While much of Idaho was on spring break, it was anything BUT a break for the #IdLeg as they blew past the target adjournment date.
They’ll be here for at least another week, but then they’ll likely have some pro forma sessions to consider any vetoes from the Governor. Remember, with elections less than 57 days away, legislators do need to get home to campaign in their primaries.
It was also a busy week for ICL, as several big ticket items saw action, including pesticides, salmon, crypto mining, state endowment lands, funding for quagga mussel prevention, and more!
The main news related to a flurry of activity in response to education bills that fund school facilities, the Governor’s Launch program, and public school budgets. After the Senate finally brought up House Bill 521, the logjam finally broke.
You see, at this stage of the game, it’s all about leverage. Certain House Bills are held hostage in the Senate, and in response the House delays consideration of Senate priorities. Or vice versa.
But sometimes bills simply don’t have the support they need to get across the finish line. … because they are such bad ideas. That appears to be the case with the newest Pesticide Manufacturers Immunity Bill that ICL helped kill earlier in the session. Twice.
The newest bill was introduced in the Senate State Affairs Committee last week, and was scheduled for a quick hearing two days later. But as quickly as it had disappeared on the agenda, it was gone. It was like the bill was written in disappearing ink. Trouble is, we’ve seen magical disappearing, reappearing ink before.
Learn more about the fate of the Pesticide Bill and more below!
Three strikes and you’re out
In 1924 Dr. William Cooke, a pathologist at the Wigan Infirmary in Manchester, England, published a study finding that patients exposed to asbestos fibers exhibited common lung disease symptoms.
Last Tuesday, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finally banned the use of asbestos in the U.S.
In the intervening 100 years, corporate interference, delayed research, legal battles, and settlements stymied efforts to protect citizens and workers harmed by exposure. Asbestos companies also sought bills to shield them from costly litigation, but decisionmakers rejected those efforts. Just like they did for the tobacco industry when they asked for immunity in 1997.
And this year, it appears that the efforts seeking to shield pesticide manufacturers in Idaho will meet a similar fate.
Last week, we saw Senate Bill 1432, the third pesticide bill introduced this session. The first was defeated in the Senate on a 19-15 vote on February 15, and the second was introduced on the House side, but was never heard in the House Business Committee.
The new bill is largely similar to the prior versions, but this one would only apply to the ~16,000 pesticides already approved by the EPA. And it would have a 3-year sunset clause, meaning that immunity would expire in 2027. Problem is we’ve seen sunset clauses removed in the ensuing years, and we know this one will too.
The bill was introduced last Tuesday and was up for a hearing in the Senate Commerce & Human Resources Committee on Thursday. But by Wednesday afternoon it had disappeared from the agenda.
Rumor had it that the bill sponsors cut a deal with a conservative advocacy organization in the hopes that the Republican Senators who helped defeat the first bill in February would hold their noses, and support version #3. Problem was, the sponsors never checked with the Senators. Instead of coming around to support the bill, their opposition positions hardened. Even GOP Chair Dorothy Moon weighed in against the bill.
With the clock ticking, it appears that may be dead for the year, but ICL and our partners are still keeping a close eye on it in case it does move. In the meantime, we urge you to take action, because pesticide manufacturers are still pushing hard for the bill to advance. We also expect that it will return next year. If it does, we’ll be prepared to defend citizens’ rights to protect themselves and their families, and to hold corporations accountable under the law.
Record $6 million approved for Quagga Mussels
Thanks in part to the hundreds of Idahoans who took action to contact their legislators and the Governor, a bill was signed that dedicates more than $6 million for 2025 to investigate and combat quagga mussels in Idaho.
Along with that, a $5 million check was cut for the Invasive Species Fund to assist with boat inspection efforts, education, and other emergency efforts that allows the funds to be carried over from year to year.
This all comes after hyper-invasive quagga mussels were found in the Snake River near Twin Falls back in September. The state responded with a multi-million dollar control effort to attempt to contain and eliminate the mussels. We won’t know until later this spring whether that effort was successful or not, but we know that these invasive mussels are no joke.
A 2009 study estimated it could cost Idaho $94 million/year in increased infrastructure, agriculture, and recreation-related costs if the mussels were to take hold.
Senate Bill 1372, which has now been signed into law, will allow the Idaho State Department of Agriculture to expand their monitoring and prevention efforts in order to ensure that we do everything in our power to stop the spread of invasive and destructive mussels.
Cryptomining bill goes bust in House
The House’s Crypto Mining Bill, that I reported on last week, was amended this week, but still failed. The bill was similar to bills in several other states, and would reduce regulations and taxes for energy consuming cryptocurrency mining operations.
Crypto mining operations consume a lot of energy. All three of Idaho’s utility-owned electric companies opposed the bill. Idaho Power, Avista, and Rocky Mountain Power all weighed in against the bill that would undo a ruling by the Idaho Public Utilities Commission to establish rates for these energy-hungry crypto miners.
In other states where similar legislation has passed, it’s led to rattled windows and nerves for neighbors. In Texas, Montana, Georgia, and elsewhere, the constant thrum of large crypto mining operations have shaken communities across the state.
If the bill had passed, Idaho’s consumers (that’s you and me) could have also been rattled by their power bills, paying higher rates, while crypto miners pay less. That’s not fair, and most House members agreed when they rejected the bill on a 30-40 vote. See how your reps voted.
According to bill sponsor Rep. Elaine Price (R-Coeur d’Alene), the bill may be brought back next year.
Wrapping up
The legislature is working to mostly wrap up by the end of the week. They still may wait a few days to see if the Governor vetoes any measures. If he does, they have 5 days to override a veto with a supermajority (⅔ vote) in both the House and Senate.
Regardless of when the Legislature wraps up, ICL’s 2024 Legislative Fellow Libby Tobey is finishing her stint with ICL this week. 
I’ve been privileged to work with Libby Tobey, our Legislative Fellow, who has helped me navigate countless hours of committee testimony, tracking bills, watching floor debates, and researching new and exciting topics like crypto mining, tax rates, pesticide complaints, salmon, and more.
As a river guide and a future law school student, she’s already an accomplished activist and continues to work on a project that spotlights the plight of Idaho’s salmon, something that she cares deeply about. Along with two fellow intrepid women paddlers, she navigated the entirety of Idaho’s amazing Salmon River, literally from the top of the mountain to the Pacific Ocean!
The twists and turns, unexpected challenges, and tricky rapids she encountered all prepared her well for her 3 months working alongside ICL to navigate the legislature.
ICL is grateful to Libby and as we send her off, join me in wishing her the best of luck! I know that we’ll be seeing her around on Idaho’s rivers and public lands, and maybe in a few years as a lawyer for ICL…who knows!? Thanks Libby!
Tie of the week! 
This week’s tie is a nod to the Treefort Music Fest that descended upon Boise last week. I had the privilege of performing at Storyfort’s EcoJam alongside ICL’s talented Communications and Marketing Manager Abby Urbanek. Along with the two of us, over 400 (actual) artists came from across the globe to entertain. Kiss wasn’t one of them, but I don’t have a tie for K.Flay, Cimafunk, Celisse, Channel Tres, DhakaBrakha, or Pokey Lafarge. The tie could also be a reference to kissing this session goodbye? Plus, it still is ugly tie season!
Regardless of what the TOTW means to you, it’s been an eventful session we’ve had together. ICL is grateful for the support of our members who allow us to do this work. Join today, if you’re not already a member?!
But I am looking forward to catching my breath. As I do every year, I’m also excited to trade in my wingtips for my hiking boots and get out to enjoy Idaho’s lands and waters instead of hustling back and forth on the well-worn path between ICL and the statehouse everyday! Until next week…could it be the end? Esto Perpetua,
Jonathan