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BOISE, Idaho (AP) — The Latest on the Idaho Legislature preparing to finish the 2017 session (all times local):
6:35 p.m.
Idaho lawmakers are close to finishing their work for the year after passing a massive transportation bill in both the House and Senate on Tuesday.
The more than $300 million transportation plan now goes to Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter for his signature. This leaves just a handful of items left on legislative leaders' to-do lists before they can officially adjourn — including the Senate needing to vote on a newly amended $28 million tax cut plan attached to an unemployment insurance proposal.
The Legislature was estimated to be finished last week, but several delays with a transportation funding plan pushed back the adjournment.
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3:15 p.m.
House legislative leaders have tacked on a $28 million tax cut plan to an unemployment insurance bill as a last-minute effort to slash the state's personal and corporate income tax rates.
The House agreed to tweak the bill on Tuesday, sending it back to the Senate for final approval. It's unknown when the Senate will vote on the newly amended proposal.
While the Legislature has already passed a plan repealing the state's 6 percent sales tax on groceries, the proposal is expected to be vetoed by Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter. That means lawmakers are trying to secure some sort tax relief plan before adjourning.
Meanwhile, the House is also considering a roughly $320 million transportation bill. The proposal needs to clear a legislative panel before it can go before the full House floor.
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1:20 p.m.
A massive transportation funding bill is making its way through the Idaho Statehouse as lawmakers hope to finish their work before the end of the day.
Senate members spent nearly two hours Tuesday debating a roughly $320 million proposal to funnel more money to roads and bridges. A similar proposal had failed in the Senate chamber just last week on a 15-20 vote. This forced transportation and infrastructure advocates scrambling to rewrite a new plan before adjournment, which in the end wooed enough lawmakers to vote 19-16.
The proposal, which primarily uses bonds to pay for new road projects and repay it with future federal highway payments, now heads to the House for approval. However, House lawmakers may tweak the bill before signing off on the measure.
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