BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho House and Senate crashed plans to sell the Idaho Transportation Department's State Street headquarters.
In one of the final moves of the legislative session Wednesday night, both chambers approved the state's transportation budget, which includes language that pumps the brakes on ITD's ability to sell the building.
Last week, the Senate killed a transportation budget with almost identical language.
However, the budget that was passed on Wednesday faced its fair share of controversy. The Senate took up an ITD budget bill in the afternoon, but that bill was ruled out of order.
The Senate then went into a length caucus, and the the Joint Finance and Appropriation Committee (JFAC) rewrote ITD's budget as House Bill 770, which has a different title and $200 difference than the original proposed budget.
House Bill 770 passed the House with a 37-31 vote. Late Wednesday evening, the Senate passed the bill without debate by one vote, 18-17.
The approved budget allocated money to renovate the State Street building instead of moving forward with an agreed-upon sale for roughly $52 million.
In 2022, a frozen pipe burst in the ITD State Street headquarters, flooding the building. The campus has been vacant ever since.
A renovation would have to address water damage, plus asbestos and lead.
After approving the budget, both the Idaho House and Senate recessed until next week.
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