After longest session, new bill would set an adjournment date for the Idaho Legislature
After the Idaho Legislature held its longest session on record in 2021, a new bill would set a date by which lawmakers must adjourn each year.
The adjournment date would be the last Friday in March, limiting the annual session to less than three months.
Sen. Jim Guthrie, a McCammon Republican, introduced the legislation Wednesday. The bill’s statement of purpose said it would help the Legislature “be more deliberative and timelier in doing” the people’s business.
Guthrie introduced a similar bill last year. While the Senate passed the measure, it didn’t get a hearing in the House.
The bill this year provides an explicit exception for when the Idaho governor declares a statewide emergency. Idaho currently has a statewide disaster declaration for the COVID-19 pandemic.
“That will help mitigate some of the concerns that were part of the” discussion last year, Guthrie told lawmakers in a committee meeting.
Lawmakers could also stay in session to address a veto by the governor or if two-thirds of both legislative chambers agree to extend the session.
Last year, the House voted to recess, while the Senate voted to adjourn. Only the governor can call the Legislature into a special session, which is why the House chose to recess in May — to reconvene later in the year to address forthcoming federal appropriations and mandates related to the coronavirus.
This story was originally published January 26, 2022 at 3:06 PM.
