The Senate State Affairs Committee is holding a hearing this morning on legislation regarding “stand your ground” and the “castle doctrine” on shooting in self-defense; SB 1313, sponsored by Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa, would write standards on those issues that already are present in case law in Idaho into the Idaho statute; you can listen live here.

Senators opened the hearing by saying they’ve received hundreds of emails from people opposing the bill and saying they favor HB 444 instead, a House bill from Rep. Christy Zito, R-Hammett, on the same topics. Lakey, an attorney, said his bill uses the “reasonable person standard.” The approach in HB 444, he said, “actually lessens or weakens the protections we have in Idaho under our existing case law.”

Testimony has been passionate so far this morning both for and against SB 1313, with some calling for further protecting rights to self-defense, and others saying the bill will encourage people to “shoot first and ask questions later.” An NRA representative spoke in favor of the bill.

Meanwhile, in the House State Affairs Committee today, after the committee’s regular business had been concluded, Zito made a motion to hold a hearing on her bill, HB 444, then and there. Committee Chairman Tom Loertscher, R-Iona, said the Senate committee is hearing similar legislation this morning, and his intention is to wait until that bill arrives in the House and hear both measures together.

“There is currently in the State Affairs Committee in the Senate a bill that is a lot simpler than this, that achieves it in a much better way,” Loertscher said. “Depending on how that turns out … the desire of the chair is that we will be having a hearing probably simultaneously with the Senate bill.”

Zito said, “There are vast and varied opinions on whether the bill being heard in the Senate is a better bill or not. I think in all fairness to the citizens of the state of Idaho that both bills should have their day.”

Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa, asked Zito if she would be willing to carry the Senate bill on the floor of the House instead of her version, if that’s the one the Senate is willing to pass. “If that’s the best we can do, yes, sir, I absolutely would,” she responded.

Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird, said she’s proposed her own version of the “Marsy’s Law” victims’ rights bill, and it hasn’t gotten a simultaneous hearing. “That is not being applied” on other bills, she said, saying if that’s the aim, “It should be done consistently.”

Zito’s motion failed on a 3-11 vote, with only Zito, Giddings, and Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, supporting it.

---

---