Idaho Bills
5 bills · 2019 Regular Session
Amends existing law to provide for certain disclosures in elections to authorize a levy.
This legislation amends Title 34, Chapter 4 of Idaho Code by amending language and adding a new subsection with a disclosure requirement for property tax levy election ballot questions. When a taxing district authorizes a levy election, the ballot must include a disclosure statement indicating the estimated average annual cost to a property owner per $100,000 of property value and the length of time. The county clerk will make the calculation and include the financial information on the disclosure statement on the levy ballot.
35 – 0
Amends existing law to revise the threshold population for a mail ballot precinct.
29 – 4
Amends existing law to provide that public school facilities shall be made available as polling places.
22 – 12
Amends existing law to revise the time lines for the transmission of certain election and ballot information and to make other election law changes.
This legislation clarifies election processes currently in Idaho Code, moves the various deadlines so they fall on a Friday instead of the weekend when offices are closed, and corrects the citations to federal law addressed in Title 34. Also removes some obsolete language.
32 – 0
Amends existing law to revise a provision regarding when the Supreme Court must render a decision.
This is one of a series of bills the Supreme Court has recommended in its annual report to the Governor concerning defects or omissions in the laws, as required by article V, section 25 of the Idaho Constitution. I.C. § 34-2127 currently requires the Supreme Court to render a decision in primary election contest appeals no more than ten (10) days after "the receipt of" the appeal. This timeframe does not provide adequate opportunity for briefing by the parties or the scheduling of oral argument, and it is not consistent with the trial court decision deadline (which, per I.C. § 34-2126, is not more than ten (10) days "after the hearing"). In order to bring the appeal decision deadline in accord with the trial court deadline, and thereby recognize the parties' entitlement to both adequate trial and appellate processes, I.C. § 34-2127 should be amended to allow the Supreme Court to render a decision within ten (10) days of when the case becomes at issue.