Sine Die
The Sixty-Seventh Session of the Idaho State Legislature has Adjourned
The 13th, and final, week at the Idaho Statehouse was generally quiet - a stark contrast to the tenor from the rest of the session. And while there were several moments that were challenging as a whole, Sportsmen had a rather successful session.
Passed Legislation
Idaho Sportsmen actively supported a handful of bills this session, all of which were passed and signed into law. The bills were:
SB 1049 | Endowment Lands Protection: This adds a new section to Idaho Code to deal with closures and restrictions on State endowment land, ensuring the land is not abused or misused. It passed the Senate 25-9-1, passed the House 54-15-1, and was signed into law by Governor Little on March 20.
HB 143 | Fur Buyer’s License Regarding Taxidermist: This adds three (3) day fur buyers license for non-resident fur buyers and is beneficial to Idaho because it promotes businesses and the state to non-residents by allowing them to hunt and trap in the state. It passed the House 69-0-1, passed the Senate 34-0-1, and was signed into law by Governor Little on March 20.
HB 144 | Lifetime License for Trapping: This adds a lifetime trapping license to Idaho code as the state previously only had lifetime licenses for hunting and fishing. It passed the House 69-0-1, passed the Senate 32-2-1, and was signed into law by Governor Little on March 20.
SB 1143 | Fish and Game Horn Hunting: This allows the Idaho Fish and Game Commission to regulate horn hunting, including seasonal restrictions on possession and transportation of shed antlers and horns. It passed the Senate 25-10, passed the House 45-22-3, and was signed into law by Governor Little on March 28.
HB 103 | State Parks, Recreation, and Risk: This creates a new chapter in Idaho Code that recognizes recreational activities in state parks are inherently dangerous no matter the safety precautions taken. It ensures those participating in recreational activities in our state parks assume the risk and legal responsibility for any injury that may occur. It passed the House 66-2-2, passed the Senate 24-11, and was signed into law by Governor Little on March 20.
SB 1013 | Bunker Hill Mining and Metallurgical Complex Superfund Facility: This pertains to Silver Valley and the cleanup actions based on the Bunker Hill Superfund site. It will require a 12-foot barrier between contaminated materials and the topsoil. It passed the Senate 34-0-1, passed the House 69-0-1, and was signed into law by Governor Little on March 20.
SB 1098aaS | Department of Environmental Quality: This modifies established code to add a new subsection to allow the director of DEQ to enter into voluntary funding agreements with public agencies, municipal corporations, and private parties. It will allow DEQ to have greater flexibility for expenses associated with specific projects, activities, or engage contractors without requiring involvement from the federal government or other governmental agencies. It passed the Senate 34-0-1, passed the House 50-16-4, and was signed into law by Governor Little on March 27.
HCR 4 | Lava Ridge Project Concerns: This concurrent resolution prohibits the Bureau of Land Management from constructing 400 wind turbines in the Magic Valley. The House, Senate, the Idaho Attorney General, and the Governor to review the project and act in the best interest of Idaho. It passed the House 66-0-3, passed. the Senate by voice vote, and was filed with the Secretary of State on March 30.
To see everything we monitored this session, see our Bill Tracker.
Thank You
As the sun sets on another legislative session, we wish to take a moment to thank each of you for your patience and trust this session as we worked to serve your needs and support the best possible outcomes for you, legislators, and the people of Idaho. We know we find the best successes this way and while the time spent is often onerous, the diligence and support to achieve goals is its own reward, and we are so very grateful to have your support. Special thanks goes to the members of our Idaho Legislative Sportsmen’s Caucus who were integral in helping us move critical pieces of legislation forward. We also wish to thank the many secretaries, staff, and agency personnel who work side by side with us, as well as the Governor, his incredible staff, and all 105 Idaho legislators who while we may not always agree with, have always been open to talking with us and have helped us through many nuanced and difficult issues.
IDAHO LEGISLATIVE SPORTSMEN’S CAUCUS LEADERSHIP
