Lively debate as bill stirs up emotions

BOISE — There have been lively debates in the House of Representatives, both on the House floor and in committee, as multiple bills have been stirring up emotions this week. 

On Monday the House debated for House Bill 406, sponsored by Rep. Ted Hill, R-Eagle, and Rep. Chris Allgood, R-Caldwell. The proposed legislation adds fentanyl to the category of drugs that carry a mandatory minimum sentence as well as a life sentence and a $25,000 fine for those found guilty of drug-induced homicide. 

“We have very tough judges who are very tough on crime," House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, said in arguing against the bill. "They are very capable of knowing a bad guy and handing out a really serious sentence. The only thing that this bill does is force that judge to lock up a person that they don’t think should be locked up.” 

Rep. Kenny Wroten, R-Nampa, debated in support of the bill.

“I stated if I have a bad kid, I’d rather get collect calls for five years from the penitentiary than if I have a good kid and I get one call from the coroner. This kills users and it kills people indiscriminately. You don’t have to be a user for this thing to kill you. We need to stop it. We need to give our law enforcement the tools to stop it.” 

After a failed motion to send it to the amending order from District 2 Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, the House of Representatives passed House Bill 406 to the Senate in a 55-to-13 vote, with two absent legislators. 

Debates for House Bill 415, sponsored by Rep. Ted Hill and Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa, were heard on the House floor Wednesday morning. The bill would allow for public K-12 school employees who possess an enhanced license to carry concealed weapons on school grounds as well as a mandated removal of “Gun Free Zone” signs from public school property. 

“That is our constitutional right and yet we’ve somehow segmented an area where we’ve got vulnerable kids and expected these teachers to deal with a situation — a potential massive situation — without anything to themselves or the kids,” Rep. Josh Tanner, R-Eagle, said in arguing in support of the bill.

Rep. Julie Yamamoto, R-Caldwell, debated in opposition to the bill, where she shared her experience as a schoolteacher and administrator.

“I think that this body may be underestimating the people that we have in the classroom now and the districts who have already availed themselves of the law that allows for them to do exactly what the good gentleman intends," she said. "Good intention. Not the right answer.”

After the debate was closed, legislators passed House Bill 415 to the Senate in a 53-to-16 vote, with one lawmaker marked absent. 

A hearing was held Tuesday in the House State Affairs Committee for House Joint Resolution 1, which proposes to give voters the choice to repeal the Blaine Amendment from the Idaho State Constitution.

“This amendment is rooted in bigotry and discrimination," co-sponsor of the joint resolution, Rep. Elaine Price, R-Coeur d’Alene, said. "This has been turned into a separation of church and state. Idaho addresses the real form of church and state in its state constitution. This resolution is just trying to get this discriminary language out of our constitution.” 

Rowan Astra, representing Satanic Idaho, testified in support.

“I’m excited about the ability to truly represent religious plurality which is a value that’s upheld in Idaho and the United States of America," Astra said. "So, I look forward to the opportunity to be able to start a Satanic K-12 performing arts school and being able to have access to the same funds that any other religious school would have.”

Dr. Jean Henscheid, standing on behalf of Kathy Dawes of Moscow and herself, testified in opposition. She said, “Idaho’s Blaine Amendment is alive and well and must remain so because it serves the purpose it has always provided: to assure the separation of church and state, which our nation’s founders defended.” She later said, “If this resolution passes, the state will undoubtedly be subject to an expensive tax-payer-funded lawsuit.”

After the testimony ended, Rep. Joe Palmer, (R-Meridian), made a motion to hold House Joint Resolution 1 subject to the call of the chair. He explained that while he supports the legislation and thinks it can move forward, he has a couple of technical questions that need to be addressed before moving forward. The committee voted unanimously in favor of the motion, putting a pause on the legislation moving forward. 

In an 8-to-5 vote Thursday morning, the House Health and Welfare Committee voted to hold House Bill 419, the bill “to require certain federal waivers for continued Medicaid Expansion eligibility,” in committee.

Sophie Spanbauer is an intern with the University of Idaho McClure Center for Public Policy Research and the UI JAMM News Service.