BOISE — The Idaho House of Representatives on Jan. 8, 2025, introduced two bills — House Bill 1, a parental choice tax credit sponsored by Rep. Hostetler, and House Bill 2, a measure from the State Affairs Committee that would revise voting thresholds for statewide initiative petitions — then approved the day’s journal and adjourned until 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025.

The bills were read at first reading and referred for committee processing. House Bill 1 was described in the introductory reading as “an act relating to income taxes, providing legislative intent amending chapter 30 title 63 Idaho Code by the addition of a new section 633029 n Idaho Code to establish provisions regarding the Idaho parental choice tax credit, providing severability and declaring an emergency, and providing retroactive application.” House Bill 2 was described as an act from the State Affairs Committee “relating to elections, amending section 341811 Idaho Code to revise a provision regarding the voting threshold for statewide initiative petitions and to make technical corrections, [and] amending section 341813 Idaho Code to revise a provision regarding the voting threshold for statewide initiative petitions and to remove obsolete language and declaring an emergency.” Both bills were referred to the Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee for printing.

Why it matters: HB1 proposes a new income-tax credit described as a parental choice tax credit; if advanced, it would alter tax-code provisions. HB2 would change the statutory voting threshold for statewide initiatives, a change that could affect how future statewide ballot measures qualify for approval. At the Jan. 8 session neither bill received substantive floor debate; both were handled as first readings and sent to committee for further consideration and drafting.

Other formal actions and housekeeping: The House approved the journal of the second legislative day on a motion moved by Rep. Skog and seconded by Rep. Gannon. The approval was taken by voice vote; no roll-call tally was provided in the transcript. The House also reported committee business (printing/enrollment/referrals) including: House Joint Memorial 1 and House Concurrent Resolution 2 were printed and referred to the State Affairs Committee; House Concurrent Resolution 1 was enrolled and returned to the Senate for signature. Several committee meeting schedules and cancellations were announced, including that the House Revenue and Taxation Committee will meet on Thursday, Jan. 9, at 9 a.m. in East Wing room 42 and that the House Appropriations Committee will meet Thursday, Jan. 9, at 8 a.m. in room C310.

The day’s session included a prayer by Chaplain Tom Doherty and the Pledge of Allegiance led by House page Ezra Morgan of Burley High School; those ceremonial items preceded the legislative business recorded in the transcript. The House adjourned after a motion to reconvene at 11 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025; the motion to adjourn was moved by a representative identified in the transcript as the “lady from 18” and was seconded on the floor; the motion passed by voice vote.

What’s next: The two introduced bills will be considered within committee (Judiciary, Rules and Administration) for printing and any subsequent referral or scheduling; no committee action or floor votes on the bills were recorded during the Jan. 8 session.