March 25, 2022

Bill to Provide In-home Caregivers Property Tax Relief Passes House

On Friday, a bipartisan bill to provide in-home caregivers property tax relief passed the House in a 51-14 vote. Senate Bill 1259, sponsored by Sen. Melissa Wintrow (D-Boise), allows a person who owns a certified family home to qualify for the state’s property tax reduction program, known as the circuit breaker, by exempting the payment they receive from the state …

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March 23, 2022

Governor Signs Bill to Remove Racially Restrictive Covenants from Home Deeds

Legislation to remove racially restrictive language from property covenants and deeds was signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Brad Little.  Senate Bill 1240, sponsored by Sen. Melissa Wintrow (D-Boise), unanimously passed both the House and Senate. It allows homeowners and/or tenants to go to their county clerk’s office and update their housing covenant free of charge in compliance with the …

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February 22, 2022

Bill to Provide Property Tax Relief for In-home Caregivers Passes the Senate

On Tuesday, a bill to provide in-home caregivers property tax relief passed the Senate in a 29-5 vote. Senate Bill 1259, sponsored by Sen. Melissa Wintrow (D-Boise), would allow a person who is the owner of a certified family home to qualify for the state’s property tax reduction program, also known as the circuit breaker, by exempting the payment they …

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February 2, 2022

Bill to Remove Racially Restrictive Covenants from Home Deeds Sails Out of Committee

The Senate Judiciary, Rules, and Administration Committee approved legislation Wednesday to remove racially restrictive language from property covenants and deeds in a unanimous vote. Senate Bill 1240, sponsored by Sen. Melissa Wintrow (D-Boise), now heads to the full Senate, carrying with it strong bipartisan support. The legislation would allow homeowners and/or tenants to go to their county clerk’s office and …

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December 6, 2021

“An Open Letter to Scott Yenor: We Aren’t Going Anywhere” – by Sen. Melissa Wintrow

Dear Mr. Yenor, Words matter… Your recent divisive words mattered, but in a way you may not have expected — they actually united the very group of “medicated, meddlesome, and quarrelsome” women you hoped to segregate and diminish. People across Idaho are raising their voices on social media to celebrate women for the very achievements you condemn, from being a …

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July 27, 2021

“It’s time to start a dialogue” – by Sen. Melissa Wintrow and Shiva Rajbhandari

The following is a conversation between Sen. Melissa Wintrow and Boise High student Shiva Rajbhandari on the exclusion of students in discussions about public education. Wintrow: You were in school when allegations of teachers indoctrinating students started to circulate this year. How did you react? Rajbhandari: It was like, “Wow, they are attacking teachers when they are already putting in …

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April 8, 2021

Dem-Sponsored Bill to End Spousal Rape Exception Moves to Governor’s Desk After Unanimous Passage in Senate, House

On Wednesday, the House passed Senate Bill 1089 in a unanimous vote, repealing a portion of Idaho law that provides exceptions to the criminal definition of rape based on the relationship of the parties, where those actions are otherwise illegal outside of marriage. Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, drafted the legislation to address a long-standing inconsistency in the law that can …

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March 18, 2021

“The Unfounded Fear of Social Justice” – by Sen. Melissa Wintrow

Opposition to “social justice” by the Idaho Legislature, while troubling, is not surprising. If you are in a majority, who has experienced power and advantage, it’s uncomfortable to admit you’ve been part of an unfair system. This may be why Republican politicians are defunding education programs that teach a more complete story of American history. Republican legislators have leveled an …

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