From the Executive Director – March 20, 2023

2023 Legislative Session Winding Down

As the Legislature enters week 11, all signs point to an adjournment as soon as Friday, March 24th, but more realistically sometime the week of March 27th. I don’t expect any new major pieces of legislation this week, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty of other work to be done. While budget bills have been advancing to the Governor’s desk, key budget bills (K-12 education, higher education, and Medicaid) have yet to be brought up for votes. Other key bills awaiting votes on the Senate Floor include House Bill 236 (public defense reform) and House Bill 292 (property tax relief).

As the session winds down, I’m happy to report that counties have generally fared well this year. We have yet to see legislation advance that has a negative impact on counties. We are also on the verge of witnessing major public defense and property tax reform measures pass the legislature as well as another round of transportation funding enhancements. Counties have been advocating for public defense reform for over a decade and it’s rewarding to see those efforts come to fruition.

I also want to recognize the many county officials who take the time each week to track legislation, measure the impacts on their respective counties, and reach out to their legislators for action. I also want to thank the many county officials who have made the trek to Boise (sometimes over and over) to meet with their legislators and testify before legislative committees. IAC is only as successful as our members’ collective efforts. This year has been a success for counties because of your engagement. Thank you for all you’ve done this year! As the Legislative Session wraps up, I look forward to traveling the state in the coming months to meet with you in person to share how legislation enacted this year will impact your counties and to hear from you about the issues that matter most to your county.