Legislature Moves Closer to Putting Special Sessions on the Ballot
Senate Joint Resolution 102 was adopted by the Senate with a vote of 24-11-0 on Thursday, sending it to the House for their consideration. The resolution would amend the Idaho Constitution to require the Legislature to convene within fifteen days of a written request from 60% of members from both the Senate and House. The Legislature would only be allowed to consider issues contained in the initial petition, which proponents say will keep special sessions from morphing into regular sessions. If SJR 102 passes the House with two-thirds of the vote it will appear before voters in November 2022.
Senate Passes Legislation to Limit Authority of the Department of Health & Welfare Director
Joint Memorial on Snake River Dams Introduced
Senate Joint Memorial 103 was printed and referred to the Senate Resources and Environment Committee this week. The Joint Memorial opposes the removal or breaching of four dams on the Columbia-Snake River System and its tributaries. It also states that the Idaho Legislature recognizes and supports the international competitiveness, multi-modal transportation, and economic development benefits provided by the Port of Lewiston and the Columbia-Snake River System. The Joint Memorial comes in response to a $33.5 billion federal proposal to breach four dams on the Snake River as part of a plan to boost the local salmon population. The dams play a major role in Idaho’s hydropower system, transportation, irrigation and recreation.
A similar Joint Memorial passed in last year’s regular session, Senate Joint Memorial 110, also opposed the removal of the dams.
Dueling Reforms to Motor Vehicle Insurance Held in Committee
Chairman Patrick and the committee voted to hold both bills for the time being to “encourage negotiations” between sponsors of the two bills and give them time to “come back with something that is better for the industry.”
Federal Stimulus Fund Management May Extend Session
IDAHO STATISTICS & RANKINGS
Snake River Dams Powering Idaho
- The four dams have a combined rated capacity of 3,000 megawatts
- Power production from the dams saves 4.4 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from reaching the atmosphere each year
- The Federal Columbia River Power System, which the dams are a part of, is the largest source of renewable electricity in the Pacific Northwest.
Legislation at a Glance
HJR001: This joint resolution would amend the Idaho Constitution to allow the Legislature to convene itself into an extraordinary session within 15 days of a written request of 60% each of the House and Senate membership. The bill passed the House with a vote of 51-18-1 and was introduced in the Senate. It was referred to the Senate State Affairs Committee. It passed the Senate State Affairs Committee with a Do Pass recommendation. It was returned to the Senate State Affairs Committee.
S1006: This legislation would consolidate current statutory requirements for literacy intervention and update provisions in alignment with the Task Force recommendation for focusing on the importance of having every student reading at grade level by the end of grade 3. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 35-0-0 and was introduced to the House. It was referred to the House Education Committee.
S1009: This bill would include the State Fire Marshall and State Fire Marshal deputies in the same definition as firefighters under the Public Employee Retirement System. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 32-1-2 and was introduced to the House. It was referred to the House Commerce and Human Resources Committee and received a Do Pass Recommendation. It is on the House Third Reading Calendar.
S1017: This bill revises definitions involving uniform controlled substances to make technical corrections in order to include synthetic drugs. It also provided corrected terminology and provisions for controlled substances. It clarifies the definitions and identifies the differences of marijuana and CBD that are approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The bill passed the Senate and the House and was signed by the Governor.
S1027: This legislation would compensate individuals who were wrongfully convicted and imprisoned with $62,000 per year of incarceration or $75,000 per year if incarcerated on death row. Those who were put on the sex offender registry wrongfully would receive an additional $25,000 per year on the registry. Exonerees would be given a two-year window to file a claim from the moment they were formally exonerated by a court. The bill passed the Senate and the House and is awaiting the Governor’s signature.
S1039aaH: This bill would allow school districts to award a Workplace Readiness Diploma to graduates who have completed career technical education programs. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 33-0-2 and was introduced to the House. It was referred to the House Education Committee and reported out with a Do Pass recommendation. From the Floor, the bill was placed on General Orders by unanimous consent. It was amended and reported out without recommendation and filed for the Third Reading on the House Floor.
S1069: This bill would clarify Idaho law on absentee ballots by requiring clerks to contact a voter in any case where their absentee ballot cannot be counted to resolve the issue by 8:00 PM on the day of the election, after which it is impossible to count the ballot. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 35-0-0 and was introduced to the House. It was referred to the House State Affairs Committee.
S1110: The purpose of this legislation is to increase voter involvement and inclusivity in the voter initiative/referendum process. This will be accomplished by ensuring signatures are gathered from each of the 35 legislative districts, so every part of Idaho is included in this process. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 26-9-0 and was introduced to the House. It was referred to the House State Affairs Committee.
S1134: The purpose of this legislation is to amend Idaho Code 46-1005A by inserting language allowing for the recovery of federal funds after a Declaration of State Emergency has expired or was terminated. The bill passed out of the Senate State Affairs Committee with a Do Pass recommendation and is scheduled for its Third Reading.
S1139: This legislation clarifies the definitions of “quarantine” and “isolation” and adds definitions for “biological agent,” “chemical agent,” “medically unknown symptoms,” and “restricted access” in Idaho Code 56-1001. It also clarifies the powers of the Director Health & Welfare in Idaho Code 56-1003 as it relates to the promulgation of rules and issuing of orders of isolation, quarantine, and restricted access. Additionally, it adds language to allow for a request to the courts for review of an order issued by the Director. The bill passed out of the Senate Health and Welfare Committee with a Do Pass Recommendation, passed the Senate Floor 33-0, and was sent to the House.
SJR101: This joint resolution would amend the Idaho Constitution to prohibit the production, manufacture, transportation, sale, delivery, dispensing, distribution, possession, or use of psychoactive drugs. Exceptions are allowed for prescription drugs approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and drugs used in clinical trials. The bill passed the Senate with a vote of 24-11-0 and was introduced to the House. It was referred to the House State Affairs Committee.