As the week that was supposed to be the last begins, it’s obvious lawmakers will be around a bit longer. It’s chaos on the transportation front, controversial (electioneering?) bills on immigration and abortion are still being introduced. The Senate is sitting on some so-called “going home” bills.
Dueling election reform bills that fail to satisfy the wing of the Idaho GOP clamoring for change were also just unveiled Friday and will take some serious scrutiny. Secretary of State Ysursa does not want any change, but brought a bill anyway.
Also, a hot judge’s race taking shape early, drug treatment in the jails and Spitzer v. Craig… in today’s Newsrack.
Bitter House-Senate divide on transport funding. House cancels meeting Friday after Sen. John McGee finds his name on two bills he never saw. Dem: Otter should have worked this all out before. Druzin in the Statesman. House GOP defends Constitutional amendment on local option. Sewell in the Statesman.
Local option taxing amendment is a cut. Would curtail current local option taxing in resort communities, make it difficult to pass new ones. Moyle: “If you don’t have this, you don’t get the other one – that’s just the way it is.” Russell in the Spokesman.
Dueling primary reform bills satisfy few. Policy group want modified open primary with a twist. Allred: “We will make it illegal for rival partisans … to determine that party’s nomination.” Aye, where’s the twist? And Ysursa holds nose and calls for “call for” ballot. You don’t have to register, but you have to state your case. Beck: nope. Ferguson in the LMT [subscrip].
Hopkins in the Times-News.
Scaled back abortion coercion bill to get hearing. Increased penalty for assaulting a pregnant woman introduced Friday. Rep. King: “I thought that any physical injury is called assault. Isn’t this already in the law? Doesn’t this just increase the penalty for assault of a pregnant woman?” Sponsor Nonini: yes. Shifrin, AP in the Statesman.
Moyle ain’t got the votes. Mouthing to lobbyists during a hearing. Moderate House members happier with House leadership this year. Leon Smith: “Last year I was on the retaliatory end… You beat a dog because he’s been disobedient. After you get him down you don’t keep beating him.” Fewer RINOs. Hopkins in the Times-News.
Rehab vs. new prisons. LeFavour and Darrington disagree on HB 516 to allow judges some discretion with drug offender sentencing. Sven Berg in the S. Idaho Press.
JFAC chairs, Kelly, Langhorst on Idaho Reports.
ELECCIONES
Judge John Bradbury to campaign aggressively for state High Court. Points to problems with justice system in rural areas. 2nd District Judge Bradbury: “I’ll guarantee you, their idea of the Second Amendment is a lot different in Boise than it is in Orofino.” Sitting Supreme Joel Horton has a hard time responding because he is a … sitting justice. Hedberg in the LMT [subscrip].
Risch gets happy press in Bonner. Wants to be on the Energy Committee. Talks about tenure as governor, economic development. Claim: I lowered taxes. Lobsinger in the Bonner County Bee.
OF INTEREST
AQ guy on EPA standards. How do new EPA ozone standards affect Boise Valley? DOn Wimberly asks Peter O’Neil on Boise State Radio. [audio]
TEAM program at prison takes the best of the best inmates. Addicts become responsible for one another at experimental therapeutic program within prison. Mr. Jennings: “We can’t even chew. The other 99 guys are looking at each one guy and making sure he’s living right.” Warden claims 77 percent success reate. Meyer in the Press Tribune. More on the program from Sunday.
French and Spanish consuls in SW Idaho too. Mexico would not be the first to set up a shop in Boise. Kreller in the Statesman.
On the Blogos: Who’s grosser: Craig or Spitzer? Bruce Reed at Slate.com. And it’s IDAHO time again across the pond… that is International Day Against Homophobia… It’s today!
