Special Session closer but still far away to fix presidential primary

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) —Idaho lawmakers have started the process of petitioning for a special session, to correct the omission of the presidential primary. Both petitions came out of the senate.

One being from Senate Pro Tem Chuck Winder, proposing draft legislation to add back a May primary with a special session for that single bill. The other stems from Senator Scott Herndon, which was a petition to come back for a special session about the presidential primary.

A change that was made when the power to call the legislature back was approved by voters.

“The power for the legislature to call itself back into session has to center around subjects not specific bills that was the constitutional change approved by voters was. So, my petition was started because I want to show what a correct petition looks like. That we ought to allow all options,” says Senator Herndon.

Senator Herndon says unless they go back to add the march primary -- a special session would be a waste of money. Right now, it doesn’t seem likely that the session will happen by the deadline of October first.

Senator Herndon says, “Either the other petition or my petition would have to receive support from 60 percent of the members of the senate and the house and frankly I’m not sure that’s going to happen I’ve heard on the house side there’s a great reluctance to come back into a special session if does of course cost $30,000 a day so that’s going to be a prohibitive factor.”

The current option the republican party chose was a firehouse caucus in March. That would change if the error is corrected by a special session that adds a March, not May primary.

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