Special Session Preview

Special Session Preview

KATAFIASNEW DETAILS...THISMORNING ON THEUPCOMING SPECIALSESSION.THE LEGISLATUREWILL BE BACK INTOWN NEXTMONDAY... TOADDRESS A NARROWSET OFCORONAVIRUSRELATED ISSUES --INCLUDING THENOVEMBERELECTION.OUR MADELINEWHITE.

SPOKE WITHLOCAL ELECTIONOFFICIALS... ABOUTWHAT THEY'REHOPING TO SEE."THIS SUMMERIDAHO OFFICIALS LIKEADA COUNTY CLERKPHIL MCGRANEHAVE BEEN CALLINGON THE GOVERNORTO SCHEDULE ASPECIALLEGISLATIVE SESSIONTO GO OVER THERESOURCES NEEDEDTO ENSURE A WELL-RUN GENERALELECTION INNOVEMBER.""FROM THELEGISLATIVE SIDE,WE'RE LOOKING FORSOME FLEXIBILITY."FLEXIBILITY ON THETIME TABLE CLERKSLIKE PHIL HAVE - TOMAIL OUT, ANDCOUNT YOURBALLOTS.

SINCE THIS- WILL BE ANELECTION UNLIKEANY OTHER."USUALLY, ABOUT 10PERCENT OFIDAHOANS VOTE VIAABSENTEE, ANDWE'RE EXPECTINGTHAT IT COULD BE ASMUCH AS 75PERCENT OFIDAHOANS VOTE VIAABSENTEE THISTIME."HE SAYS THEY NEEDTHIS EXTRA TIMEBECAUSE IT'S EITHERTHEY DO IT INADVANCE OFELECTION DAY ORHE WORRIES THEYWON'T HAVERESULTS UNTIL WELLAFTER THEELECTION."WE'RE ASKING FORUP TO A WEEK INADVANCE OFELECTION DAY TOACTUALLY STARTOPENING ANDSCANNING THEBALLOTS."AND - PHIL SAYS HE'SLOOKING FOR SOMEADDEDACCOMMODATIONSFOR IN-PERSONVOTERS ONELECTION DAY."SPECIFICALLY, THEADDITION OF VOTECENTERS, AND WHATTHAT WOULD MEAN,IT WOULD BE MUCHLIKE YOU WOULDEXPERIENCE VOTINGON ELECTION DAYNOW, EXCEPTINSTEAD OF HAVINGTO GO TO YOURLOCAL PRECINCTNEAR YOUR HOME,YOU CAN GO TO ANYVOTING LOCATIONSTHROUGHOUT THECOUNTY AND YOUCAN GO THERE."HE SAYS THESEVOTING CENTERSWOULD ALSO BE ANEFFORT TO KEEP IN-PERSON VOTERSSAFE."BECAUSE WEWOULD USE MANYOF THE LARGERLOCATIONS IN THECOMMUNITY TO KEEPPEOPLE SOCIALDISTANCED ANDEVERYTHING."IN ADDITION HE SAYSHE'S WORKING WITHVARIOUS CITIESTHROUGHOUT ADACOUNTY TO PLACEAND ADD MOREABSENTEEDROPBOXES."BECAUSE OF THEINCREASED USE OFABSENTEE BALLOTS,AND ESPECIALLYTHOSE VOTERS WHOHAVE CONCERNSABOUT GETTINGBALLOTS BACK TOUS, WE'RE ADDING ANUMBER OF DROPBOXES THOUGHOUTTHE COUNTY."HE SAYS OTHERCOUNTY CLERKS ARELOOKING AT DOINGTHIS AS WELL.AS I PREVIOUSLYREPORTED.

DUE T0THE VIRUS,OFFICIALS SAYTHEY'RE WORRIEDABOUT FINDINGENOUGH POLLWORKERS, SINCE ONTYPICAL YEARS POLLWORKERS ARE MOSTOFTEN OVER 60 ANDFALL IN THE HIGH-RISK CATEGORY FORCORONAVIRUS."WE WOULD LOVE TOHAVE FOLKS REACHOUT TO THEIRCOUNTY CLERKS, IFTHEY WOULD BEWILLING TO HELPOUT ON ELECTIONDAY, AS A POLLWORKER."CHAD SAYS HE'SSTILL HOPINGTHEY'LL GET ENOUGHCITIZENS TOVOLUNTEER ON THATTUESDAY BUT IFNOT.

THEY'RELOOKING AT OTHERWAYS TOPOTENTIALLYENGAGE YOUNGERCITIZENS, WHO ARELESS AT RISK.

EVENTHOSE WITHDAYJOBS THAT MIGHTTYPICALLY PREVENTTHEM FROM DOINGIT."WE'VE HAD SOMECONVERSATIONSWITH THE PRIVATESECTOR, WITHBUSINESSORGANIZATIONS ASWELL, UH, WE'VELOOKED AT THE BARASSOCIATION AS APOTENTIAL THATWE'VE HAD SOMECONVERSATIONSWITH, SO THERE'S ALOT OFCONVERSATIONSGOING ON ANDEVERYBODY'STRYING TO GETCREATIVE TO TRY TOFILL THIS GAP."PHIL SAYS.

AHEADOF THE LEGISLATIVESESSION HEREMAINS OPTIMISTIC."WE'LL BE WORKINGHARD TO ENSURETHE PROCESS DOESGO SMOOTH FOROUR VOTERS.""THOSE INTERESTEDIN REGISTERING FORABSENTEE BALLOTSFOR THE NOVEMBER3RD ELECTION CANDO SO STARTINGAUGUST 26TH ONIDAHO VOTES DOTGOV.

MADELINEWHITE.

IDAHO NEWS6GOVERNOR LITTLESAYS ANOTHER TOPICTHAT'LL BEDISCUSSED NEXTWEEK A LIABILITYSHIELD LAW.THAT'SNEEDED TO PROTECTGOVERNMENT.SCHOOLS.

ANDPRIVATE BUSINESSESFROMQUOTE--"FRIVOLOUS"LAWSUITS BY THOSEWHO CONTRACTCOVID-19.THE DECISION TOCALL THE SPECIALSESSION... NOWDRAWING MIXEDREACTIONS FROMIDAHO'S TWO MAINPOLITICAL PARTIES.IN A STATEMENT...THE REPUBLICANCAUCUS PRAISEDTHE MOVE... WRITING-- QUOTE -- "WE AREREADY TO GET TOWORK ONSAFEGUARDING AFREE AND FAIRELECTION."ADDING -- "WE AREALSO READY TOWORK ON OPTIONSFOR PROTECTINGIDAHO'S SCHOOLSAND BUSINESSES"BUT AT LEAST ONEDEMOCRATICREPRESENTATIVE...HAS STRONGLYCONDEMNED THEMOVE..REPRESENTATIVEMELISSA WINTROW...CRITICIZING THETIMING AND NARROWSCOPE OF THESESSION... AS WELLAS THE DECISION TOBRING LAWMAKERSBACK TO THECAPITOL -- WRITING --QUOTE - "IT'SAPPALLING THATELECTED STATELEADERS ARE BEINGSO CAVALIER ABOUTA DEADLY VIRUS."SHE WRITESFURTHER -- "MANYIDAHO LEGISLATORSARE TRYING TOPOLITICIZE A VIRUSAND USE IT TOINCREASE THEI