Sisters and Brothers,

We need to make our voices heard again to beat back another attack on our trade and our livelihoods. HB 229 is being considered this Monday and we need to act fast to let our Representatives know this is a bad idea for the electrical industry and a bad idea for electricians. It is a shortsighted solution to a short term problem with long term negative impact on Idaho's electrical workers and our families.

Please read more below in Marty's update about how we can fight this attack.

In Solidarity,

Ken Brown

LEGISLATIVE REPORT – WEEK NINE

Activity at the Statehouse is both ramping up and winding down. 

The budgets have been set by JFAC and the appropriations bills are winding their way through.  This is usually a good indicator that the session is winding down.

However, there is a giant elephant in the room.  Medicaid expansion. Rep. Vander Woude (R, Nampa) introduced a bill on Wednesday to add a gob of sideboards   These restrictions are designed to make it harder for people to qualify.  This is not what the voters approved. 

According to Vander Woude,  Idaho voters didn’t know what they were voting for.  Also, it’s important for him to represent the minority of voters.  Here’s what my friend, Marty Trillhause of the Lewiston Tribune, had to say:

JEERS ... to state Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa.

Vander Woude is going out of his way to erode the Medicaid expansion initiative by proposing work requirements that will sting taxpayers and low-income workers alike as well as lifetime benefit caps.

But what about the 61 percent of Idaho voters who approved Proposition 2, which extended Medicaid to 62,000 uninsured Idaho adults?

Or the 57 percent of the voters in his legislative district who voted for Prop. 2?

“I’m more than happy to stand up and do what I think is right,” Vander Woude told Boise State Public Radio. “We don’t always let the majority make all the decisions because our Constitution is (there) to protect the rights of everybody, not just the majority.”

The bill is being heard this morning.  There’s a lot of opposition and people started lining up to testify early. 

Electrical Installers

I presented the compromise bill to get rid of S 1009 (the installer bill) yesterday. 

Click Here to view compromise bill S1138

It would create a provisional journeyman license that would allow out of state electricians from non-reciprocal states to work, up to one year, while getting their journeyman license.

It passed out of Committee easily and was sent to the amending order.  To please IACI, I drafted a slight amendment to make it PERFECTLY CLEAR that no one was required to get a provisional license if they didn’t want to.

Hopefully, this means S1009 is dead.

Another Bad Licensing Bill

This one really sucks.  Rep. Crane (R, Nampa) introduced a bill on Tuesday that would create a new Idaho Residential Electrical Code and change the ratio for residential apprentices from 2:1 to 4:1.

Click Here to view HB 229

He’s doing this for a buddy, former legislator and electrical contractor Steven Kren.

It will be heard on Monday.  I understand that DBS is opposed.  I am working on getting others to speak against it.

Given the climate in the House (anti-regulation, free market, business loving, license hating, wage lowering), it’s going to be hard stop it there.  I think our best hope is the Senate, or time running out.

If you despise this bill, please let the Committee know.  Your email doesn’t have to be long or involved.  Just say something short and sweet. 

• House Bill 229 jeopardizes public safety by weakening supervision of apprentices.
• House Bill 229 is bad for apprentices because they won’t have as much individual, hands on, training.
•           House Bill 229 is bad for the public because it freezes the electrical code to 2017 standards and does not allow for advances in safety or efficiency.

Pick one of those bullet points and write two more sentences.  That’s all I ask.  Put H229 in the subject line and be sure to add your name and city where you live.

Send to:

Chairman Sage Dixon (R, Ponderay)                         sdixon@house.idaho.gov               

 (he’s a licensed journeyman electrician)

Vice Chair Gayann Demordaunt (R, Boise)               gdemordaunt@house.idaho.gov

Gary Collins (R, Nampa)                                            gcollins@house.idaho.gov

Brent Crane (R, Nampa)                                             bcrane@house.idaho.gov

Joe Palmer (R, Meridian)                                            jpalmer@house.idaho.gov

Vito Barbieri (R, Dalton Gardens)                              vbarbieri@house.idaho.gov

Thyra Stevenson (R, Nezperce)                                  tstevenson@house.idaho.gov

Randy Armstrong (R, Inkom)                                     rarmstrong@house.idaho.gov

Lance Clow (R, Twin Falls)                                        lclow@house.idaho.gov

Jason Monks (R, Nampa)                                           jmonks@house.idaho.gov

Kevin Andrus (R, Lava Hot Springs)                          kandrus@house.idaho.gov

Rod Furniss (R, Rigby)                                               rfurniss@house.idaho.gov

Tammy Nichols (R, Middleton)                                  tnichols@house.idaho.gov

Jerald Raymond (R, Menan)                                       jraymond@house.idaho.gov

Elaine Smith (D, Pocatello)                                        esmith@house.idaho.gov

Steve Berch (D, Boise)                                               sberch@house.idaho.gov

Brooke Green (D, Boise)                                            bgreen@house.idaho.gov

If you’re an electrician, please send an email.  Legislators need to hear from all of those in the electrical trade. 

My report is short this week because there’s a lot going on.

Marty Durand

Piotrowski Durand, PLLC