In this mid-week newsletter:

Governor issues first veto of the legislative session

Budget committee approves childcare grants through June

Ballot initiative amendment question advances to House

Bill to allow killing rattlesnakes passed to governor's desk

House passes library bill, narrowly kills voter affidavits bill

Bill introduced to clarify abortion law medical exemptions

Idaho Reports airs Friday at 8 p.m. on Idaho Public Television.

Governor vetoes parental driving instruction bill

Gov. Brad Little issued his first veto of the year on Tuesday, shooting down HB 133, which would have allowed parents to teach their children to drive and obtain a license.

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JFAC approves daycare grants through June

The childcare grants, made possible through the American Rescue Plan Act, expire on June 30, the end of fiscal year 2023. The federal government made the funds available to states to award eligible providers grants to help enhance wages for daycare workers, as well as keep costs down for families.

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Firing squad bill heads to governor’s desk

The legislature passed a law last year that offers secrecy to the providers of lethal injection chemicals, attempting to make them easier to get for the Idaho Department of Correction. That has not been successful, said Sen. Doug Ricks, R-Rexburg.

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Higher education budget passes Senate

Several more conservative senators voiced concern about the influence of diversity, equity and inclusion principles in higher education, as well as allegations of indoctrination.

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Ballot initiative question advances to House

A joint resolution now before the House would ask voters to amend the Idaho Constitution to need signatures from 6% of registered voters in all 35 districts to place an initiative on the ballot, rather than 18 districts as currently required.

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Bill to prohibit affidavits at the polls narrowly dies

The House killed a bill in a 33-36 vote which would have repealed the option to use an affidavit for identification in lieu of an ID card at the polls.

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Follow Idaho Reports for updates throughout the week

House passes library ‘obscenity’ bill

Legislators in opposition took issue with some of the vague language such as “any other material harmful to minors.” Under the definition of “sexual conduct,” the bill also includes depictions of homosexuality.

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Bill passed to allow killing of rattlesnakes

Sen. Cindy Carlson, R-Riggins, said rattlesnakes regularly show up in people’s yards in the area where she lives – enough to be a danger to pets and children.

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Abortion law medical clarifications introduced

If enacted, the legislation would clarify that the use of IUDs and birth control pills are not abortions. It would also spell out medical exemptions for the removal “of a dead unborn child,” “the removal of an ectopic or molar pregnancy” and the treatment of “a woman who is no longer pregnant.”

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