Idaho Legislature declares Sine Die, closing an eventful session
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – The Idaho Legislature has closed for the session, declaring Sine Die Thursday at 6:30 P.M.
The end of the session was marked with with a flurry of maneuvering on last-minute legislation – including hotly contested immigration bills.
An attempt to pass legislation requiring Idaho law enforcement agencies to sign agreements with ICE or publicly state their reasons for not doing so, died today in the Idaho Senate.
Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle expressed frustration with the Legislature’s handling of the state budget.
"The Idaho Legislature has done a horrible job of managing the fiscal house, and we have fiscally mismanaged state revenues," " said State Sen. James Ruchti, (D) Pocatello. "We've cut our income tax revenue by $4 billion over the last five years, and that is resulting in deep, deep cuts to public education, health and welfare programs, roads and bridges and every other aspect of Idaho government to include our universities."
Rep. Stephanie Mickelsen was disappointed the Legislature posted a significant budget surplus, after so many programs were cut.
"At the end of the day, they ended up with $150 million on the bottom line, which I think was a mistake in many respects," Mickelsen said. "We have Idaho Digital Learning Alliance, which most students across the state or every single school district across the state benefited from. They had online classes. ... It ended up being a 55 percent cut for Idaho Digital Learning Alliance. I'm disappointed that we didn't invest in some of the infrastructure we needed for roads and bridges and for small rural communities that need water infrastructure, water and sewer infrastructure."
But Governor Brad Little struck a more optimistic tone for the overall accomplishments of the second session of the 68th Legislature.
"For months, the Idaho Legislature and I worked closely to balance the budget and rightsize spending in line with taxpayers’ means," he said in a statement. "We stayed focused on what matters most to Idaho’s future — protecting public schools and investments in water and transportation, supporting public safety, and continuing implementation of President Trump’s Talent Strategy through LAUNCH."
Social issues were also front and center – with the Legislature banning cities from displaying the gay rights flag and requiring transgender individuals to use restrooms corresponding with their biological sex.
On Thursday, Governor Brad Little also signed an additional bill making the head of Idaho State Parks and Recreation a political appointee, which may impact Harriman State Park.
Almost 1,000 pieces of legislation have come before the House in the past two years, Mickelsen said.
"That is way up from where it was five or six years ago - like significantly," she said. "... I don't think it serves the best interest of Idaho citizens or the Idaho taxpayers, because you're then not looking at really good legislation. We had some very poor legislation that came across the floor in the last three days – honestly."
In the end, the session ended after 81 days of deliberation, compromise, controversy and accomplishments.
“Some of the budget decisions were not easy, but I am pleased the Legislature stuck to my ENDURING IDAHO plan — a forward-looking, responsible budget that keeps our state on a strong trajectory," Little said. "Idaho’s economy remains the strongest in the nation, and our actions this session position us to continue that record of success. I appreciate my legislative partners for their hard work and commitment to the people of Idaho."
