Twenty-five “Add the Words” protesters were arrested tonight on the third and fourth floors of the state Capitol, outside the Senate chamber and the Senate gallery, where they were blocking the doors; all were brought to a Statehouse basement visitor room for processing, searched, and…
After a three-and-a-half-hour hearing, the House Agriculture Committee has voted 13-1 in favor of SB 1337, the bill to criminalize taking surreptitious video or photos of an agricultural operation without the owner’s permission. The only committee member to vote against the bill was Rep. Mat…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — More gay rights activists were arrested by Idaho State Police after refusing to lift their peaceful blockade of the Idaho Senate. In all, 30 people were arrested Thursday. That included 23 people who…
Among those testifying on SB 1337, the agriculture security or so-called “ag-gag” bill, this afternoon: Elham Marder, a corporate attorney representing herself, said, “Businesses should be focused on training and prevention, not passing legislation to keep consumers in the dark.” Brent Olmstead, executive director of…
As testimony continues at the hearing this afternoon on SB 1337, the ag security bill regarding surreptitious videotaping, six people who were called to testify just said from their seats that they support the bill. Among those who have testified so far: Dr. Lance Cheney,…
House Ag Chairman Ken Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs, said he has nine signup sheets with 17 lines on each, meaning more than 100 people may want to testify on SB 1337, the agriculture security bill, at this afternoon’s hearing. Andrus said he’ll call people in…
Dan Steenson, attorney for the Idaho Dairymen’s Association and the drafter of SB 1337, told the House Ag Committee this afternoon that “extremist groups implement vigilante tactics” to go after farmers. Steenson said “so-called investigators who masquerade as employees to infiltrate farms” do so in…
Rep. Cindy Agidius, R-Moscow, told Rep. Gayle Batt, R-Wilder, sponsor of SB 1337, that she’s received lots of emails questioning whether the so-called “ag-gag” bill will block whistleblowers from reporting abuses at agricultural operations. “Nowhere in this legislation does it address whistle-blowing at all,” Batt…
Here's a news item from the Associated Press: Idaho State Police Thursday arrested at least six people for trespassing and another for misdemeanor battery after about three dozen gay rights protesters blocked multiple entrances to the Idaho Senate in a renewed effort to convince majority…
A big crowd has assembled in the Lincoln Auditorium this afternoon for the hearing on SB 1337, the Senate-passed bill to make it a crime to surreptitiously videotape or photograph an agricultural operation. Rep. Gayle Batt, R-Wilder, said the bill “protects our farm families and…
Key legislators and Otter administration officials met late Wednesday afternoon to try to sort out the state’s broadband budget mess, reports Idaho Education News reporter Kevin Richert, but nothing was resolved. Jon Hanian, press secretary for Gov. Butch Otter, said the negotiations are “still in…
Half of the 'Add the Words' protesters blocking the main entrance to the Idaho Senate chamber on the 3rd floor of the state capitol have moved upstairs, and are now blocking the 4th floor gallery entrance, after two protesters were arrested on the fourth floor…
HB 504, legislation co-sponsored by Reps. Lance Clow and Julie VanOrden and a bipartisan group of 13 other lawmakers to grant $15.8 million in leadership bonuses to Idaho teachers next year, has passed the House on a 62-6 vote. “We feel that this addition to…
The House has rejected legislation from Rep. Janet Trujillo, R-Idaho Falls, to create a new inattentive driving offense for those who knowingly drive with an untreated medical condition. HB 466 failed in the House on a 19-49 vote. In an earlier committee hearing, a constituent…
The Idaho Senate has voted 35-0 in favor of SB 1327, legislation from Rep. Lee Heider, R-Twin Falls, to allow schools to stock Epi-Pens or similar items to use in case of unexpected allergic reactions among students or staff, without a specific prescription for the…
Thus far, the protesters blocking the main entrance to the Senate chamber and the 4th floor gallery entrance haven't been arrested, and the Senate is going on with its session. "We're just standing by," said ISP Major Steve Richardson, who's down on the 2nd floor,…
The House Health & Welfare Committee has voted unanimously this morning to introduce legislation from Rep. Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, to repeal the county medical indigency program and the state catastrophic health care program in 2016. “That’s basically all that it does,” Loertscher told the committee.…
Twenty-four "Add the Words" protesters are blocking the main entrance to the Idaho Senate chamber on the 3rd floor of the state Capitol this morning. Former state Sen. Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise, said the protesters are willing to be arrested rather than leave. It's the fourth…
With Idaho ranking 49th in the nation for its number of physicians per 100,000 residents – and many of the state’s primary-care physicians nearing retirement – legislative budget writers this morning identified funding for five more WWAMI seats to train future Idaho doctors. The $113,400…
Four couples suing the state over Idaho's ban on same-sex marriage are asking a federal judge to rule in their favor without a trial, the AP reports, contending the facts of the case and recent federal court rulings elsewhere make it clear that Idaho's marriage…
News, happenings and more from the Idaho Legislature and the state capital.
