Idaho Gov. Little issued vetoes on six bills. Will lawmakers bring themselves back?
Could Idaho legislators call themselves back into session in the aftermath of a half-dozen vetoes from Gov. Brad Little? It’s unlikely, House Speaker Mike Moyle told the Idaho Statesman on Friday.
Little has nixed, or in two cases line-item vetoed, six bills this session, ranging from undoing cuts to graduate medical education to rejecting an attempt to increase the child-to-staff ratio in certain day cares.
“The Legislature has an option, right? We could get 60% of the House and Senate to sign a letter … and go back into session,” Moyle, R-Star, said in a phone interview. “But I don’t think, looking at the bills he vetoed, that there will be a sentiment to do that.”
Idaho voters narrowly gave the Legislature the power to call itself back into session in 2022, something that previously only the governor could do.
That session would come with a caveat, though: Lawmakers couldn’t override Little’s vetoes, since they already wrapped up for the year. Instead, if they came back, Moyle said legislators would have to write new bills.
Plus, lawmakers could only write bills on the subjects identified in a petition.
In addition to the day care bill and medical education line-item veto, Little also rejected a bill aimed at protecting seniors from financial scams, saying it had “critical drafting deficiencies that would undermine its own purpose.”
He nixed another bill that would have let the state’s rainy day funds exceed a certain threshold and a telecommunication services bill that tried to streamline the process of ending such services. Finally, he line-item vetoed two pieces of a cash transfers bill.
Legislators were not expecting the six vetoes, Moyle said. Both the House and Senate adjourned sine die on the evening of April 2.
Moyle said he had a “gentleman’s understanding” with the governor’s staff, though he wouldn’t divulge the details. “No big deal,” he added. “I just learned my lesson. Won’t happen again.” The agreement was first reported by the Idaho Press.
Little’s office did not return a request for comment on Friday afternoon.
If they knew about the vetoes, Moyle said, lawmakers would have taken a brief recess to wait for the governor’s actions. Next year, if he’s speaker, he’ll opt for the recess, Moyle said.
“Every bill is important to somebody,” he said. “That’s why they did the work.”
Asked if he’s excited for the 2027 session, Moyle’s response was brief but clear: “Oh yeah.”
