Idaho lawmakers on a special panel looking into issues surrounding the state’s faith-healing laws took more than two hours of emotional testimony on both sides of the issue Monday, but won’t make any recommendation to the full Legislature; here's my full story from spokesman.com.
Testimony has wrapped up at the Idaho Legislature’s panel on children at risk and faith healing. Co-Chair Rep. Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, thanked all those who spoke and noted that it’s an emotional issue. “I think everyone in this room understands that everyone loves their children...
More of today’s testimony: Eric Pederson said, “I think it’s pretty naïve to think that we can sit here and say what is best for children’s health.” Megan Ulrich said, “I think we can all agree that a child drowning in its own fluids is...
More of the testimony from today’s faith healing hearing: Rev. Sarah LaWall, a Boise Unitarian minister, said, “The bottom line is children’s lives are at stake. Minors are subject to the choices of their parents no matter how dangerous.” She urged lifting the religious exemptions,…
The number of those signed up to testify at today’s children at risk/faith healing hearing has swelled to more than 60. So far, 27 people have testified, 10 against lifting Idaho’s religious exemptions for faith healing, and 17 in favor of lifting the exemptions. Idaho…
More of today’s testimony at the legislative hearing on children at risk and faith healing: Dr. Joshua Durham, a family physician, told the lawmakers that children from faith-healing families are told they have insufficient faith if they aren’t healed by prayer, when simple medicine could…
Among those testifying today: Linda Martin, who was raised in the faith-healing Followers of Christ, called for lifting Idaho’s religious exemption from child abuse, neglect and manslaughter laws. “Let’s be honest and ask the question: Do child abuse and neglect statutes apply to all of...
There are 42 people signed up to offer public testimony this morning to the Legislature's Children at Risk/Faith Healing working group, many of them from groups that support faith healing or oppose childhood vaccinations. There are more than 60 people in the audience. Co-Chair Rep....
Idaho Supreme Court candidate Curt McKenzie is trying to distance himself from the Idaho Trial Lawyers Association, of which he was a dues-paying member for four years and which donated thousands to his Senate campaigns from 2002 to 2014. His opponent in his bid for the Idaho Supreme Court, Robyn Brody, was president of the ITLA for one year...
Idaho state leaders remain dubious of switching to a vote-by-mail system for elections, as Washington and Oregon have done. But voters in Idaho are growing more comfortable with the concept of voting at their own pace, away from the polls, as a steadily increasing share…