Idaho lawmakers look to give themselves authority to call a special session

BOISE - A proposed constitutional amendment allowing the Idaho Legislature to call itself back into session earned a favorable recommendation from the House State Affairs Committee today.

The bill stems from lawmakers' consternation at being sidelined last year during the governor's response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We saw our own inability to act, when we needed to act,” said Rep. Steven Harris, R-Meridian. “We saw our inability to act, our inability to legislate, even when we were called into (special) session. That's just wrong.”

House Republicans wanted to address this constitutional amendment, as well as other potential legislation, during the three-day special session last August. They were prevented from doing so, however, because it didn't fall under the subject matter for the session as established by the governor.

The proposed amendment requires that a special session be called if requested by 60 percent of the House and Senate. It doesn't set any limit on the length of the session, or on the subject matter.

That was a concern for Matthew Jensen, the chairman of the District 17 Republican Central Committee in Boise.

“A lot of Idahoans want something like this, but when you mention the lack of clear limits on the length (of a special session), the discussion immediately goes to a year-round session,” he said.

Harris noted there's no constitutional or statutory limits on the length of a regular legislative session, yet lawmakers typically manage to complete their work every year by the end of March. Consequently, he sees little risk of a runaway session even if lawmakers can call themselves back for a special session.

“Whatever risks we have currently aren't changed at all, but (with this proposed amendment) we would have the ability to do what we need to do,” he said.

The House State Affairs Committee also gave a favorable recommendation to a concurrent resolution that would immediately suspend the 10-person cap on attendance for all events, public or private, including school activities.

For more on both of these bills, see Tuesday's Lewiston Tribune.