Idaho Politics: Commentary
Idaho Governor vs. Legislature: Same Party, Different Song
By Jill Kuraitis, 3-28-08
In the closing days of the Idaho legislative session, the Republican-dominated body and the Republican governor are facing off like two cougars in the same cage.
Take That, You Veto-Vetoers
Gov. Butch Otter has used his line-item veto power to nix the purchase of new laptops for lawmakers. His letter to House Speaker Lawerence Denney says, in part:
The item disapproved is as follows:
On page 1 of the enrolled bill, line 20, the sum of “$274,000” The Department of Administration is consolidating the purchase of computers for all state agencies in order to realize significant volume-buying discounts for Idaho taxpayers. However, the Legislative Services Office did not avail itself of that process in its request for these 108 laptop computers for use by legislators.
Naturally, the chat around the Capitol Annex is that the veto is really payback for Wednesday’s Senate veto override of a bill funding some substance-abuse programs, especially because legislators’ laptops really are old stinkers and nobody has challenged the need for new ones.
Leave Your Fiefdom a Moment, Would You?
Transportation funding has been Otter’s pet project this legislative session, and things haven’t gone well from his perspective. The governor issued a statement Thursday:
“I’ve been working hard on this issue ever since I came into office, explaining the statewide needs and the urgency of acting now, developing options and building support. I also have worked with legislators every step of the way. But in the end it’s the relatively narrow focus that goes along with representing an individual district that keeps legislators from acknowledging the challenge of a nearly quarter-billion-dollar statewide transportation infrastructure backlog or embracing any way of addressing it. Simply put, there is a shortage of vision and political will within the Legislature to do what needs to be done this year. But the problem doesn’t go away with the 59th Legislature. I will continue working with experts and stakeholders alike to develop a long-term solution for the 2009 session.”
In the House sits a $68.5 million proposal which Speaker Lawerence Denney says won’t get a hearing until Monday, if then. Considering that it includes raising the gas tax by three cents a gallon and increases registration fees on cars and trucks – in an election year – it’s not surprising that the Speaker told Betsy Russell of the Spokane Spokesman-Review, “I don’t know that we’re going to do anything with it.”
Throwing in the towel on transportation funding removes a major roadblock to ending the 2008 session, which sends lawmakers home to start their re-election campaigns. Hmmmn.
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Comments
See any ugly ties yet?