The Idaho Legislature has adjourned after one day of deliberation, passing a $1 billion package to cut taxes and increase education funding.

The bill allocates $500 million in tax rebates to be distributed to all Idahoans who filed taxes in 2020; reduces the state income tax rate to 5.8% while exempting the first $2,500 of income for all filers; and assigns $410 million for education funding.

This does affect lobbyist reporting.

A lobbyist activity report for the month of September will be due October 15.

The Idaho State Legislature adjourned sine die March 31.

The 81-day session focused mostly on infrastructure and education.

Starting the session with a nearly $2 billion surplus and billions in federal covid relief funds, lawmakers approved Gov. Brad Little’s “Leading Idaho” plan, providing $300 million to bolster k-12 public school budgets, a 7% increase in educator salaries, and funding an optional full-day kindergarten program.

Lawmakers also passed a bill modeled after the Texas abortion ban, the most restrictive abortion law in the country.

Planned Parenthood since filed a lawsuit with the Idaho Supreme Court requesting an injunction.

This does affect lobbyist reporting.

A lobbyist activity report will be due April 15, covering March 1 through March 31.

The Idaho Legislature adjourned November 17, ending the state’s longest-ever legislative session.

The House, in a unique political move, chose to go on an extended recess rather than adjourn to allow a return to session without being called back by the governor.

The three-day continuation focused on COVID-19 and the presidential mandates.

No bills were passed during the continuation, only a non-binding declaration stating opposition to President Biden’s vaccine requirements for federal workers, contractors, and large employers.

The House also censured Rep. Priscilla Giddings for her publicization of the name of the 19-year-old intern who reported she was raped by another legislator.

Speaker of the House Scott Bedke announced the Idaho Legislature will reconvene November 15 to address Federal Covid-19 rules for employers and consider an ethics complaint against Rep. Priscilla Giddings.

Normally, only Idaho’s Governor has the power to call a special session.

Instead of adjourning, the house called for an extended recess, a maneuver that allows the house to return to the regular session.

The Covid-related bill being considered would make it a misdemeanor for state or local government employees to implement President Biden’s Covid-19 rules in Idaho.

The Legislature will also consider censoring and removing Rep. Giddings from the House Commerce and Human Resources Committee.

The ethic complaint stems from Rep. Giddings sharing the name and picture of a 19-year-old legislative staffer who accused former Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger of sexual misconduct.

This does affect lobbyist reporting.

The Legislature concluded its special session late Wednesday night after three days of protests and public outrage regarding the state’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Three bills were sent to Gov. Brad Little’s desk, including two election related bills and a bill shielding businesses and schools from coronavirus-related lawsuits.

The election related bills would guarantee in-person voting would be allowed in some form across Idaho.

This was guaranteed regardless of any emergency orders in effect.

The bills would also buy more time for county clerks to process the expected large influx of mail-in ballots for the November election.

Gov. Little has five days from the time he receives the bills to either sign them or veto them.

If he does neither, the bills will become law automatically.

The second session of the 65th Idaho Legislature has ended.

The House adjourned sine die on Friday after balancing fears of spreading the coronavirus with potential vetoes of several bills representatives will now be powerless to override.

If the House stayed in session, it would have given them the option of holding an override vote.

The override would be necessary if Gov. Brad Little vetoed any of the bills sent to him in the last days of the session.

The House voted 32-28 to end the legislative session a day after the Senate adjourned sine die.

During the session, lawmakers passed a bill relating to the filing of campaign finance reports and a bill relating to codifier’s corrections.

Senate Bill 1233 amends who can file reports of contributions and expenditures to include the political committee and the candidate.

The bill was an emergency and became effective January 1, 2020.

Senate Bill 1334 makes non-substantive changes to definitions relating to lobbying and contributions.

The bill becomes effective May 19, 2020.

This does affect lobbyist reporting.

The statutory requirement to file monthly reports when the Legislature is in session will end with the report due April 15.

On March 28, the Idaho Legislature adjourned its 2018 legislative session.

The adjournment process was revised following a lawsuit over a veto last year.

Lawmakers stayed in the capital an additional five days to preserve the right to override any vetoes from the governor.

Bills passed include reductions to personal and corporate income tax rates, new K-12 public school science standards, and the codifying of existing stand your ground case laws.