Today, Idaho House Republicans voted to suspend House Rule 27 to block a minority report on House Bill 822 submitted by House Democrats from being entered into the official House Journal. Read the full Minority Report on House Bill 822 here.
Earlier this session, Senate Democrats filed a similar minority report on House Bill 559, the federal tax conformity bill, which was entered into the Senate Journal.
In response, House Democratic Leader Ilana Rubel released the following statement:
“House Republicans egregiously abused their supermajority power to suppress dissent and silence our voices. They suspended House Rule 27 to keep a Minority Report on House Bill 822 out of the official journal because they do not want Idahoans to see the serious legal, constitutional, and practical problems this bill creates.
“That report lays out exactly what they do not want on the record: that this bill invites constitutional challenge, imposes unreasonable, draconian penalties, creates vague and unworkable standards, and puts vulnerable children at greater risk.
“If Republicans were confident in the merits of this bill, they would not be afraid of a report in the journal. That is not transparency. That is censorship.
“The legislative journal is supposed to preserve the truth of what happened in this building, not just the version the majority finds politically convenient. Idahoans deserve to know not only what House Republicans passed, but what they tried to bury.
“When lawmakers have to suspend the rules to keep criticism out of the official record, it says everything you need to know.”
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