By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
Gov. Brad Little issued his first veto of the year on Tuesday, shooting down HB 133, which would have allowed parents to teach their children to drive and obtain a license.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Ron Mendive, R-Coeur d’Alene, would have allowed parents and legal guardians to be private educators for Class D driver’s training instruction permits for new drivers.
On Tuesday afternoon, the House of Representatives voted 39-29 to override the veto, but the vote was not enough. Idaho law requires a two-thirds majority vote in both chambers to override a gubernatorial veto.
The governor’s veto letter said the bill would create inconsistencies in drivers’ training guidelines.
The bill first passed the House in February in a 61-8 vote and the Senate in March in a 23-12 vote.
Rep. Charlie Shepherd, R-Pollock, said on the House floor that he was unsure what had changed or why the governor vetoed the bill.
“Nothing’s changed from the last time we voted on this until now,” Shepherd said.
Still, several House members changed their vote when asked whether they wanted to override Little’s decision.
Veto overrides are rare in Idaho, even for legislation that initially passed by a wide margin.
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.