Joe A Palmer

Idaho House Republicans on Thursday stripped Rep. Megan Blanksma, R-Hammett, of her majority leader position...

The vote to retain the House speaker was held in public by members of the entire chamber.

Rep. Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, made the motion, which was seconded by Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa. Palmer declined to say anything about the motion other than, he didn't think it required debate.

On Thursday, the House Ways & Means Committee, controlled by Republican leadership, introduced a new bill from Rep. Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, that rewrites the powers for all state highway districts to lay out roadways. This bill requires new roads to be laid out for the “primary benefit of motorists” and removes the authority of highway district commissioners to change roadways under their jurisdiction how they see fit.

Instead, the new bill language only allows highway commissioners to widen an existing road or straighten an existing highway.

Currently, state law requires districts to “equip and maintain” school libraries. Rep. Joe Palmer introduced a measure that would give trustees discretion to close school libraries deemed “not necessary.”