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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Our democracy relies on freedom of expression, including protest. It also depends on an open, productive, and civil discourse where everyone can be heard and policy is set based on a rational assessment of available options. Setting policy based on who can act most intimidating is anti-democratic and anti-American. Sadly, the past year has seen a dramatic increase in the …
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Democratic lawmakers presented a slate of legislative priorities for the 2021 session in a news conference Monday at the Statehouse in Boise. Senate Minority Leader Sen. Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum, and House Minority Leader Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, discussed potential legislation with members of the media during the event, and also issued a response to Gov. Brad Little’s State of the …
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Idaho State Capitol – On Wednesday, Senator David Nelson/(D-Moscow) announced he would be attending the Palouse Demands Justice Vigil on June 3, 2020. The vigil is being held in Friendship Square in Moscow, Idaho. Sen. Nelson expressed his appreciation for the vigil and its organizers. “George Floyd’s death is unacceptable and we cannot tolerate the excessive use of force by …
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Idaho State Capitol – On Monday, Senate Judiciary and Rules printed Senator Cherie Buckner-Webb’s/(D-Boise) Fair Chance Employment legislation. The bill, sometimes called Ban the Box, would ask employers to eliminate the box on job applications that asks, “Have you ever been convicted of a criminal offense?” Sen. Buckner-Webb has been working on this issue for several years, but she is …
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Our criminal justice system is intended to ensure there is an appropriate penalty associated with crime. We refer to this as paying one’s debt to society. However, under some of Idaho’s current laws, the payment never seems to stop. Our courts assign formal penalties, like prison time, probation and fines, but these can often be the least of a former …
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Idaho State Capitol – On Tuesday, Senator Grant Burgoyne/(D-Boise) introduced Drug Decriminalization legislation as a personal bill in the Senate. The bill would 1) decriminalize the unlawful use of controlled substances in private places and 2) repeal the current prohibition on civil commitments for drug abuse. Sen. Burgoyne introduced the legislation with the purpose of starting a conversation about shifting …
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