WEEK FOUR LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Week of January 31 - February 3, 2022
The fourth week of the Sixty-Sixth Idaho Legislature's Second Regular Session contained many more committee meetings and increased floor sessions. The first two bills have passed both bodies and earlier today, the Governor accompanied by the Senate Pro Tem, House Speaker, and Chairmen of the tax committees, signed the largest income tax cut in Idaho history into law. Passing a historic $600 Million dollar tax cut is newsworthy, but having it be the first bill of the legislative session signed into law is the front page, top of-the-fold news for sure.
Bills, rules, budget presentations, and confirmation hearings for Gubernatorial Appointments by the Senate are all underway. Legislative Services Office (LSO) is working night and day to keep up with drafting, and re-drafting, legislation as the session continues to speed up. Many of the rules dockets have worked their way through both the House and Senate Committees while other rules have found persnickety committees who could not agree. There are rumors of reinstating the traditional process and the “go home bill” that enacts the rules at the end of each session to help limit the confusion and disfunction, but without it, committees remain in a quagmire of rules that have litter or no changes waiting to be approved and enacted.
Several committees have also been working diligently through presentations on ARPA and the federal funding that is being infused into state and local government in Idaho. This is especially interesting as the Governor’s Office and agency directors are doing outreach to both the budget committees and the germane policy committees as a part of the Governor’s Leading Idaho initiative. Ultimately, this effort will culminate in the passing of budgets in a few weeks.
Many more policies are expecting an introduction next week as committees that meet in the afternoon reach their deadlines and lose their privilege to meet without the permission of leadership. There is also a desire by policymakers to try to get their bills heard before budget setting begins in mid-February. As committees hit fast forward, the list of bills being considered by the House and Senate in floor sessions grows. As February continues, floor debates begin taking up the bulk of the day and morning committees continue. This process is another signal that the Idaho legislature is back to normal and working towards “Sine Die” adjournment in a traditional timeframe this year.
All constitutional officers and all 105 legislators are also focusing in on the upcoming May Primary Elections. It is top of mind for all elected officials in the Capitol and many of their challengers have begun working the halls and meeting with the politicos in downtown to elicit support for their efforts to serve a newly drawn district or as a statewide officeholder. This creates fascinating undercurrents as former friends and seatmates now may choose to face each other on the ballot after being political and policy allies for many years. But before they campaign, they must finish their work in the Capitol.