After this week, I understand why legislatures have tennis shoes in their office. Our legislators are literally running from their morning committees to the floor to debate and vote on legislation. They then run from the floor to their next committee with very little time, if any in between.
Monday began with House Bill 24 Workforce Development, being debated on the house floor. This bill would amend and add to existing law to establish the Idaho Launch Grant Program revise provisions regarding the In-Demand Careers Fund. It ended up passing by two votes. 36-34-0
AYES – Allgood, Berch, Blanksma, Bundy, Burns, Cheatum, Chew, Clow, Dixon(24), Durrant, Erickson, Furniss, Galaviz, Gannon, Garner, Green, Handy, Hill, Lanting, Manwaring, Mathias, McCann, Mickelsen, Nash, Necochea, Nelsen, Petzke, Raybould, Raymond, Roberts, Rubel, Sauter, Weber, Wheeler, Wroten, Yamamoto
NAYS – Alfieri, Andrus, Barbieri, Boyle, Cannon, Cornilles, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dixon(1), Ehardt, Ehlers, Gallagher, Hawkins, Healey(Galloway), Holtzclaw(Yorgason), Horman, Kingsley, Lambert, Mendive, Miller, Mitchell, Monks, Palmer, Pickett, Price, Redman, Scott, Shepherd, Skaug, Tanner, Vander Woude, Wisniewski, Young, Mr. Speaker
This bill began in the House Education Committee but has been moved to the Senate Commerce and Human Resource Committee. Interesting!
Senator Scott Herndon introduced his RS 29994/S1050 in Senate Judiciary & Rules Committee on Monday. It will receive a hearing in Senate Judiciary & Rules Monday, February 13th. Senator Brian Lenney presented S 1029 which amends and adds to existing law to prohibit a child protection investigation based on a child’s immunization status. It also provides that a court shall not grant an order terminating a parent and child relationship based on a child’s immunization status. It was passed and sent to the Senate floor. This legislation is scheduled to be debated and voted on the Senate floor this week.
Tuesday, The Executive Director of the Idaho Association of School Administrators was joined by Superintendents from all around Idaho in the Education Committees. They reported on their school district’s successes and needs. You can access the Education Committee agenda and video downloads from the following links:
House Education Agendas & Video Downloads
Senate Education Agendas & Video Downloads
On Tuesday, the Capitol was also filled with a lot of very emotional testimony over Representative Bruce Skaug’s H 71 Child Protection Act legislation. Currently, it is scheduled to be debated and taken up for a vote on the house floor Tuesday, February 14th. Remember, these Reading Calendars are tentative and change regularly.
On Wednesday, Senator Herndon also had S 1005 read for the third time and passed in the Senate with a 34-0-1 vote.
AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Bjerke, Burtenshaw, Carlson, Cook, Den Hartog, Foreman, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Hart, Hartgen, Herndon, Just, Lakey, Lee, Lenney, Lent, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Rabe, Ricks, Ruchti, Schroeder, Taylor, Toews, Trakel, VanOrden, Ward-Engelking, Winder, Wintrow, Zuiderveld
NAYS – None
Absent and excused – Semmelroth
This legislation has been referred to House Health & Welfare.
On Thursday, Senator Herndon also had S 1016 read for the third time, debated on the floor of the senate and passed it 28-7-0.
AYES – Adams, Anthon, Bernt, Bjerke, Burtenshaw, Carlson, Cook, Den Hartog, Foreman, Grow, Guthrie, Harris, Hart, Hartgen, Herndon, Lakey, Lee, Lenney, Lent, Nichols, Okuniewicz, Ricks, Schroeder, Toews, Trakel, VanOrden, Winder, Zuiderveld
NAYS – Just, Rabe, Ruchti, Semmelroth, Taylor, Ward-Engelking, Wintrow
S 1016 was referred to House State Affairs.
Representative Tina Lambert presented RS 30080/H 054 in the House State Affairs Committee Friday. The bill amends and repeals existing law to prohibit the use of student IDs for personal identification at polling places and prohibits personal affidavits in lieu of personal identification. It was been referred back to House State Affairs for a hearing.
Thursday also brought a hall filled with police officers and citizens that wanted to testify in House Judiciary, Rules, and Administration Committee in regards to H 67. The bill would have amended existing law to revise penalties for trafficking in heroin and to provide penalties for trafficking in fentanyl. After hours of testimony, the committee voted to keep the bill in committee at the chairman’s discretion.
Representative Jaron Crane introduced his Human Sex Trafficking legislation the same day in this committee. Everyone was exhausted but they persevered, discussed RS 30264, and ended up voting to give it a due pass out of committee. There should be a full hearing on that bill later on this upcoming week.
On Friday, Representative Joe Alfieri’s H 058 was read for the third time, debated for quite sometime, and then passed 43-26-1. This bill amends existing law to remove school bond and levy election dates in August and March.
AYES – Alfieri, Allgood, Andrus, Barbieri, Blanksma, Boyle, Bundy, Cannon, Crane(12), Crane(13), Dixon(1), Durrant, Ehardt, Ehlers, Furniss, Gallagher, Garner, Hawkins, Healey(Galloway), Hill, Holtzclaw(Yorgason), Horman, Kingsley, Lambert, Mendive, Mickelsen, Mitchell, Monks, Palmer, Petzke, Pickett, Price, Redman, Rubel, Scott, Shepherd, Skaug, Tanner, Vander Woude, Wheeler, Wisniewski, Young, Mr. Speaker
NAYS – Berch, Burns, Cheatum, Chew(Hoy), Clow, Dixon(24), Erickson, Galaviz, Gannon, Green, Handy, Lanting, Manwaring, Mathias, McCann, Miller, Nash, Necochea, Nelsen, Raybould, Raymond, Roberts, Sauter, Weber, Wroten, Yamamoto
Absent – Cornilles
This upcoming week is full of legislation. Both the committee rooms and the floor debates will be packed with discussion and voting.
This Upcoming Week:
- Pray, pray, pray!!! Pray for our legislators and executive leaders! Please pray for their families, their strength, their wisdom, and their protection.
- Seek TRUTH! Don’t believe what you HEAR. Ask questions of your legislators and seek the truth.
- Follow what’s happening at https://legislature.idaho.gov/
- All Legislation by Bill Number
- Bill Tracker
- Representative Jaron Crane will be presenting RS 30230 School and Library Protection Act Monday in House State Affairs at 9 am.
- Pray for protection and safety of everyone at the Capitol as the satanic church has plans there Monday afternoon.
- Join Christian churches in Prayer and Praise at the State Capitol as they gather on the front steps from 3 – 4 PM Monday, February 13th. They recommend showing up early.
- Pray for the Caldwell School Board Meeting Monday, February 13th. Policy 3281 is on the agenda.
- H 71 should be on the House floor Tuesday, February 14th
So many bills are headed to committees near you. Stay tuned!
- Happy Valentine’s Week! ❤️ 💙 🤍