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Idaho Legislature outlines priorities for returning to session

The legislature is scheduled to reconvene on April 6 after pausing the session for two weeks due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Statehouse was in the midst of a COVID-19 outbreak when lawmakers voted to pause the legislative session for two weeks as a safety precaution. Lawmakers are planning to reconvene the Tuesday after Easter, which is a little more than two weeks away.

“It's a recess to try and give a chance to everybody who was sick to be well and healed up,” Senate President Pro-Tem Chuck Winder (R-Boise) said.

Once the legislature reconvenes, lawmakers will be more focused on passing a balanced budget and addressing some of their top priorities.

“I think there will be some bills that just won't get heard on both sides,” Winder said. “I'm hopeful the key pieces of legislation that are on our going home list that are priorities to get done this session will be done and signed by the governor.”

For republicans, that to-do list includes passing what they call "balance of power bills." These bills would essentially prevent Idaho Gov. Brad Little from taking certain actions during a declared emergency, like the ones he took during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It will still allow the governor to declare emergencies, to allow them to go on for a period of time as long as there aren't restrictions on people and their ability to work and worship,” Winder said.

Republicans aren’t solely focused on that, though. Winder told KTVB other priorities on that to-do list include other big policy decisions.

“We've got to see transportation, we've got to see some tax relief both in property and income tax,” he said.

The desire to provide property tax relief is felt across the aisle as well.

“Idahoans have been asking for us for three years now, there was nothing meaningful that gave good tax relief,” Senate Minority Leader Michelle Stennett (D-Ketchum) said. “We do have some things on the books that we have proposed that I hope gain some traction.”

Senate Democrats also want the legislature to focus on transportation and education.

“There's a bill out there that is entertaining bringing full-time kindergarten to the state, which we know is one of the things that gives children an advantage,” Stennett said. “As they go through their education system and makes them more productive.”

Democrats also want the legislature to focus less on what branch makes the decisions during an emergency.

“I hope we come to resolution pretty quickly on some of those things and then move onto what Idahoans really need the most for their day-to-day abilities to afford their homes,” Stennett said.

The legislature’s new goal is to be all wrapped up with business by April 16. It was previously March 26 before the two-week pause.

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