Boise (670 KBOI News) – The first of four citizens initiative bills introduced after Governor Little’s veto of Senate Bill 1159, is headed to the Senate, after clearing the House on a 48-18 vote.
House Bill 303 would require citizens initiatives to have the same features of any bill introduced through legislation — a fiscal note, statement of purpose, and would go into effect on July 1st.
Boise Representative John Gannon says the legislature can’t dictate that to the people.
“By passing this bill, whoever votes to pass it is saying, you, citizens, cannot pass a law in a timely fashion, you have to wait eight months,”said Gannon. “And that may affect the effectiveness of an initiative.”
The other three bills have not been scheduled for hearings in committee.
The House also took up Senate Bill 1205, the so-called “going home” bill. It would make official the administrative rules passed by Executive Branch departments since the close of the 2018 session.
It was amended in the House, though. Majority Leader Mike Moyle, of Star, says rather than just one committee, in one body of the legislature needing to sign off on a bill, it needs to be approved by both bodies.
SB 1205 now goes back to the Senate, for consideration of the amendment.
