Idaho Republicans block effort to free Democratic-backed bills
BY JOHN MILLER
Associated Press
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 10:57 AM PDT
BOISE — Republican senators Monday easily beat back efforts by Democrats to free two bills now trapped in committees that would add revolving-door restrictions to Idaho’s lobbying laws and boost regulation of day cares. The party-line vote in each instance was 28-7.
Democrats attempted to employ a little-used Senate rule that allows the full chamber to force committees to deliver bills for a vote, even if they haven’t had a hearing. The minority Democrats say GOP leaders have stymied their efforts on issues they say are at the forefront of the Democratic agenda.
Republicans, who hold a four-fifths Senate majority, countered that managing bills should be the domain of committee chairmen and chairwomen as they weigh proposals’ likelihood of success, to avoid saddling the Legislature with unnecessary delays. Some GOP lawmakers hinted that raising this issue on the 79th day of the 2008 Legislature smacked of election-year politics, not a substantive effort to advance the Democrats’ causes.
‘‘If we were to do this procedure for all bills, we might as well become a full-time Legislature,’’ said Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint. ‘‘I respect the process.’’
Keough said she has a bill to revamp Idaho’s public school funding formula that’s stuck in committee. That’s a sign such situations can occur even with measures important to majority-party members, she said.
The lobbying bill calls for a one-year ‘‘cooling off’’ period before a legislator or executive official can register as a lobbyist after his or her departure from public service.
Sen. Kate Kelly, D-Boise and sponsor of the measure, said at least eight Idaho public officials have left their state posts and gone immediately into lobbying over the last two years, including Jeff Malmen, Gov. C.L. ‘‘Butch’’ Otter’s former chief of staff, who went to work for Idaho Power Co. last November. Some 28 states have such revolving-door restrictions.
‘‘I think there’s a public cry for this issue to be heard in this Legislature,’’ Kelly said. ‘‘I get e-mails daily.’’
Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa and the Senate State Affairs Committee chairman, has refused to hold a hearing since Kelly’s bill was introduced Jan. 18. McKenzie says the measure is doomed by a lack of support among Republicans. Senate President Pro Tem Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs, opposes such a restriction.
‘‘If it doesn’t appear that an idea would gain support of the majority of a committee or a majority on the floor, that’s just something I look at,’’ McKenzie said. ‘‘Every day, we’re bumping up against deadlines.’’
The bipartisan bill to toughen the state’s rules governing day cares sought to require more criminal background checks and training for employees.
It was introduced in the Senate Health and Welfare Committee in early February, then withdrawn after some lawmakers’ argued that the cost of the measure hadn’t been accurately calculated.
Democrats said the bill wasn’t given a fair vetting, so the Senate should order it delivered to the full chamber.
