Senate passes labor exemption for Capitol renovation 

The Senate passed a bill today that would exempt Capitol renovation contractors from a requirement that they employ 95 percent Idaho workers on the project.

The construction manager for the project has had a difficult time finding contractors for specialty restoration work because of the law, said Sen. Bob Geddes, R-Soda Springs. The state has received no bids for some contracts, he said.

Sen. Kate Kelly, D-Boise, encouraged the Senate to craft the bill more narrowly so it would only apply to specialty work on the Capitol, not the entire project. “There’s a big difference between hanging drywall and iron work,” she said. “With the situation with the economy, now would be a good time to focus on Idaho workers.”

But Sen. Denton Darrington, R-Declo, won out with his argument that “every day and every hour that this bill is delayed” costs the state time and money on the project.

The bill passed the Senate 27-7. It has already passed the House, and now moves on to Gov. C. L. “Butch” Otter for his signature.

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