Fourth Week 2018 Idaho Legislative Update

I attended the Idaho Potato Commission dinner and a luncheon with our North & South Fremont students this week. It is great to talk with people from home! If you are in Boise, stop in.

I also attended an Idaho Chiropractors Association lunch and enjoyed motivational speaker Derek Clark, The Rapping Dad. He told a powerful story about overcoming extremely difficult childhood circumstances; that chiropractic care has helped him overcome effects of those circumstances. Rapping Dad!

Stand Your Ground And CBD Oil Legislation

I am cosponsoring the Stand Your Ground/Castle Doctrine Bill 444 in support of Rep. Christy Zito. This strengthens self-defense rights in protecting our families at home, as well as in our places of business and vehicles. Among improvements is criminal immunity from anti-gun prosecutors and a presumption of innocence. This will receive a full committee hearing soon.

CBD (CannabidioI) Oil Bill 410 will be presented in the Health & Welfare committee, of which I am a member, in the next week. The purpose is to help children and adults suffering epileptic seizures and other illnesses, which this legislation will allow to be treated. Several states are sanctioning the use of this product with negligible THC (the hallucinogen), and it will require authorization through obtaining a pharmaceutical card. Rep. Dorothy Moon has worked with several interests to get the best option to permit CBD oil use. Citizens have expressed concerns about opening the door to marijuana legalization. I am adamantly opposed to legalizing marijuana.

Lobbyist Reform & Idaho Victim Protection Act

Representative Zito and I are also working on lobbyist reform. My bill would stop additional employees associated with lobbying groups from joining PERSI. I want to ensure that we protect our teachers, law enforcement, firefighters, city and public officials in receiving benefits and not individuals working for lobbyist organizations (such as unions). This bill is presently in revision and a number is not available now. Rep. Zito attempted to move her lobbyist gift bill (HB428) from Ways & Means to State Affairs committee but was blocked from doing so. Leadership made a big deal of this; we were attempting to use a process already in place!

Idaho legislators and citizens have been heavily lobbied by a narrowly focused out-of-state group to change the Idaho State Constitution concerning victims’ rights. This proposed change, called “Marsy’s Law,” can be traced to a California billionaire. The attempt to push this legislation through during the final few weeks of last year’s session failed, so the group has returned in a renewed effort to gain passage. Legislators expect to see a similar draft again this year.

Millions of dollars are being pumped into Idaho for this endeavor, and the group has resorted to displaying a disturbing photo to bully those legislators who have expressed concerns with the language from last year. We are seeing many attempts to spread misinformation during this election cycle.

While I believe legislators would strongly support the individual rights of victims and would be willing to strengthen existing victim status in our current code, I believe allowing government to define these rights goes too far.

Conservative legislators are planning to release an alternative bill this week which will clearly define how government should treat victims instead of letting government grant rights to victims. The Idaho version of this proposed legislation is called the Idaho Victim Protection Act.

This language will offer real protection for victims without trampling the rights of individuals or advancing progressive centralized government agendas. It is written by Idahoans who want to see significant laws providing victims’ rights and proper treatment of victims throughout the judicial process.

Please watch for the release of this legislation next week and join us in supporting honest and fair victim protection legislation here in Idaho.

Growing Freedom

Visit the Growing Freedom Idaho website, which helps citizens to be more informed about the 2018 Idaho Legislature Session and how to effectively make your voices heard. Information on legislation brought to the legislature by citizens and what liberty minded legislators are pursuing this session is included.

GrowingFreedomIdaho.com

Good News!

Our Judiciary/Rules committee was informed we will have another opportunity to keep the term “before God” in the POST training rules. A concurrent resolution will be presented to the full House. I appreciate the support and encouragement to continue in pursuing to keep this in POST standards.