Idaho Legislature sees another busy week

During their second week back from recess, Idaho’s legislators are in overdrive moving bills, updating budgets, and hearing proposals for Idaho to absorb more than half of Oregon and bits of northern California.

April 12 – Monday provided a peculiar but interesting proposal from a group called Move Oregon’s Border for a Greater Idaho to expand Idaho’s borders to absorb much of Oregon and Northern California.

In a joint meeting with the Senate’s Resources and Environment Committee and the House’s Environment, Energy, and Technology Committee this group from Oregon explained that the cultural and political divide between the rural and urban counties in the state have been growing larger.

Idaho legislators from both committees voiced concerns including some of the many differences between the two state’s minimum wage, marijuana legalities, and finally how Oregon lawmakers are receiving the idea.

The presenters agreed that there are many different aspects that still need to be thought of and figured out before this idea possibly became a reality.

April 13 – Tuesday brought more conversation surrounding the education budget. After the higher education budget was killed in House last week, the K-12 budget was killed following similar concerns from Republican lawmakers.

In a tied 34-34 vote, the budget failed and will be sent back to JFAC for revisions. The main concerns were that the bill did not have enough language that restricts how the allocated funds can be spent by different school districts, where lawmakers believe that social justice and race theory is taught through different curriculums which they disagree with.

April 14 – Wednesday introduced more legislation relating to COVID-19. House Bill 339 prohibits governments within the state from placing mask mandates where citizens are required by law to wear a mask.

Supports of the bill argued that the bill adds more power for the citizens of Idaho. The bill passed in the House in a 47-22-1 vote and will be passed to the Senate.

April 16 – Friday brought upon more legislation to the already polarizing issue of abortion. House Bill 366 prohibits abortion any time after a fetal heartbeat is detected.

The bill states that any health care providers that preform an abortion in violation of this bill will be committing criminal abortion which is punishable felony including two to five years in prison, a suspension of their medical licensing for a first offence, and a permanent loss if any subsequent violations occur.

Both the House and Senate have plenty of work to complete next week and much is relying on the Governor and his passing or vetoing bills. We will keep you up to date next week.

Connor Swersey is an intern with the University of Idaho McClure Center for Public Policy Research and the UI JAMM News Service.