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Committee advances mining, water-storage and energy bills and four joint memorials to the House floor
Summary
At the same meeting the committee advanced a set of bills and joint memorials to the House floor, including a bill to retain small federal hydropower remittances for mining permitting support, a memorial backing the Stibnite mine permitting, a memorial urging study of rebuilding the Teton Dam, and a mining-support memorial.
The Idaho House Resources and Conservation Committee voted to advance several measures to the full House during the same session that sent House Bill 389 to the floor.
Senate Bill 1020: Representative John Schertz presented Senate Bill 1020, which would place small remittances received from federal hydropower licensing into a dedicated fund for permitting and permitting-related work to support mining operations. Schertz said the remitted amount is roughly $150,000 annually and that the change would move those funds out of the general fund into a dedicated account to help miners pay for National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and related permitting costs. Will Hart of the Idaho Consumer Owned Utilities Association told the committee the group supports the bill. The committee approved the bill’s advance to the floor on a motion and voice vote; a roll call tally was not recorded in the transcript.
Senate Joint Memorial 103 (Stibnite): Representative John Schertz also presented Senate Joint Memorial 103, which expresses legislative support for permitting and development at the Stibnite mine site, including the strategic value of antimony and other minerals. Representative Church voiced reservations about some factual statements in the memorial related to environmental impacts and the project’s footprint; Church said portions of the memorial “are not factually correct or border on factual correctness.” Representative Schertz replied that he believes the project will allow improved cleanup at the site. The committee moved the memorial to the floor with a do-pass recommendation.
Senate Joint Memorial 101 (Teton Dam / water-storage): Representative Rod Furnas presented a joint memorial urging renewed study of large-scale water storage projects, including reconsideration of reconstructing the Teton Dam and other storage options. Furnas recounted personal memories of the 1976 failure and argued for greater storage to support agriculture and community water needs. Members discussed alternative storage possibilities (Representative Raymond referenced possible studies on Island Park and other sites) and the memorial’s fiscal note language; the committee voted to send the memorial to the floor with a do-pass recommendation.
Senate Joint Memorial 102 (mining permitting and administrative streamlining): Representative Kevin Anders presented a joint memorial that encourages state and federal officials to work to reduce administrative barriers to mining while maintaining reclamation and environmental protections. Anders and supporters urged cooperation with the federal administration to streamline permitting processes. The committee approved the memorial and sent it to the floor.
Procedure and minutes: the committee approved minutes from prior meetings (February 13, February 19, February 20 and March 11). All motions listed above were advanced by voice vote; the transcript records outcomes by voice rather than roll-call tallies.
Votes at a glance (committee action): - Senate Bill 1020 — Move to send to floor with due-pass recommendation; outcome: approved by voice vote; counts not specified. Sponsor: Representative John Schertz. Support: Idaho Consumer Owned Utilities Association (Will Hart). - Senate Joint Memorial 103 (Stibnite) — Move to send to floor with due-pass recommendation; outcome: approved by voice vote; counts not specified. Sponsor: Representative John Schertz. Noted concern: Representative Church questioned accuracy of environmental claims in memorial language. - Senate Joint Memorial 101 (Teton Dam / water-storage studies) — Move to send to floor with due-pass recommendation; outcome: approved by voice vote; counts not specified. Sponsor: Representative Rod Furnas. Substantive testimony included personal recollections of the 1976 failure and discussion of alternative storage options. - Senate Joint Memorial 102 (mining permitting efficiency) — Move to send to floor with due-pass recommendation; outcome: approved by voice vote; counts not specified. Sponsor: Representative Kevin Anders.
What’s next: each bill and memorial will be scheduled for House-floor consideration; committee debate included factual and technical questions for memorial language that sponsors may revise before floor action.
