House State Affairs Committee Chairman Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, has announced that today’s hearing on HB 2, the “Add the Words” bill, will run until just before 11:30, when the House is due to convene on the floor, then break, and come back at 5 p.m. and run until about 8 p.m. It will resume tomorrow if necessary. “We’ve made preparations for that to happen,” Loertscher said.

House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, said, “HB 2 is a simple bill. It adds sexual orientation and gender identity” to the Idaho Human Rights Act to prohibit discrimination in housing, employment or public accommodations. Rusche said Bill Roden, attorney, lobbyist and former state legislator, will explain the bill, because “expertise in the Human Rights Act is important.” Rusche said, “I will add only that protection from discrimination is a good thing.”