House takes up Capitol Mall rules bill

The House is debating HB 693, the latest bill dealing with the Capitol Mall grounds and their use; that’s the site of the Occupy Boise vigil. Earlier this session, lawmakers passed legislation to ban overnight camping on the site, aimed at evicting the encampment, but a federal judge ruled that the Occupy Boise tents are protected, symbolic free speech - so they can remain 24/7, though actual camping isn’t allowed. The new bill authorizes the state Department of Administration to make rules, with violations classified as infractions, and with the department’s director authorized to sue to enjoin threatened violations.

“This is meant to be not invasive or not to crowd the court order, the temporary order that we have at this point,” House Assistant Majority Leader Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, told the House. “No one has a big problem that we have several pages worth of regulations about the use of the Capitol steps.”