Malek's scrap metal bill may be amended

BOISE - A new measure to smooth some dings out of a scrap-metal industry law was sent to the Senate's amending order Friday.

During a Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee hearing, a lobbyist from Avista Corp. said the potential changes are worth looking at. The measure is sponsored by Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d'Alene.

Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, an Idaho Falls Republican, said he was more comfortable with using the term "recycling," than "processes," in one section of the legislation. Davis said he thought that would be one change to make the bill clearer.

Avista lobbyist Neil Colwell said that amending order process in the Senate would work as far as the company was concerned.

"We certainly concur," Colwell said. "I think we can very easily deal with his (Davis's) concerns in a productive way. We would be quite pleased if this were to go to the amending order, and we can make the fixes that would meet with everyone's satisfaction."

Malek's House Bill 518 replaces the earlier HB433, which Malek withdrew about a month ago to make a change to make it clear that Idaho scrap metal dealers are required to keep transaction records for no more than five years.

Last year's law required scrap dealers to "take certain photographs or create digital video records," as part of the records of sales of "nonferrous or stainless steel property purchased from the general public." It also made some scrap metal thefts felonies.