Like just about every facet of society, the Idaho legislature has its own sort of dialect complete with acronyms and terms you don’t really find outside of state government.
If you’re having trouble following along, or are simply curious about what the heck these wacky words mean, we’ve got you covered. If you can’t find the term you’re looking for, ask us and we might add it to the list!
For now, here are some of the most common asked about terms related to the Idaho legislature arranged in alphabetical order because we’re nice like that:
- CEC: Shorthand for Change in Employee Compensation, or state employee pay raises. Any proposed salary increase goes through two committees before it’s considered by the House and Senate.
- General Orders/14th Order of Business: These terms belong to the House and Senate respectively. When they come up, it means it’s time to amend some bills, which can be fraught with danger in the most nerdy way possible.
- House/Senate Pages: Legislative employees made up mostly of high school students. Duties include distributing documents to lawmakers, setting up committee rooms and other tasks as assigned.
- JFAC (Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee): Legislators often refer to the committee by pronouncing it [JAY-fack]. Potentially the most powerful committee within the legislature, it compiles and proposes budgets for each state agency.
- Legislative Services Office: Also called LSO, the Legislative Services Office is staffed by nonpartisan state employees. It serves all legislators by offering budget analyses, audits of state agencies, IT help and bill drafting.
- Radiator capping: The practice of amending a bill by completely altering its name, substance and effect, leaving just its original bill number. See above referenced danger.
- Reading Calendars: Bills must be read three times in the House and Senate before they may be considered and voted on. The first, second and third “reading calendars” list each bill and give lawmakers and the public an idea of when they may be discussed.
- RS: This is shorthand for what’s known as a “routing slip.” Basically, think of it as a baby bill. Legislative committees must vote to introduce an RS before it can be an official bill under consideration.
- Senate President Pro Tem: The President Pro Tem plays a similar leadership role in the Senate, though the body is presided over by the lieutenant governor. In the absence of the lieutenant governor, the president pro tem takes their place.
- Sine Die: When the legislative body has concluded its meeting without setting a day or time to reconvene. Basically, when the lawmakers go home and back to their districts.
- Speaker of the House: The Speaker of the House oversees the vast majority of events in the chamber. All state representatives vote to confirm the speaker, though they are nominated from within the majority party.
- Sponsor: Sponsors are lawmakers who take the responsibility of presenting a particular bill in committee, as well as on the House and Senate floors. The sponsor may or may not have written the legislation.
- Veto: An action that can be taken by a governor to prevent a bill from becoming law. Legislators may override a veto and pass said bill into law with a two-thirds majority vote.
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