Idaho Senate suspends rules and adopts HCR 1 to attend governor’s State of the State

The Idaho Senate on Jan. 6 suspended its rules and adopted House Concurrent Resolution 1 to attend a joint session for Gov. Brad Little’s 2025 State of the State address and budget message.

Sen. Den Hartog moved to suspend the rules so the chamber could take up HCR 1 immediately; a roll-call vote recorded 35 senators in favor, exceeding the two-thirds threshold required for that nondebatable motion. Senate leadership then moved to adopt HCR 1, and the resolution was approved without debate.

HCR 1, as read by the clerk, provides for a joint session of the House and Senate of the 68th Idaho Legislature for the purpose of hearing a message from the governor. Following passage, the senate agreed—by unanimous consent—to go at ease to attend the joint session and to reconvene 15 minutes after the conclusion of the governor’s address.

The vote to suspend the rules was recorded by roll call; the presiding officer announced the rules suspension and the subsequent adoption of HCR 1. No amendments or substantive floor debate on HCR 1 were recorded during the senate proceedings.

The senate’s action set the legislative calendar to hear the governor’s address in joint session and established the reconvene time for senators to return to the chamber after the speech.