The Idaho Senate gathers in the Statehouse in Boise, Idaho.(Keith Ridler / AP)

Did lawmakers at the Idaho legislature violate open meetings laws? That’s the question swirling around the Statehouse after an impromptu and unannounced meeting of some of the members of the powerful budget writing committee last Thursday, March 28.

It’s a joint committee, meaning lawmakers from both the House and Senate gather to produce the budgets that spend taxpayer money to keep the state running.

The legislature is exempted from some of the state open meetings laws, and on Friday, March 29, the head of the senate side of the committee told Idaho Reports that it was not an official meeting.

We wanted to know more, so we asked Logan Finney with Idaho Reports on Idaho Public Television to join Idaho Matters.