Idaho House swiftly passes travel transparency bill after heated and halting debate
UPDATE: MARCH 13, 5:25 PM
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) - The Idaho House swiftly passed a legislative travel transparency bill on Thursday after debate surrounding the legislation came to a halt the previous day.
The House passed House Bill 378 in a 47-22 vote.
HB-378 requires state legislators to report travel destinations, the purpose of the travel, and what entity paid for them to travel outside the state within 30 days. Members of the Idaho House and Senate will be fined $25 a day for each day they delay reporting the travel expenses after the initial 30 days.
The bill's sponsor, Representative Stephanie Mickelsen (R) of Idaho Falls, says the bill requires the same level of transparency of Gem State legislators as transparency in schools and government agencies across Idaho.
ORIGINAL:
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) - Debate in the Idaho House Chambers came to a halt Wednesday as the discussion surrounding a legislative travel transparency bill grew heated. The bill has not been discussed in the House again as of Thursday morning.
The Idaho House of Representatives was less than 20 minutes into the debate surrounding House Bill 378 when freshman lawmaker Representative Kent Marmon, R-Caldwell, attempted to move the House to recess - suspend business - until the absent lawmakers returned to debate and vote on the bill.
Rep. Lori McCann, R-Lewiston, objected, arguing the debate shouldn't stop because people have left the floor.
A second freshman lawmaker, Rep. David Leavitt (R) of Twin Falls, then motioned for a "Call of the House." The rare legislative motion requires that the House Chamber doors be locked and the House Sergeant at Arms compel absent representatives to be present in the House chamber.
Video recordings of the assembly captured multiple lawmakers laughing or expressing their disbelief.
The presiding lawmaker, House Majority Leader Jason Monks (R) of Meridian, called the house to ease, leading to a temporary pause.
After the House resumed, House Assistant Majority Leader Josh Tanner, (R) of Eagle, moved to adjourn until Thursday morning, without voting on the bill.
While the motion to adjourn passed, several lawmakers shouted their disapproval.
What does House Bill 378 require?
HB-378 requires state legislators to report travel destinations, the purpose of the travel, and what entity paid for them to travel outside the state within 30 days. Members of the Idaho House and Senate will be fined $25 a day for each day they delay reporting the travel expenses after the initial 30 days.
Representative Stephanie Mickelsen (R) of Idaho Falls, the bill's sponsor, said the bill requires the same level of transparency of Gem State legislators as transparency in schools and government agencies across Idaho.
"I think it is very wise of us to take a proactive approach to being transparent," said Mickelsen. "We all know that there is travel that takes place out of state. Most of us think that sometimes these out of state organizations are reporting it, when in fact they're not."
Several lawmakers on both sides of the aisle spoke in favor of the bill. Opponents of the bill argued that it excludes travel outside of the state that legislators pay for with their own funds.
"If it's really about transparency, shouldn't everybody, whether they can buy their way out of transparency or not, have to declare that?" asked Representative Clint Hostetler (R) of Twin Falls.
