Keough addresses bills related to area

The pace is picking up at the State Capitol as many issues are now being discussed and debated. I would like to update you on a couple that I have been working on that are particularly important to our area.

You may have heard that I have been working with residents at Priest Lake who lease state land for cabins and homes and the State Land Board and Dept. of Lands to find away to allow for cabin site ownership using land exchanges.

On Monday, I introduced a bill with several co-sponsors, including Rep. George Eskridge and Rep. Eric Anderson, in the Senate Resources Committee.

The bill would clarify how the state can use land exchanges as a way for the state to relinquish ownership of lakefront cabin sites in a sound fiscal manner that fulfills the Constitutional duty for those lands to make a solid financial return to the state endowment funds

The largest state endowment fund generates many millions of dollars in interest each year that goes into our K-12 school system.

Our bill fixes issues in state law that say the state Land Board can exchange endowment land “when it is in the state’s best interest,” but also says that the land may be swapped for “similar lands of equal value, public or private.” The new bill strikes from the existing law the word “similar.”

In a nutshell, the bill would clarify that lands known as ‘cottage sites’ can be exchanged for land of equal value regardless of whether the land exchanged for is used for cottage sites, ranching, forestry, or other permitted uses of state lands.

Hopefully this will be a win-win situation in which families who in many cases have leased land at Priest and Payette lakes for several generations can gain ownership of that land while in exchange the state gains other lands that make a higher amount of money for the schools.

Like you, I enjoy the outdoors and all of the opportunities afforded to us living in such a beautiful part of the state.

We are fortunate to have so many recreational pursuits to choose from. With our many lakes and rivers, one of our most popular activities is boating. Boating is part of our way of life, but we need to make sure that it is done in a safe and responsible manner.

This week I introduced a bill to fix Idaho’s Safe Boating Act after cases in our area showed the need to hold irresponsible boaters accountable for their actions. Part of this effort will examine a boating law deemed “unconstitutionally” vague by a court, which led to charges of grossly negligent boating being dropped against two people last year.

The bill was printed on Monday, Feb. 3, it is numbered SB 1274 and you can find it at our legislative web site — www.legislature.idaho.gov.

Let me know your thoughts about these bills or any of the others that are under consideration in Boise. You can find the entire list at the internet address above.

Remember that you can follow my Facebook page, Senator Shawn Keough. I will use the page to post timely information about this year’s legislative session and to listen to your ideas and concerns.

You can also check out my website at shawnkeough.com or you can send me an email message at skeough@senate.idaho.gov . I value your input!