INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE: Legislature expedites process amid health threat -- and other things you need to know
INSIDE THE STATEHOUSE: Legislature expedites process amid health threat -- and other things you need to know
As bills get sent to the governor's desk, LGBTQ+ advocates, for one, are ramping up efforts as two bills focusing on transgender Idahoans will soon learn their fate: to either become law — or be vetoed.
YOU... AT LEAST TWOLAWMAKERS... SAYTHEY WON'T RETURNTO THESTATEHOUSE... OVERCONCERNS OFTRANSMITTING THECORONAVIRUS... BUTTHE LEGISLATIVESESSION ROLLS ONWITHOUT THEM.DISPUTES OVERBUDGETS...APPEARED POISEDTO EXTEND THESESSION ANOTHERWEEK... BUT THATBUDGET APPROVALPROCESS IS NOWBEING EXPEDITED.THIS AS A NUMBEROF NOTABLE BILLS...MAKE THEIR WAYTHROUGH THESTATEHOUSE.OUR MADELINEWHITE REPORTS.THAT'S RIGHT A LOTHAS HAPPENEDSINCE THAT UPDATEMONDAY NIGHT, AMIDTHESE CORONAVIRUSCONCERNSINCLUDING BUT NOTLIMITED TO.RAMPED UP EFFORTSBY LGBTQADVOCATES ASTWO BILLS FOCUSINGONTRANSGENDERIDAHOANS MOVE TO THEGOVERNOR'S DESKFOR EITHER ASIGNATURE OR AVETO."THE ACLU ISPREPARED TO TAKETHE STATE TO COURTIF THE GOVERNORDOES SIGN THIS BILLINTO LAW."SHE'S TALKINGABOUT HOUSE BILL500 - OR, THE QUOTE"FAIRNESS INWOMEN'S SPORTSACT" WHICH HASNOW JUMPED ALLTHE REQUIREDHURDLES IN THELEGISLATURE.
ITWOULD BAN TRANSGIRLS FROM BEINGABLE TO PLAY ONFEMALEHIGH SCHOOLOR COLLEGE SPORTSTEAMS."HAVING SOMEONEWITH THE PHYSICALCHARACTERISTICSOF A MAN BEING ABLETO PLAY AGAINST MYGRANDDAUGHTER INA BASKETBALL GAMEOR TRACK ORSOMETHING LIKETHAT IT'S NOTACCEPTABLE TO ME."THE ACLU EVENHOSTING A "VIRTUALTOWNHALL" TONIGHTFEATURING TRANSUSA ATHLETE CHRISMOSIER IN ANEFFORT TO GETMORE PEOPLE TOURGE GOVERNORLITTLE TO OPPOSE HB500.ONE OF THEIRBIGGEST CONCERNS?THE PART OF THEBILL THAT REQUIRESA PELVIC EXAM,GENETIC TEST, ORHORMONE TEST."SUBJECTING AYOUNG YA KNOWMIDDLE SCHOOLAGED GIRL TO APELVIC EXAMINATIONOR AN INTERNALEXAMINATION."THE BILL'S SPONSOR,REPUBLICANREPRESENTATIVEBARBARA EHARDT,SAYS HER BILL IS NOTTRANSPHOBIC ORHOMOPHOBIC,DESPITE THE A-C-L-UREFERRING TO IT ASDISCIMINATORY.ANOTHER BILLHEADING TO THEGOVERNOR'S DESKFOR FINAL APPROVALHOUSE BILL 509.THAT WOULDPREVENT TRANSIDAHOANS FROMCHANGING THEIR SEXON THEIR BIRTHCERTIFICATES,MEANING THEYCOULDN'T GETPASSPORTS,STARCARDS, OROTHER DOCUMENTSIN THE GENDER THEYIDENTIFY AS.
THEBILL'S SPONSORREPUBLICANREPRESENTATIVEJULIANNE YOUNGSAYING THAT, QUOTE"BIOLOGICAL SEX ISAN OBJECTIVELYDEFINED CATEGORY."GOVERNOR LITTLEWILL NOW NEED TOMAKE A DECISIONWHETHER TO GOAGAINST2018FEDERAL RULING BYA US.
DISTRICTCOURT JUDGE THATSAYS STATESCANNOT PROHIBITTRANS PEOPLE FROMAPPLYING TOCHANGE THE SEXLISTED ON THEIRBIRTH CERTIFICATETO MATCH THE ONETHEY IDENTIFY WITH."THERE WAS ANATTORNEYGENERAL'S OPINIONTHAT SAID IT WOULDCOST THE STATEOVER A MILLIONDOLLARS TO HAVE TODEFEND THIS LAW INCOURT, AND THAT'SYA KNOW A MILLIONDOLLARS COULD GOA LONG WAY INPROVIDINGRELIEFFOR PEOPLEWHO ARE AT ANECONOMIC LOSSDURING THISCORONAVIRUS."OTHER ITEMS NOWHEADING TO THEGOVERNOR'S DESKFOR CONSIDERATION:A NEWLY REVISEDHIGHER EDUCATIONBUDGET BILLTHE WRONGFULCONVICTION BILL WEPREVIOUSLY TOLDYOU ABOUT THATWOULD COMPENSATEPEOPLE LIKE CHRISTAPP.A BILL TO REGULATEVAPING IN THE SAMEWAY TOBACCO ISREGULATED.A BILL THAT WOULDCREATE NEW PUBLICRECORDSEXEMPTIONS FORLEGISLATORSWE'LL KEEP YOUUPDATED.
MADELINEWHITE.
6 ON YOURSIDE.
