How Do I Keep Track of It All?

Keeping track of the activity throughout the legislative session can be an overwhelming and daunting task. ISBA has 5 suggestions to help you keep track of it all.

Capitol Notes

1Published each week during the legislative session by the Idaho School Boards Association. It contains a synopsis of the weekly legislative happenings. The intent is to let you know what happened last week, what is expected to occur in the week ahead, and what activity is occurring with the ISBA resolutions. The link for each week’s edition can be found in the ISBA Voice which is distributed every Monday, as well as on the ISBA website.

Live Online Audio/Video

2Live streaming video of the House and Senate floor action and JFAC committee meetings, as well as live audio of House and Senate Committee meetings is available through Idaho Public Television website.

Legislature’s Website

3The Idaho Legislature’s website is a tremendous resource for information, including: lists of House and Senate leadership, members, and committee assignments; House and Senate rules; contact information; legislation listed numerically or by subject; links to the Idaho Constitution, statutes, and administrative rules; publications; and information on the Legislative Services Office and Legislative Information Center.

House & Senate Third Reading Calendars

4To catch floor debate and vote on a particular bill, you can monitor the bill’s progress on the Third Reading Calendar. Generally, the closer a bill is to the top of the Third Reading Calendar, the sooner it will be up for floor consideration. It is difficult to predict when a bill will come up for debate and vote because the Third Reading Calendar is often shifted and bills are considered out of order—this happens more frequently later in the session. Furthermore, debate on bills can range from a couple minutes to hours in length, depending on the nature of the particular bill.

Bill Tracker

5Create your own Bill Tracker login here.