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Senate Commerce Committee advances two bills, forwards gubernatorial appointment recommendation
Summary
The Idaho Senate Commerce Committee on Jan. 28 voted to send two committee-sponsored RS drafts to print and forwarded a gubernatorial appointment to the full Senate with a recommendation for confirmation. The committee also approved minutes from its Jan. 28 meeting.
The Senate Commerce Committee on Jan. 28 voted to send RS 32,039 and RS 31,780 to print, forwarded a gubernatorial appointment to the Senate floor with a recommendation for confirmation, and approved the committee minutes.
Senator Mark Harris presented RS 32,039, describing the draft as a change to how interchange fees are calculated for electronic card transactions. "What this bill does is it excludes the state and local sales taxes and gratuities from the calculation of the amount on the interchange," Senator Harris said, explaining the measure would direct card networks to either deduct those amounts or rebate them proportionately to the interchange fee.
The committee approved a motion to send RS 32,039 to print. Senator Guthrie moved the motion and Senator Lakey seconded; the chair called for a voice vote and the motion carried.
The committee then considered a gubernatorial appointment. Senator Lakey moved that the appointment of Joshua Whitworth to the Percy Board be sent to the Senate floor with a recommendation that he be confirmed; a second was recorded and the motion carried on a voice vote.
Later in the meeting, Senator Todd Leahy presented RS 31,780, a proposal to add attorneys at the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses to the list of nonclassified employees. "This legislation adds attorneys at the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses to the list of non classified employees," Leahy said, adding the change would align those attorneys with how attorneys are categorized in other state divisions while not specifying salary changes.
Senator Ward Engelking moved to print RS 31,780; Senator Nichols seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote.
The committee also approved its minutes from Jan. 28, 2025, after Senator Burnt reviewed them and asked for approval. A second was recorded; the motion carried.
Votes at a glance
- RS 32,039 (interchange fees): Motion to send to print — moved by Senator Guthrie; seconded by Senator Lakey; outcome: approved (voice vote). - Gubernatorial appointment — Joshua Whitworth to the Percy Board: Motion to send to Senate floor with recommendation for confirmation — moved by Senator Lakey; seconded; outcome: approved (voice vote). - Minutes from 01/28/2025: Motion to approve — moved by Senator Burnt; seconded; outcome: approved (voice vote). - RS 31,780 (state employee classification for DOPL attorneys): Motion to send to print — moved by Senator Ward Engelking; seconded by Senator Nichols; outcome: approved (voice vote).
The meeting was brief; the chair adjourned after the four items were handled.
