Gov. Brad Little appointed Lauren Necochea to fill the vacant House of Representatives District 19 seat.

Necochea was one of three possible candidates and the top choice the Democratic Legislative Committee for District 19 submitted to the governor.

The seat became vacant when former Rep. Mat Erpelding resigned to take a job with the Boise Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Gov. Brad Little signed Senate Bill 1113 on April 3, amending state campaign finance law, effective January 1, 2020.

The bill revises the definitions of candidate, election, electioneering communication, political committee, and public office.

Senate Bill 1113 raises the registration threshold for political committees from $500 to $1000 while providing for a special provision for local elections and measures.

The bill requires candidates and political committees to file statements on a monthly basis during election years and annually during non-election years.

Senate Bill 1113 also amends late filing fees to accrue 48 hours after the deadline and requires the secretary of state or county clerk to notify the person within 24 hours of the missed filing deadline.

On April 3, Gov. Brad Little signed a bill amending state lobbying laws.

Effective July 1, Senate Bill 1153 removes the lobbyist’s employer signature requirement from reports filed by lobbyists.

A designated contact is required upon registration for electronic notification.

Senate Bill 1153 also provides a definition for lobbyist’s client.

The client is the person on whose behalf the lobbyist is acting, directly or indirectly, as a contractor.

Additionally, the client is further defined as someone who compensates the lobbyist or lobbyist’s employer for acting as a lobbyist.

Longtime Republican lawmaker and Idaho Lieutenant Governor Brad Little has defeated Democratic challenger Paulette Jordan by a margin of 59.5 percent to 38.4 percent to become Idaho’s next governor.

Jordan, a former state lawmaker and member of the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, was the first woman to earn her party’s nomination in Idaho. Even though there was significant national media attention given to Jordan, Little’s win was predictable in this intensely conservative state.

Little has been lieutenant governor since 2009 and ran on a platform to carry on retiring Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s policies that lead to the state’s recent growth.

“Twenty-four years ago Phil Batt broke a 24-year cycle of Democrats having control of the governor’s office,” Little said during his victory speech Tuesday night before a packed room of cheering supporters.

“This is the 24th anniversary of that and Idaho is still a very red state. I look forward to working with President Trump as we continue to allow Idahoans to be the masters of their own destiny,” he said.

“Idaho has been fairly successful, but we have more work to do in taking back the authority that the federal government over the years has taken, whether it is in the areas of education, transportation, health care, public lands management and all of the areas of regulation.”