With just one “no” vote, the House has given final passage to anti-stalking legislation that allows someone who’s being stalked or harassed to get a protection order, even if they’re not related to the stalker. Current Idaho law only allows those orders to be issued when the victim is either related to or in a romantic or domestic relationship with the stalker; that’s been an issue in several high-profile cases, including one in Boise in which a woman was stalked and then shot by a former business client, after being denied protection orders against him.

The sole “no” vote came from Rep. Ron Nate, R-Rexburg, who questioned whether under the bill, someone could get a protection order against someone they just viewed as “creepy” without due process for the person against whom the order is issued. The protection order could only be issued by a court if the court finds the victim is being targeted with malicious harassment, stalking or telephone harassment, that conduct has occurred within the previous 90 days, and that “such conduct is likely to occur in the future thereby causing irreparable injury.”

The bill, SB 1373, earlier passed the Senate with just three “no” votes, from Sens. Sheryl Nuxoll, R-Cottonwood; Jim Rice, R-Caldwell; and Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa. It was sponsored by Sen. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, and co-sponsored by Rep. Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls, and Rep. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise.