Earlier this week, Governor Little signed the “Leading Idaho” Transportation Funding Bill into law.  Senate Bill 1359 includes $200 million for local bridges, $6 million for air, $8 million for rail, $18 million to pay off debt for Garvee projects, $10 million for safe pedestrian crossings, and $10 million to build out a road at the Port of Lewiston.  This comes on the heels of passing the largest transportation funding package in state history last year.  IGPA and most all of Idaho agriculture would agree with Little’s sentiments that “we cannot continue our record economic trajectory if our logging trucks can’t get across old bridges or we can’t get our farm products to market.”

As session tries to reach a conclusion, most of the budgets are still working their way through the floors of the chambers.  Also, a few key pieces of legislation are either being held, traded, or slipping through in the final hours.  One which we have an eye on is S1239a, the legislature ending date bill which, while its fate may be unknown, we believe that it is 2022’s most essential legislation.

While there has been no shortage of headline-catching bills introduced this legislative session, there’s one bill quietly standing by that could prove to be the most critical for the sanity of Idaho’s Republic.  Senate Bill 1239a would require that Idaho’s legislature adjourn no later than the last Friday in March – essentially creating a legislative session that could not exceed ninety days unless a 2/3 majority of legislators voted to extend the session.

One of the hallmarks of Idaho politics is the preservation of limited government.  Idahoans do not want the government intruding on our personal lives and businesses. Perhaps nothing encapsulates this notion more than the use of a part-time “citizen legislature.” Since statehood, Idaho’s legislature has convened in early January, with the goal of finishing its business and getting home – to return to their fields or offices. In recent years, it has seemed that the legislature has been eager to extend the session long into the spring. In 2021, for example, the legislative session did not officially conclude until mid-November. Notwithstanding this extended session, Idaho’s legislature still advocates limited government. To borrow a phrase often heard in barroom banter, it’s time to put our money where our mouth is by passing legislation that emphasizes limited government.

The legislature – indeed, all Idahoans – are best served through citizen legislators who bring the experience of their success outside of government. Avoiding a full-time legislature is paramount to the grassroots benefits of a citizen legislature. There is no “Boise swamp” when Idaho elects real people, who have lives and success outside of the marble halls, equipped with real-life experience, dirt under their fingernails, and muck on their boots.

For decades, Idaho’s agricultural communities have provided our state with some of the finest elected officials. Traditionally, the beauty of spring at the capitol has provided the smell of turned soil and fresh-cut grass, motivating lawmakers – particularly, those in the agricultural community – to expedite the people’s business and get home to plant crops and turn out cattle. Yet, the specter of an indefinite legislative session – one that extends into April, May, or even November – erodes the motivation of the type of people our state needs to serve. How can Idaho’s farmers or ranchers commit to serving in the legislature if they cannot be certain that they will be home in a timely fashion?

Idaho agriculture is proud of Idaho’s legislators with roots in agriculture and we believe that a codified session-ending time frame, like that provided in S1239a, encourages those active in agriculture to continue to provide public service for the great state of Idaho. It is more critical now than ever to preserve the nature of a citizen legislature and allow for our elected officials to get back in district, in the fields, and to their roots to keep the perspective that enables them to provide great statesmanship.