Every day brings a new headline about Idaho cutting vital services, therapies for children with disabilities, law enforcement, firefighting, and schools.

Last week, Democratic legislators rolled out a package of budget solutions to limit the damage. What are Republican legislators up to? Pushing a slate of bills to harass Idahoans they don’t like and override local control.

Take HB 557. In the absence of state action, many local governments passed ordinances banning employment and housing discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. City and county leaders decided it wasn’t okay for you to be fired for who you love or denied a lease based on gender. Now House Republicans want to use state power to force local governments to allow discrimination.

HB 561 is a tantrum over Boise recognizing the Pride flag. It would allow only a few select flags on government property, and even restrict some displays on nearby private property. It also makes it illegal for cities and counties to fly the Basque flag, customary when travelers come to Idaho for Jaialdi, a major Basque festival. It’s an affront to Idahoans of Basque heritage and a dark reminder of Franco’s dictatorship, which also outlawed their flag.

HB 607 continues the obsession with policing bathrooms. It could make it difficult, or even impossible, for transgender Idahoans to use restrooms at work and in public. It invites massive lawsuits if someone claims a transgender person used the wrong bathroom, forcing businesses to act as bathroom police or risk costly legal fights. Enforcement would be a nightmare, with people monitored going in and out and courts pressured to demand proof of someone’s gender, a barbaric invasion of privacy.

Anything harmful that can happen in a bathroom is already illegal. Just ask former Republican Senator Larry Craig, who was charged with lewd conduct in an airport restroom. This bill comes from the Idaho Family Policy Center, which pushes “biblical” policies that amount to legislating morality.

In another fear-driven move, Republican legislators are advancing bills to make you explain your immigration status at schools and hospitals. This isn’t just intrusive data collection meant to scare immigrant families. It’s a hassle for every Idahoan. Who wants more paperwork when you’re checking into the ER or enrolling a child in kindergarten?

The Idaho I grew up in let people live their lives without interference. Today’s Republican Party is dragging our state toward morality police, more government tracking of your personal business, and less local control.

You don’t need state politicians telling you how to live. You need leaders focused on real issues, like cost of living and quality of life, and ready to deliver solutions. That’s what Idaho Democrats are working to do.

Onward,

Lauren Necochea
Idaho Democratic Party Chair