Legislative Updates - Week Ten

Senator Mark Harris 

 The transportation and State Police issue that was brought to my attention early this Session by some of my constituents became Senate Bill 1340 (S1340) which passed the Senate but failed in the House. This bill would have amended Idaho’s rules-of-the-road to require drivers on multilane highways to use the right-hand lane except when passing, preparing for left-hand turns, or when right-hand lanes are congested. The purpose was to improve highway safety and traffic flow.  As Idaho grows and traffic continues to increase, people driving slowly in the passing (left-hand) lanes have also been increasing. Even the Idaho State Police are taking note of the problem. The bill failed in the House because of the $200,000 allocation that was to be used by the Idaho Transportation Department to notify the driving public of the changes in the law. Unfortunately, this problem will only continue to get worse, and it will eventually need to be addressed. 

I was able to be the Senate sponsor of House Bill 724 (H724) this week. H724 is legislation that was brought by some concerned foster parents. This bill establishes a Foster Youth Bill of Rights in Idaho Code to make sure kids in foster care receive basic protections related to safety, health, good placement, visitation considerations, and essential needs while in State- supervised care. H724 also makes sure everyone that is involved in the system — like the courts, case workers, foster parents — know and work from the same standards. This bill passed the Senate unanimously and is now on its way to the Governor’s desk. Representative Josh Wheeler (also LD-35) was the main sponsor of this bill and has done a lot of work to get it through this Legislative Session. 

I found a recent article in the Idaho Press interesting because it stated that Idaho agriculture is responsible for a record $44.5 billion in annual sales.  Agriculture in Idaho is also responsible for 17.2% of Idaho’s total economic output and agriculture accounts for every one-in-nine jobs in the State. These numbers, from a University of Idaho report, place Idaho in the top five States for agriculture sales as a percentage of the State’s overall economy and in the top eight States in the country to produce 22 crops and livestock commodities. This confirms that agriculture in Idaho is still a strong and important part of Idaho’s economic engine and is part of what makes Idaho the great State that it is. However, this year’s lack of snowpack and the current soft commodity markets are placing our farmers in crisis mode. Added to these problems are the growing cost of fuel and fertilizer. These are concerns that are brought up at every meeting we have as Senate Leadership with our Governor. We find ourselves at the mercy of the weather and the events on the world stage. I think it is important to remember our farmers and ranchers and the important role they play in our State, not only as economic drivers, but for keeping food on our plates.    

I am sincerely grateful for your input and support that helps me represent you in the Idaho State Senate. It is a true honor for me to serve Legislative District 35. You can contact me by email at [email protected] or by phone at 208-332-1429.

Representative Mike Veile

 This week has given me a chance to reflect a bit on the nature of a legislative session—how often the most meaningful work is not what you anticipated when you walked in on day one.

There are certainly pieces of legislation I came prepared to work on. I’m grateful to see progress on efforts to strengthen medical preceptorships and to bring greater clarity and timeliness to mechanical, electrical, and plumbing inspections. Those are important, structural improvements that will serve our communities and our workforce well over time.

But some of the most important work this session found its way to me after we had already begun.

Over the past several weeks, I have had the opportunity to carry legislation focused on the safety of foster children (HB724), clarifying visitation standards (SB1257), and ensuring that victims of crime receive the compensation they are owed through the Crime Victims Compensation Fund (SB1293). These are deeply human issues—often brought forward quietly, sometimes after something has gone wrong—and it has been a privilege to help move those conversations into action.

Those moments are a reminder that public service is not only about the policies we plan, but also about the needs we are willing to respond to.

This week also carried a more somber note. We paused on the floor for a moment of silence in honor of Nampa Mayor Rick Hogaboam, whose passing was both tragic and unexpected. It is a sobering reminder of the weight of service and the fragility of life. My thoughts are with his family, his community, and all those who had the opportunity to work alongside him.

As for the broader pace of the session, things are accelerating. Budgets are now moving through both chambers, calendars are full, and we are beginning to see the shape of the final days. At this point, it appears we are likely one to two weeks away from wrapping up our work.

There is still much to do, but I am grateful for the opportunity to be engaged in work that matters—both the work we expected, and the work that found us along the way. I am hopeful that I will see many of you at some of the local town halls and other events that are happening as we move toward a primary campaign season. 

As always, thank you for the opportunity to serve.

— Rep. Josh Wheeler

Representative Mike Veile

 While it’s been a busy week, it ended on a very positive note for my family, as my daughter was married on Saturday. It was a wonderful day, and we are thrilled for the newly married couple.

I want to provide a recap of three bills I’ve sponsored and worked on over the past week.

A great outcome was the passage of H911 on the House floor. This is the ratepayer protection bill that codifies protections so ratepayers are not responsible for the costs of serving new large electrical loads, such as data centers. In essence, it requires new large loads to pay the costs associated with serving that load rather than having those costs socialized among general ratepayers. I sponsored this bill with Representatives Mickelsen and Garner.

We also passed H883, which provides spending autonomy for school districts and charters that meet high-performance criteria. This is an effort to allow greater flexibility and encourage innovation in our education system. This bill is sponsored by myself and Representatives Pickett and Monks. I am grateful to the charter school organizations for their willingness to support a comprehensive bill that includes both charters and traditional districts.

The next bill is S1339, which focuses on strategic planning for districts and charters. This bill replaces the currently required Continuous Improvement Plan process with a Strategic Planning process. Strategic planning is a core element of successful organizations and something I have facilitated and implemented throughout my professional life. It is a longer-term goal-setting process that includes regular review and measurement against those goals. This bill also eliminates a number of reporting requirements to the state in the spirit of reducing burdens on our schools. Senator Lent started this effort in the Senate, and we approved it in the House Education Committee.

This bill is the result of negotiation and compromise with Superintendent Critchfield’s office, superintendents across the state, and other stakeholders. The State Department of Education initiated the draft language, and we worked with superintendents and others to reach a strong solution. Many districts and charters already use this tool very successfully. If entities do not make progress on their goals after a couple of years, additional oversight may be applied. High-performing schools will also be recognized for their achievements.

Lastly, I want to touch on the status of IDLA. JFAC has pulled $13.5 million from IDLA, the Idaho Digital Learning Academy. I believe this is an unfortunate result, as IDLA is a critical tool for our rural communities, helping supplement coursework that is not otherwise available in local schools. The goal appears to be using this program cut to help close budget gaps for the state. This represents a 50% reduction in the state’s digital learning program. IDLA has been a very successful education resource, and it is disappointing to see it used as a budget scapegoat.

The optimistic view is that the session could end this week or next.