In House State Affairs this morning, the committee held House Bill 281 and sent RS28802 (House Bill 339) to the floor on a party-line vote–10-2. This bill, sponsored by Rep. Karey Hanks, R-St. Anthony, would ban mask mandates in Idaho.  This bill does not apply to private organizations, only prohibits the state and political subdivisions from establishing a mask mandate. There were a lot of testimonies in favor of and against this bill. Including private business owners who were afraid that this bill would prevent them from mandating a mask. Chairman Brent Crane, R-Nampa cleared up the confusion that this bill does not prevent a private business from putting up their own mask mandates. It’s their business they can do what they want.

Today on the House Floor, House Bill 303 passed 47-21. The piece of legislation, sponsored by Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston, to my understanding would allow seniors with household incomes of up to $50,000 a year to apply to have the state pay their property taxes in full until they die or sell the home.

According to the Idaho Press this part of a two-bill package of legislation sponsored by Rep. Aaron von Ehlinger, R-Lewiston, and Sen. C. Scott Grow, R-Nampa; the second bill, HB 310, is sitting in committee.

Today our Legislators voted 52-14 in support of House Bill 291, sponsored by Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa. This legislation would create a “business Bill of Rights” which would provide clarification and certainty for business owners during emergency declarations that their business may remain open and their license will not be threatened. This bill will now head to the Senate for a potential committee hearing.

This piece of legislation sponsored by Rep. Brent Crane, R-Nampa, would change Idaho law to provide certain exemptions regarding electrical contractors and journeymen by providing for preemption of local jurisdictions and the state fire marshal as to such exemptions. This bill passed the House floor, 62-5

This piece of legislation has been held in the Senate Education Committee. Sen. Lori Den Hartog, R-Meridian made a motion to send this piece of legislation to the floor with the Do Pass recommendation. however, the motion failed. This bill, sponsored by Representative Codi Galloway, R-Bosie, would encourage schools to open for full-time in-person learning. If the school chooses not to open, this bill would allow a parent or guardian to withdraw their child from the school, receive prorated payment, and use it for their child’s education expense.

This piece of legislation was supposed to have a hearing in the Senate Education Committee today. However, the Senators were not able to get to this piece of legislation because they needed to return to the floor at 4 pm.

This bill requires that parents must opt their children into any instruction regarding human sexuality. Parents/Guardians would be given descriptions of the specific educational material before opting for their child or choosing to excuse their child, from the human sexuality instruction.

Today the Governor signed House Bill 205 into law. This bill is a supplement appropriation bill that would invest $964,000 into Idaho’s Law Enforcement.

This bill will provide them with New rifles with suppressors for ISP troopers new jackets for ISP troopers, new laser safety glasses, new body cameras for ISP detectives and ISP troopers new non-lethal-force riot batons, resident housing for theVictor/Driggs patrol resident trooper’s area of responsibility (which includes Teton County and parts of Fremont and Bonneville Counties), and new money counters.

To read all our notes from the 2021 session, click HERE.