Walkout interrupts bill presentation
At the presentation of Rep. Heather Scott’s House Joint Memorial 1 on Thursday, things got off to an interesting start when many people in the audience walked out during her presentation as a sign of protest. Scott was proposing a memorial which would ask the Supreme Court to overturn Obergefell v Hodges, which protected same-sex marriage at a federal level in the United States.
Scott stated that Obergefell v Hodges was a disruption of state authority, and that it eroded state’s rights to make their own decisions about such things. During questioning, she affirmed her belief that “marriage is not a fundamental right.”
Many people testified, a majority against the memorial, from preachers to same-sex couples. Arguments included the idea of separation of church and state, and a message of acceptance, saying same-sex couples are no different than straight couples.
Arguments for the bill were mostly concerned with the idea that a case like Obergefell v Hodges gave the federal government the ability to make decisions that they considered would be best left to the states.
Over the course of the discussion the topics varied, from the bill to the implications of same-sex marriage, and considering the differences of moral authority in Christians and atheists.
Finally a vote was held with two motions, one to shelve the bill and one to have it move to the house. The vote to shelve it failed 2-14, while the vote to send it to the House floor passed 14-2. This bill as of writing has not been voted on in the House.
Other bills that have been discussed include the following:
• House Bill 3: This would update Idaho's internal revenue code from 2024 to 2025; it passed in both the House and Senate. This has yet to be sent to the Governor.
• Senate Bill 1019: This bill would establish that people who knowingly send law enforcement false reports of violence or emergencies, otherwise known as swatting, as guilty of a felony if people are injured or the incident causes more than $1000 in damages. If neither of these conditions are met, it is considered a misdemeanor. This bill has been introduced to the Senate.
• House Concurrent Resolution 4: This would allow members of the legislature to donate their part or all of their compensation to the tax relief fund. After a quick send to vote, it was passed in the house 61-7-2.
The following three bills were all introduced at once by Senator Foreman:
• Senate Bill 1008: Colleges and Universities will not have the ability to regulate/prohibit limitations on the lawful transportation, carrying, or possession of firearms and ammunition.
• Senate Bill 1009: Repealing a 1927 law which outlawed non-state militias and the ability for them to parade in public with firearms.
• Senate Bill 1010: The WHO shall have no jurisdiction in the state of Idaho. Foreman cited this bill as a precautionary measure, when reminded that the WHO does not currently have jurisdiction in Idaho.
• Finally, Rep. Mike Moyle introduced House Bill 40 on Thursday, which proposes to lower individual and corporate taxes from 5.695% to 5.3%, and lowers the retirement benefit age for former military members from 62 to retirement from the military. Moyle hinted that more tax relief legislation would arrive as the session went on, while initial concerns were that this tax relief would disallow the reduction of the grocery tax to occur, one of the major items going into this year’s legislative session.
Michael Paz is an intern with the University of Idaho McClure Center for Public Policy Research and the UI JAMM News Service.