Capitol Letters: Idaho lawmakers spurn second school vouchers bill
By Ryan Suppe, State Politics Reporter
Lawmakers rejected another school voucher proposal yesterday, this time before it officially became a bill.
The proposal, from Rep. Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls, would have allowed 2,000 private school students to collect about $7,000 each in state funds to pay for tuition. Priority would be given to families that earn $70,000 or less, and only former public school students would be eligible (except for kindergarten students entering school for the first time).
Clow estimated the program would cost about $17.5 million a year.
Senate Republicans this week rejected a school voucher bill from Sen. Tammy Nichols, R-Middleton, that would have similarly offered state funds to private school families, although it had no limits or guidelines on enrollment and income. School leaders opposed Nichols’ proposal, arguing it would siphon limited funds from public schools.
“I want this to complement public schools, not defund them,” Clow told the House Education Committee. “I want to offer expanded choice for our students.”
A committee must vote to introduce a legislative proposal before it becomes a bill, which lawmakers typically do, even if they plan to oppose it. The House committee opposed introducing it.
Several of the lawmakers on the House Education Committee have said they oppose vouchers. The committee members feared Clow’s proposal would be assigned to another committee, one that would be more friendly to vouchers. House leadership assigns bills to committees.
Rep. Greg Lanting, R-Twin Falls, asked if there was certainty that Clow’s proposal would return to the education committee if it were introduced.
“There are no guarantees in anything that we do,” said Rep. Julie Yamamoto, R-Caldwell, who chairs the committee.
Rep. Lori McCann, R-Lewiston, education committee vice-chair, suggested two other voucher proposals that were scheduled for a hearing yesterday may have been assigned to another committee.
“If we see those other bills in other committees, that is an extreme affront to me and for the work that we’re doing on this committee,” she said.
Bill restricting drag performances advances
Another House committee yesterday cleared a bill that would ban drag shows from public property and allow parents to sue drag show proprietors who cater to children.
Sponsored by the Idaho Family Policy Center, a religious lobbying group, House Bill 265 would allow parents to sue event organizers and promoters who allow children access to shows featuring “sexual conduct.”
Under the bill, “sexual conduct” includes dances and gestures “with accessories that exaggerate” sexual characteristics and acts.
The bill also would prohibit shows featuring “sexual conduct” from taking place on public property, such as parks, or using public funds. The Boise Pride Festival, which typically is held in Cecil D. Andrus Park, inspired the bill.
A few drag performers testified against the proposal yesterday, as did the American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho. Frida Nightz told the committee that drag performances that may be viewed by children are tailored to be family friendly.
“Drag is not my way of life, but it is my art form that supplements my income, just like dance, singing, writing and poetry,” Nightz said. “The First Amendment allows us to present our art and use it to tell stories.”
The House State Affairs Committee approved the bill on a party-line vote. It heads to the full House.
Rep. Brooke Green, D-Boise, wondered whether the bill would make the singer Madonna liable to lawsuits for performing in front of children, because some might find her dancing sexually provocative.
Blaine Conzatti, president of the Idaho Family Policy Center, said that would be unlikely.
What else happened?
Rep. Judy Boyle, R-Midvale, said she’d step down from the House Education Committee following its vote to reject a bill on “harmful” materials, Idaho Education News reported. The bill would have let parents sue librarians or educators who provided material to children. “I’m not going to waste my time any longer in there,” Boyle told Idaho Education News.
Opinion: Drag bill would chill a wide range of speech
By Bryan Clark, Opinion Writer
The bill that claims to ban public sexual displays would in fact chill a wide range of constitutionally protected expression due to its vagueness and draconian enforcement mechanism.
The bill defines sexual conduct to include accessories or dancing that emphasize “secondary sexual characteristics.” That includes pubic hair and female breasts, but also beards, wide hips, and either a low or high voice. It’s hard to think of a modern concert that wouldn’t face some risk of a huge raft of lawsuits.
And because the bill uses the bounty lawsuit enforcement mechanism designed to delay constitutional scrutiny of a bill, it could be a long time before courts could evaluate the constitutionality of the bill. (Spoiler: it’s almost certainly unconstitutional.)
So does that mean Idaho has to live with sexually explicit performances in view of children? No, Idaho has a clear law banning such performances for half a century.
Read the Statesman’s editorial here.
Opinion: Zombie gold bill rises from the grave yet again
By Bryan Clark, Opinion Writer
For the third straight year, a bill has been introduced by far-right lawmakers to allow the state to invest billions in taxpayer funds in physical gold. In what’s surely a coincidence, a major potential beneficiary of that law has also been a major donor to many of those same far-right candidates.
Here’s a look at why it would be a really bad idea to invest state funds in giant chunks of metal, and what it says about our Legislature that such a bill gets reintroduced without fail every year.
What to expect today
8 a.m. Senate State Affairs. The committee will hold public hearings on several bills, which include one that changes Idaho’s definition of domestic terrorism and one to consolidate presidential primaries with the primary election.
8:30 a.m. House State Affairs. Lawmakers have a full agenda that includes new bills on sex education and the “sexualization of children,” state employees’ prohibition to be on TikTok and reducing property taxes. A bill to criminalize taking a minor out of state for an abortion is also on the docket.
Find the full list of committee meetings and agendas for the House here, and for the Senate here.
What else happened?
Keep track of high-profile bills as they go through the legislative process. You can find yesterday’s updates here.
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