Health & Welfare
Enable Idaho’s participation in the Interstate Counseling Compact (H393 – passed the House, in the Senate). This bill allows Licensed Clinical Professional Counselors (LCPCs) to voluntarily be licensed to practice in-person or via telehealth in any other state that is part of the compact. It enables Idaho counselors to continue treating clients that may temporarily or permanently move to a participating state. It also makes more counselors available from other participating states to serve clients in Idaho. I voted FOR this bill, which helps increase assess to mental health resources, which are desperately needed in Idaho.
Maternity mortality review (H399 – passed the House, in the Senate). Idaho established a Maternity Mortality Review Committee in 2019 that was disbanded when the legislature failed to extend its operation last year. This bill re-established the review of maternal mortality in Idaho under the control of the Board of Medicine. I voted FOR this bill, which will provide data necessary to help craft policies and practices that can reduce maternal mortality in Idaho. While there are some concerns that the original review committee was not simply reinstated without any changes, this bill is an important step in the right direction.
Prohibit all government-declared mask mandates forever (H493 – passed the House, in the Senate). Another year, another anti-mask bill. My objection to bills like this hasn’t changed. This bill prohibits a way to diminish the impact of a future pandemic that could be far more deadly and contagious than COVID ever was, and for which there may be no immediate cure or vaccine. The sponsor argued that masks aren’t effective, but at the same time made exceptions to require doctors and healthcare workers to wear masks. If masks are not effective, why create those exceptions? I did not like having to wear a mask during the height of COVID, but I wore one out of respect for the people around me. I voted AGAINST this bill which exalts individual freedom without any consideration for the consequences on others. Click here to see my debate on the House floor.
Make it easier for parents to exempt their school age children from being vaccinated (H438 – passed the House, in the Senate). This careless, dangerous bill requires schools to tell parents they can opt their kids out of having to be vaccinated. This will make it easier for your child to contract a serious, contagious illness from other children. Parents already have the right to exempt their child from being vaccinated and I support their right to make that choice. However, this bill invites parents to not have their child vaccinated. Idaho already has the lowest percentage of kindergartners who met school requirements for vaccinations (around 81% compared to a nationwide rate of 93%). This poses a real health risk to both school-age children and their unprotected younger siblings at home. They risk contracting highly contagious diseases such as:
- Measles/Mumps/Rubella (MMR)
- Diphtheria
- Tetanus
- Pertussis
- Polio
- Hepatitis A and B
- Varicella
That’s why current state law requires students to be immunized for these diseases, while respecting a parent’s right to exempt their child for religious or other reasons.
Note that COVID not mentioned. Unfortunately the controversy surrounding COVID has made people wary of safe, proven medical science to the point where they may ask for an exemption “just to be safe.” I voted AGAINST this bill which will ultimately make more children ill and could put the lives of the most vulnerable among them at risk.
Legalize the use of fentanyl testing strips (H441 – passed the House, in the Senate). Fentanyl testing strips were designated as “drug paraphernalia” in statute, making their possession a crime. This bill would now allow for the legal use of fentanyl testing strips. I voted FOR this common sense bill, made all the more important by the draconian punishments in the fentanyl bill that passed the House a few weeks ago. This bill at least gives a person the opportunity to know if they are unknowingly in the possession of a substance that contains fentanyl.
Sex and Porn
Redefine the word “sex” to be synonymous with the word “gender” (H421 – passed the House, in the Senate). This is bill is a Trojan horse. The sole purpose of this bill is to lay the groundwork for writing bills next year that will legislate people with gender dysphoria out of existence (e.g. designations on driver’s licenses, birth certificates, etc.). I voted AGAINST this “culture war” bill which attempts to rewrite Webster’s Dictionary.
Prohibit the sexual depictions of children generated by Artificial Intelligence (H465 – passed the House, in the Senate). This bill amends Idaho’s child pornography law to include artificial intelligence (AI) generated sexual depictions of a real child, or what appears to be a real child. I voted FOR this bill, which is a rare example of government attempting to proactively address the abuse of an emerging and rapidly growing technology.
Death by firing squad for engaging in lewd conduct with a minor (H515 – passed the House, in the Senate). Lewd conduct with a minor is a heinous crime that should be met with harsh punishment. I could have voted for this bill, but it went too far by imposing the death penalty (which now allows for execution by firing squad). I am not opposed to considering use of the death penalty, especially if a homicide is involved. However, expanding the death penalty for other crimes can be a slippery slope we should avoid going down. I was not present on the House floor when this bill came up for a vote, but I would have voted AGAINST it. Legitimate questions have also been raised as to whether this bill is unconstitutional. We’ve already wasted enough taxpayer dollars defending unconstitutional laws.
Online Child Safety Act (H498 – passed the House, in the Senate). The nearly ubiquitous access to pornography on the internet is a major problem, especially when it is made readily available to minors. This well-intentioned bill attempts to protect minors from harmful material on the internet. While it will probably require the federal government to enforce a law like this (as opposed to each state individually), I voted FOR this bill in support of moving toward a nationwide solution for a problem that is far greater than one or two books on a library shelf.
Education
Harmful content in libraries (S1289 – failed on the Senate floor). This was the Senate’s compromise version of an earlier House bill (H384). It kept the ability for anyone to sue a library if they found a book they didn’t like, but it established a rigorous review process that one must go through before being able to file a civil action lawsuit. The bill failed by one vote. Democrats who felt the bill was unnecessary were joined by hard-right Republicans who felt the bill made it too difficult to sue a library. Majority party leaders have made it clear they are intent on passing some (or any) kind of “library bill” this session. The killing of this bill may result in resurrecting the more severe House bill (H384), which threatens to intimidate libraries and run the risk of shutting some of them down. (Note: Since bill died in the Senate, it never came to the House for a vote.)
Require schools to notify parents if their child is being bullied or is bullying others (H539 – failed on the House floor). This long-overdue bill would have provided parents with vital information concerning the safety of their child which they otherwise might not know. It enables parents to help prevent the serious emotional and physical harm caused by bullying – including suicide. I voted FOR this bill, which addresses a topic I’ve been hearing from constituents since I started knocking on doors in 2010. It is both a shame and inexcusable that this bill died in the House.
Allow parents to teach their children how to drive (H531 – passed the House, in the Senate). This bill has come up before and failed before. It addresses an issue in rural Idaho where access to driver’s education instruction can be limited. I have voted against earlier versions of this bill due to the safety concerns it creates in a busy, congested district such as mine, which is bordered by three of the busiest roads in Idaho: US 20 (Chinden Blvd.), Hwy 55 (Eagle Rd.), and Interstate 84. While this bill is not perfect, I voted FOR this bill because it was changed to not be applicable where school districts offer driver’s education training classes, thus addressing my primary concern.
Accelerate Charter Schools Act (H422 – passed the House, in the Senate). This is the bill that makes it easier for outside interests to expand their charter school presence in Idaho. I wrote about this bill in my last newsletter but forgot to include the video of my debate against it in the House Education committee. Click here to see my debate.
Other
Prevent the state from keeping surplus proceeds in excess of debts owed (H444 – passed the House, in the Senate). If you owe the state money (let’s say $10,000 in property taxes), the state can take your house and sell it to recover the debt you owe. This bill ensures that you will receive the proceeds from the sale that are in excess of the amount necessary to satisfy the debt. It prevents the state from keeping the entire amount received from the sale. I voted FOR this bill, which aligns Idaho law with a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Make birth records available to adoptees once they reach 40 years of age (H544 – passed the House, in the Senate). This bill forces agencies to release birth records even if the birth mother gave their child up for adoption on the condition that the records remain sealed forever. This is the state intruding on the birth mother’s privacy and forcing agencies to break their promise of confidentiality. We heard some heart wrenching stories in favor of this bill, but we also heard compelling scenarios that could tear a family apart by violating a promised confidence. I voted AGAINST this bill. A promise is a promise, especially if a promise of confidentiality convinced the mother to put her child up for adoption instead of getting an abortion. The strongest argument in favor of this bill was the importance of an adopted child to know their birth family’s medical history. I would support a bill that encouraged this medical history to be captured when a child is put up for adoption and then allow the agency to release only that information upon request of the child.
Eliminate the automatic replacement of license plates (H413 – passed the House, in the Senate). Currently, license plates are replaced by the state every ten years. This bill eliminates this action. It will save the state money, but it shifts the burden for replacing the plates from the state onto you. Your plates won’t be replaced unless you request it, and you would be under no obligation to do so. This puts you at risk. You can be fined if your plate is worn or damaged if it is not readable from 75 feet away. This can also hinder identification of a vehicle leaving the scene of an incident. I voted AGAINST this bill. I would have preferred the life of the plate be extended from 10 to 15 years before automatically replacing it. That would still save the state money, but without placing the burden on you. I was the only member of the House to vote against this bill. However, the senate is currently holding the bill in committee due to concerns subsequently raised by some members of the law enforcement community.
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This newsletter reviews a mixed bag of 26 good and not so good bills during the last few weeks.