On The Record
Highlights from the past week in the Idaho Legislature
They said it
“You can tell who they (homosexuals) are. They have the pierced ears, and they affect a certain persona.” - Rep. John Campbell, R-Sandpoint, arguing against an amendment to Idaho’s hate crime law.
Key decisions
Legislation that would have added sexual orientation to Idaho’s current hate crime law was killed 14-7 in House State Affairs on Wednesday morning.
Panhandle Reps. June Judd, D-St. Maries, and Jim Stoicheff, D-Sandpoint, voted for the failed bill, while Reps. Jeff Alltus, R-Hayden, and John Campbell, R-Sandpoint, voted against it.
Senators voted 31-3 Thursday to deposit an estimated $32 million in Tobacco Settlement money into a state savings account. All North Idaho senators voted in favor of the bill except Sen. Marguerite McLaughlin, D-Orofino, who was absent.
A bill sponsored by Rep. Chuck Cuddy, D-Orofino, passed unanimously in the House Tuesday. The bill transfers money from three state funds to match federal dollars in order to repair damages from natural disasters in 1996, 1997 and 1998.