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Committee rejects request for an extra LSO bill‑drafter amid debate on legislative workload
Summary
A request to add one bill‑drafting attorney to the Legislative Services Office failed on a tied committee vote after members debated whether to limit legislators’ bill filings or add staff to handle increased drafting and amendment volumes.
The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee declined a request to add one full-time bill‑drafting attorney to the Legislative Services Office (LSO), voting evenly and thereby failing to approve the staffing increase.
Why it matters: Lawmakers and LSO staff said the office has experienced higher drafting and amendment volumes in recent years, which LSO staff and committee cochairs said has created a bottleneck. Supporters argued the addition would reduce overnight work and improve bill quality; opponents said lawmakers should curtail the number of bills they file rather than expand staff capacity.
What was proposed
- Motion (Representative Tanner): add 1 FTE and $128,500 from the general fund for FY2026 to fund an additional bill‑drafting attorney in LSO.
Committee discussion
Supporters of the request noted that the number of bills and amendments has grown year over year, stretching the existing staff and causing late-night work. Cochairs and members compared LSO staffing in Idaho with similar functions in other states and said the legislature’s budget for staff is a small share of the state budget.
Opponents said the legislature should exercise restraint in filing bills, and some members said they were uncomfortable increasing staff beyond agency requests during a year with tight budgets and many cuts elsewhere.
Vote and outcome
The roll call resulted in a deadlocked committee: the Senate vote was 5 ayes and 5 nays; the House vote was 5 ayes and 5 nays, producing a committee total of 10 ayes and 10 nays. Because a majority in both committees was not reached, the motion failed.
Next steps
Committee cochairs said they would consider whether to take up the request later; the transcript records that staff and cochairs would determine if the issue should return for later consideration.
Ending
The committee’s tie vote leaves LSO at its current staffing level for FY2026; members and staff signaled continued attention to workload and alternative options for addressing drafting delays.
