New Bill Would Allow Idaho Legislature To Take An Extended Recess

By Clark Corbin, Idaho Capital Sun

April 25, 2021

Legislators made a brief appearance Friday at the Statehouse, just long enough to introduce a new bill that would allow them to take a recess and return in September.

“The reason for the September date is there is some concern over (when) the census numbers are going to come in and whether we have to make any adjustments because they are so late,” Blanksma said in a committee hearing Friday.

The entire Idaho Legislature took an abrupt 17-day recess, due to a COVID-19 outbreak, that lasted until April 6. The Senate took a second, four-day recess last week.

Legislators are deadlocked over major portions of the state budget, are debating over how to teach social justice principles in the classroom and are engaged in a power struggle with Gov. Brad Little.

On Wednesday, legislators introduced a new bill, House Bill 377, that supporters say addresses the social justice debate. That bill’s passage could resolve the education budget debates.

Blanksma’s new bill could address the power struggle. The bill is not yet online and available for the public to read because it hasn’t been read across the desk on the House floor and assigned a bill number. But it appears the bill would basically allow the Legislature to call itself back into session (or back from recess) later this year without requiring authorization from Gov. Brad Little.

The Legislature has already passed Senate Joint Resolution 102, which will put a proposed amendment to the Idaho Constitution on the November 2022 ballots. If approved, the constitutional amendment would allow the Legislature to call itself back into session. As things stand today, only the governor may call a special session.

“This is potentially a ticket out of here, so I would really appreciate it if you would introduce this,” Blanksma told the House Ways and Means Committee Friday morning.

The committee did introduce the bill a moment later.

During Friday’s floor session, the House did not vote on any of the 30 bills on its calendar. Most of the bills are budget bills or education bills.

The Idaho Senate did not meet Friday. On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Kelly Anthon, R-Burley, said there was nothing for the Senate to do until the state budget comes together and the education and tax bills coming from the House reach the Senate.

The Senate only has two bills on its main reading calendar. One is House Bill 362, an $80 million transportation funding bill. The other is Senate Bill 1111, which would change election procedures for nonpartisan city elections in large cities so that elections would be moved from odd numbered years and instead take place in even numbered years, when partisan state and national elections are conducted.

Monday will be the 106th day of the legislative session, the longest in the past 10 years. The longest session in state history ran for 118 days in 2003.

Idaho is one of 11 states that do not limit the length of legislative sessions, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

In neighboring Utah, the state constitution limits legislative sessions to 45 calendar days.

In Wyoming, the state constitution limits the length of sessions to 40 legislative days in odd numbered years and 20 days in even numbered years.

The Idaho Capital Sun, the Gem State’s newest nonprofit news organization, delivers accountability reporting on state government, politics and policy.