Now what are they up to? Senate Assistant Majority Leader Chuck Winder - who ran for Boise mayor in 2003 - pitched a bill to exempt the state from the city's building-approval process for projects on the state-owned Capitol Mall property.

Why now? In January, the city's Design Review Committee rejected the state's plan for a new 580-space parking garage at 602 W. Washington St., north of the Capitol. The committee approved the garage height, but not the design and materials. The Planning Commission agreed. The state appealed, and the City Council set a hearing for May 14.

What's the status of the bill? The Senate State Affairs Committee introduced it Friday. Winder said he hopes the appeal will succeed and the "nuclear option" can be avoided. But if the parties can't agree, the bill would allow the state to move forward. Bonds are issued, Winder said, and delays could be expensive.