Bill to limit knife regulations moves to Senate

A bill preventing cities, counties and other local units of government from regulating knives is advancing to the Idaho Senate floor after a hearing Monday morning. 

In the Senate State Affairs Committee, Rep. Jordan Redman, R-Coeur d’Alene presented an amended version of House Bill 620, which would enact a state right preemption law that will prevent political subdivisions in the state from regulating the possession, sale, transfer or manufacturing of knives.

Political subdivisions include any city, county, municipal corporation, health district or irrigation district.

“It’s important to realize that knives are arms protected by the Second Amendment, and if we are protecting firearms, we should do the same by protecting knives that are carried all day by many of our constituents,” Redman said. 

The bill would include exceptions for schools, courthouses, law enforcement facilities, places of involuntary confinement such as jails or prisons, and political subdivisions that are regulated by child care as well.

Todd Rathner — representing Knife Rights, a national organization of knife collectors, owners and manufacturers — helped craft the bill. Rathner said there are 14 other states with similar legislation. 

According to the Knife Rights website, the organization passed its first knife law preemption bill in Arizona in 2010. Since then, it has worked to pass preemption bills in Alaska, Georgia, Kansas, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

“Folks carry knives everyday for all types of reasons whether it is for work in a kitchen or a factory or for recreational reasons, such as hunting, camping or hiking,” Rathner said. “Your constituents should never have to question whether the tool they carry every day is legal to carry when they cross some arbitrary political boundary.”

Bill would allow for private contractors to maintain a no-weapon security protocol

Redman said that the bill would not interfere with units of government that contract private services, to which Andrew Luther, the general manager of the Ford Idaho Center, said he is “thrilled” to hear.

Though the Ford Idaho Center is owned by the city of Nampa, Luther said it works with private companies to host concerts, basketball tournaments and trade shows that require no weapons of any type. 

“That’s a very critical component to keeping the financial viability on behalf of the Nampa taxpayer,” Luther said.

The bill passed the House of Representatives earlier this month in a 56-13 vote. After Monday’s hearing, the bill would need to pass the Idaho Senate to move forward to Idaho Gov. Little’s desk where he can sign it into law, let it become law without his signature or veto it.

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Mia Maldonado joined the Idaho Capital Sun after working as a breaking news reporter at the Idaho Statesman covering stories related to crime, education, growth and politics. She previously interned at the Idaho Capital Sun through the Voces Internship of Idaho, an equity-driven program for young Latinos to work in Idaho news. Born and raised in Coeur d'Alene, Mia moved to the Treasure Valley for college where she graduated from the College of Idaho with a bachelor's degree in Spanish and interna