Concealed weapon amendment clears Idaho House committee

BOISE – A proposal from Rep. Don Cheatham, R-Post Falls, to exempt active military members from the requirement that they be Idaho residents in order to carry a concealed gun without a permit inside city limits cleared a House committee on Thursday, after a move by Rep. Christy Zito, R-Hammett, to amend the bill failed.

Zito said she wanted to change the bill to authorize any American citizen to carry a concealed gun inside city limits without a permit. Rep. Priscilla Giddings, R-White Bird, said the bill didn’t address the spouses of military members, whom she said may be more qualified to carry concealed weapons than the members themselves.

After discussion about whether Zito’s move would “hijack” Cheatham’s bill when Zito could offer her own bill regarding any American citizen, the House State Affairs Committee voted down the move, 4-11. It then cleared the committee on a voice vote to head to the full House.

Here’s how North Idaho committee members voted on Zito’s amendment proposal:

Voting yes: Reps. Giddings and Heather Scott, R-Blanchard.

Voting no: Reps. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens; and Paulette Jordan, D-Plummer.