilities passed the Senate (23-11-1), and HB 722 – Workforce Development Trailer, including Idaho Launch, passed the House (39-31) nearly simultaneously.
The two priority bills have been heavily contested and major priorities for the Governor this session.Some Senators had major concerns with HB 521, leading to multiple caucus meetings and nearly a month’s time for the bill to be held. One of the concessions to allow HB 521 to be voted on by the Senate was the introduction of four (4) trailer bills to consider solving a few of the concerns, including four (4) versus five (5) day school week flexibility, minimum and maximum distribution of funding, implementation delays, and eligibility. Governor Little now anxiously awaits receiving HB 521, but HB 722 will still need to be voted on by the Senate.
JFAC met early this week to set budgets for bills with a fiscal impact that have passed or are expected to pass both floors. We will see at least one more JFAC meeting next week to set budgets. Friday, JFAC met to set the K-12 Education budget now that HB 521 has passed. An appropriation has not failed on the floor this year, but there have been some close calls. HB 723 - Idaho Transportation Department Trailer Appropriation, passed the House by one vote (35-34-1) but may fail in the Senate. There was also significant drama over the reconsideration of the Department of Administration budget that died, was reconsidered, and then narrowly passed—marking a departure from the House, which hadn’t let others change their vote previously this session. Medicaid and education funding will also be debated soon, and there is a high risk of failing. If a budget fails, JFAC will meet again to reevaluate the budget, leading to potential cuts and a lengthening of the session.
Many committees continued meeting this week, with some considering contentious last-minute bills. Chairmen are now selective on what bills will be taken up as horse trading and politics get more involved than the merits of the bills in some cases. Many bills that have approval from leadership continue to be pushed, with some having introduced numerous iterations. Many of the bills on the Senate Calendar are now expected to remain there, leaving the Senate to focus on priorities and catch up to the House, which has been flying through the bills on its calendar. Despite the growing list of bills held in chairmen’s drawers and on the floor, the process did speed up this week as work continued.
The fatigue has set in with legislators; many are eager to get home and campaign. We remain optimistic and positive. We also wanted to thank you again for trusting us to do this work for you. It is our sincere pleasure, and we love what we do. While the stereotypes of our profession leave many to believe it’s an easy and slimy job, we know it is not. Over the next week, we will see long floor sessions while committee meetings dwindle. More appropriation bills and some last-minute policies will advance but may run out of time to pass. BB&A is watching closely as big-ticket items are playing out. We are still working diligently to stay ahead of the curve for you, and we will remain in the Idaho Capitol as long as the State Legislature is in session.
