Representative Heather Scott
.
Idaho legislators convened for the 66th Legislative Session on Monday, January 11th, in Boise at the Capitol. Legislators wasted no time getting right to business. On Monday, the Idaho Conservative Agenda for 2021 was released at a press conference. Twenty-nine representatives and two senators have signed on for support of the agenda. They are particularly focused on reining in the governor’s emergency power and removing the tax on groceries. This is a great start towards helping Idaho citizens! The Governor's "State of the State" address was presented virtually on the same day after the House adjourned. Some House members stayed to watch. Disappointingly, the emergency is still in full swing, with no end in sight.
The capitol has been fairly empty as many of the staff are working from home. There has been a huge presence of extra security and state police onsite, mostly inside of the building. Legislators have been busy meeting the new house and senate members, attending committee organizational meetings, and drafting their proposed legislation for the session.
 .
The US Constitution and Idaho State Constitution have clearly been violated in over eight different ways by Governor Brad Little’s Emergency orders (8 Ways Constitution Has Been Violated Video). For an emergency or extreme emergency to end, a concurrent resolution must be passed by both the House and Senate. On Tuesday, I introduced House Concurrent Resolution 1. This resolution (bill) is similar to the resolution passed by the House in the Extraordinary Session last August, that ultimately was not signed by the Senate. If this resolution is passed by both the House and the Senate, the emergency will end immediately. No federal money will be lost, but new federal moneys will not be able to be tapped into without declaring another emergency. In response, the Senate drafted a similar resolution Senate Concurrent Resolution 101. This resolution continues the emergency in order to collect future federal funds.
My concern with this approach is that under a new administration the strings attached to those federal funds will likely not be in the best interest of the citizens, businesses, and families in Idaho. The lure of tax dollars could influence some legislators to make the “emergency” continue forever! Both resolutions were discussed at an informational event (Capitol Clarity) hosted by Idaho Lt. Governor Janice McGeachin and Rep. Dorothy Moon. You can view a video of the Event Here and see which resolution you would support. Once you decide, make sure you contact your legislators and let them know which one you want them to support. Remember, the legislature has the ability to end the emergency now that they are in session. Don’t let your legislators convince you otherwise.
Here are a couple of interviews where I explain my resolution:
House and Senate Leadership have presented to the legislative bodies five bills claiming to rein in the governor’s emergency powers. All five bills have been printed. The problem is that the language with some of the proposed bills will actually expand the governor’s powers. Although sold to legislators and the public as one thing, the language contained in the bills appears to do just the opposite. Some are even wondering if the bills were written by members of the executive branch. I am pushing hard with other legislators to amend the language and fix these issues before rushing yet another series of bad bills through under the guise of, “it’s an emergency”.
Please get involved and look at the bills below. Let your legislators know if you have concerns with the language and offer them edits. Do not depend on the legislative system or government to fix its own problems without input from you, the citizen. History shows that rarely works out well for the citizens. Below is a list of the bills that should be reviewed.
They can all be read at the same link by clicking on the list below or HERE:
|
 |
 |
.
A Friday Surprise!
House committees rarely meet the first Friday of the legislative session. Last Friday, immediately after the 9 AM House floor session, the Judiciary, Rules, and Administration Committee convened to consider just one item, a resolution to change a House rule. The resolution was introduced and ultimately approved for printing. Introductory hearings do not have public notice of language, nor do they allow public input.
House Rules govern how the body operates as a whole and are agreed upon by a majority vote of House members. This proposed rule change, if approved by a majority of the committee, and then if approved by a majority of House members, will give the Speaker of the House and Committee Chairmen the authority, within the Capitol, to search the public’s bags of all types, prohibit clothing promoting political platforms, and allow committee rooms, lobbies, halls, and even the House gallery to be cleared upon “any disturbance” deemed so by the Speaker or the Chairman. Is this China or Idaho?
The resolution to create this over restrictive rule will come to the House floor for a vote soon and there will likely be no public testimony, even though the rule change will dramatically affect the public testimony process. (No testimony is the norm for House Rules.) The 1st and 4th Amendments are vital for a free people and a Constitutional Republic, so we should be very concerned when any of these rights are threatened—especially in Idaho’s own statehouse. If you do not agree with this violation of your constitutionally protected rights to petition your government for redress, unreasonable searches, and protected speech, you may want to contact your elected officials soon and let them know how you feel about this issue. You can read all House Rules Here or below, but the new proposed rule change is not published online yet. The underlined words are new language being added.
I encourage you to please take the time to read my last two newsletters if you haven't.
 |
|
The Great Reset and How Idaho is Participating (Link) newsletter is critical to understanding what is happening to our state and why we are falling in line with other cowering states that force masking of citizens, closing of businesses, and other draconian mandates. Remember, all of these efforts are a violation of your rights. Courageous citizens must exercise their rights, or they will lose them. Compliance to violations is consent. |
 |
|
All old newsletters can be viewed HERE |
Please remain engaged, get to know your elected officials, and watch how they represent you. Stay tuned, as each day seems to get more interesting by the minute!
|
