(C) Idaho Capital Sun This story was originally published by Idaho Capital Sun and is unaltered. . . . . . . . . . . Idaho Legislature to reconvene in Boise. Could today be the last day of the 2024 session? • Idaho Capital Sun [1] ['Clark Corbin', 'Katie Mckellar', 'Ashley Murray', 'More From Author', '- April'] Date: 2024-04-10 Following a brief recess that began Thursday, the 2024 Idaho legislative session will reconvene today at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise. The Idaho House of Representatives and Idaho Senate called a recess after passing House Bill 770, a $592 million transportation budget, on April 3. The transportation budget revokes the state’s authority to carry out the $51 million sale of the Idaho Transportation Department’s flooded former Boise headquarters and provides $200 million in new funding for the third round of a $600 million plan to replace aging and poorly rated local bridges across the state. By recessing rather than adjourning for the year last week, legislators are giving themselves time to potentially override any late session vetoes Gov. Brad Little issues. But if legislators had adjourned instead of recessing, they would have been unable to attempt to override any potential vetoes. Little has until 12:15 p.m. today to take action on the final batch of bills sitting on his desk. That final batch of bills includes House Bill 770, the transportation budget. Little’s deadline to act on House Bill 710, a bill requiring libraries to move so-called “harmful materials,” is a couple of hours earlier – 10:17 a.m. today. Little has three options when he takes action on a bill. He can sign it into law. He can allow it to become law without his signature. Or, he can veto it and block it from becoming law. If Little vetoes a bill, it would take a two-thirds majority of the members present in both the Idaho House and Idaho Senate to override the veto. On Monday, Little issued his first veto of the session, vetoing Senate Bill 1314a, which was designed to allow the state treasurer to hold some portion of state funds in physical gold or silver. In a transmittal letter announcing the veto, Little wrote that the bill did not take into account the many additional costs for purchasing, storing and safeguarding gold and silver. On Tuesday, Little issued another veto, vetoing Senate Bill 1323, which deals with the jurisdiction of the Idaho Public Utilities Commission. Little wrote that he vetoed that bill because it exempted water companies from the Idaho Public Utilities Commission’s protections for fair rates, safe and reliable service and other consumer protections. As of this article’s publication deadline Tuesday afternoon, Little had yet to act on the transportation budget or the library harmful materials bill. Also on Monday, Little expressed concern in a transmittal leader to legislative leadership after he signed House Bill 398 into law that may need additional work from legislators. Without additional action by the Legislature, Little said he worries the bill, which requires legislative approval for Medicaid waivers, could disrupt health care services, including by halting millions of dollars in payments to medical providers across the state, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported. Bill sponsor Rep. Megan Blanksma, R-Hammett, told the Idaho Capital Sun in an interview that she already has a draft trailer bill, and had met with Little last week on the issue. She said the concerns on the bill — first introduced publicly in January — are last minute, but she said she thinks they can be addressed. Under House Concurrent Resolution 51, legislators will not receive any per diem payments or expenses during the recess period from April 4 to April 9. Will Wednesday be the final day of Idaho’s legislative session? The Idaho Senate is scheduled to reconvene at 11 a.m. today, while the Idaho House is due back at noon. Today will mark the 94th day of the session, which gaveled in back on Jan. 8. Each day that passes since the session opened adds to the total number of days, regardless of whether legislators meet, until the Idaho Legislature adjourns for the year “sine die.” Sine die is a Latin phrase that is used to indicate the Idaho Legislature is adjourning its regular legislative session for the year and not scheduling a day to return to session. If Little does not issue any vetoes legislators want to override and there are not any surprises, legislators may return to session Wednesday and quickly adjourn for the year sine die. However, legislators are not required to adjourn for the year and may continue the session, particularly if a surprise issue arises or Little vetoes a budget or high profile bill. Even if legislators do adjourn for the year, both the Idaho Legislature and Little have the power to convene a special session of the Idaho Legislature. [END] --- [1] Url: https://idahocapitalsun.com/2024/04/10/idaho-legislature-to-reconvene-in-boise-could-today-be-the-last-day-of-the-2024-session/ Published and (C) by Idaho Capital Sun Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0. via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds: gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/idahocapitalsun/