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The Idaho Legislature is the place where laws are made that affect every resident of the Gem State. Each year, 105 lawmakers gather at the Idaho Statehouse in Boise for three or four months to make the important decisions regarding everything from taxes to education to health and welfare.Each week during the 2017 session, we’ll update you on what’s happening in the legislature. We’ll follow bills as they work their way through the Stateshouse to become laws. We’ll take a look behind the scenes at what lawmakers are doing and what it means to you. And we’ll put it all in a broader context, as we examine what other state legislatures are doing around the country.We’ll chat with Gary Moncrief, who has years of experience with state legislatures in the U.S. and Idaho’s lawmakers. He’s a University Distinguished Professor of Political Science (Emeritus) at Boise State University. He is a frequent speaker at meetings of state legislators around the country and is the coauthor or editor of six books, including the new second edition of WHY STATES MATTER, available in February of 2017. So tune in to our 2017 Weekly Legislative Update every Friday morning at 6:44 a.m. and 8:44 a.m. on KBSX 91.5.

Legislative Update: Session Picks Up With More Public Hearings

AP

As we wrap up week seven of the 2017 Idaho Legislature, lawmakers have passed 37 bills into new laws. That number will increase dramatically in the next four weeks.

One hot button issue this week was a bill that could have had some effect on the types of gaming that Native American tribes in Idaho could offer in their casinos.

In our 2017 Weekly Legislative Update, Boise State University professor Gary Moncrief says the House State Affairs Committee spent a lot of time on this bill. He say that was a little unusual for lawmakers.

Moncrief says lawmakers next week will concentrate their attention on public hearings in committees on multiple bills.

Lawmakers are hoping to wrap up and go home next month, with a target date of March 24.

Find Samantha Wright on Twitter @samwrightradio

Copyright 2017 Boise State Public Radio

As Senior Producer of our live daily talk show Idaho Matters, I’m able to indulge my love of storytelling and share all kinds of information (I was probably a Town Crier in a past life!). My career has allowed me to learn something new everyday and to share that knowledge with all my friends on the radio.

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