Idaho Legislature reconvenes Thursday in Boise for what could be final day of session

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — The Idaho Legislature is scheduled to reconvene at 11 a.m. today at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, nearly a week after legislators finished their business Friday and opted to take a recess to see if Gov. Brad Little vetoed any bills.

Since the Idaho Legislature recessed late Friday night, Little has issued four vetoes as of this article’s publication. The list of bills Little vetoed includes:

• Senate Bill 1301,which dealt with property tax assessments of self-storage facilities. The bill passed the Idaho Senate 22-12 and passed the Idaho House 55-15.
• Senate Bill 1381, the Coronavirus Pause Act, which would have blocked COVID-19 vaccine requirements for a year. The bill passed the Idaho Senate 24-11 and passed the Idaho House 45-23, with two absent. 
• House Bill 723, which would continue changes to fund public schools based on enrollment instead of attendance through 2024. The bill passed the Idaho House 39-26 and passed the Idaho Senate 31-0.
• House Bill 782, which would have made widespread changes to the appointment process for judges in the state of Idaho. The bill passed the Idaho House 44-24, with two absent, and passed the Idaho Senate 26-9.

Neither the Idaho House nor the Idaho Senate have any new bills up for votes on their reading calendars Thursday. But legislators will receive Little’s veto messages and may attempt to override his action. 

If the Idaho Legislature attempts to override one or more of Little’s vetoes, it would take a two-thirds majority vote of the members present in both the Idaho House and the Idaho Senate. If everybody is present for the vote, that means 47 votes in the Idaho House and 24 votes in the Idaho Senate are needed to override a veto.