The big news today is that the Legislature has recessed until April 6 in response to a number of reported COVID cases among legislators and staff. This means another two and half weeks (at least) before the Legislature will take up proposals for tax relief, education reform, and efforts to constrain executive emergency powers. Wouldn't it have been better to accomplish these goals over the last ten weeks instead of putting them off until (what was supposed to be) the very last week of the session?
Defending the Second Amendment
It was wonderful meeting with enthusiastic patriots Friday morning who are passionate about protecting our right to keep and bear arms. They were at the Capitol to express their support for House Bill 300, the Small Arms Protection Act, sponsored by Sen. Christy Zito. This legislation is designed to protect the rights of Idahoans from the regulation and registration schemes (and eventual confiscation) that are already moving forward in Washington, D.C. There is another proposal in congress to ban hundreds of firearms, including all modern sporting rifles. We can't waste any time in fighting back and doing whatever is necessary to protect and preserve our rights.
Unfortunately, this important piece of legislation has been languishing because certain committee chairs have been refusing to give it a hearing. I hope these issues can be resolved during this recess, so Idahoans can get the public hearing for the bill that they deserve.
Remembering the Fallen
On Sunday, I had the honor of attending a Celebration of Life for Idaho's fallen soldiers Chief Warrant Officer 4 Jesse Anderson, Chief Warrant Officer 3 George "Geoff" Laubhan, and Chief Warrant Officer 3 Matthew Peltzer, all who lost their lives in a tragic training exercise last month. Over 200 riders participated in the event, which raised more than $30,000 to support the families.
A big thank you to all who helped make this event so successful! Jesse, Geoff, and Matt you will never be forgotten!
Capitol Clarity
For the tenth edition of Capitol Clarity, we heard from Dr. Ryan Cole, who has recently found himself the target of smears and falsehoods alleged by critics and perpetuated by the mainstream media. (I can relate!) We also discussed some important legislative issues. Rep. Karey Hanks (R-St. Anthony) spoke about her bill, HB 339, which would protect individual rights and bodily autonomy by preventing government mask mandates.
You can watch the video of this week's Capitol Clarity at this link.
Capitol Clarity Radio
Can't get enough Capitol Clarity? Join me every Thursday from 5:00 – 6:00 PM (Mountain Time) on 670 KBOI as we take Capitol Clarity to the next level. You can also stream the show at kboi.com.
If you missed my first radio show, you can still listen by visiting this link and clicking on the "Capitol Clarity" headline. This week, Sen. Christy Zito was my guest and we had an excellent discussion about Second Amendment issues.