Idaho sends 10 delegates to balanced budget convention

Idaho has sent 10 lawmakers to a planning meeting in Arizona to debate details for carrying out a growing national effort to amend the Constitution to require a balanced U.S. budget.

Idaho’s top legislative leaders approved sending the Republican delegates despite the GOP-controlled Statehouse’s repeated failures to pass legislation calling for a convention of states.

Delegates include House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, House Majority Caucus Chair John Vander Woude and Sen. Marv Hagedorn, who is running for the open lieutenant governor’s seat in 2018.

Arizona is hosting a total of 71 delegates this week, all Republicans. Idaho sent the most delegates.

The four-day meeting that began Tuesday is designed to set the stage if 34 state Legislatures approve a call to amend the Constitution through a convention. Currently, 27 states have active requests to convene a convention, all controlled by Republicans.