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CRUELTY IS THE WORST KIND OF SIN
On Friday the Senate passed H668 which will prohibit all public funding for gender affirming care. This is plainly unconstitutional discrimination on the basis of sex, as it denies trans people access to the exact same treatments that will still be available to cisgender Idahoans. It will likely be challenged in court and cost taxpayers up to millions of dollars while the state attempts to defend the indefensible.
I want anyone who is impacted by this cruelty to know, I will keep fighting for your rights. You belong here and you deserve health care like anyone else. I am so sorry that the legislature is passing these cruel, discriminatory bills.
Court Battle in Front of Us
Unfortunately, we will have to fight H668 in court. I have contacted an attorney who is already putting together a case and looking for plaintiffs.
If you or someone you know is receiving gender-affirming care as a state employee, Medicaid, or through other programs with public funds, please contact me if you want to serve as one of the plaintiffs, and I will connect you to the attorney.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE or
LISTEN to DEBATE
H710, the latest bill to attack libraries received testimony last week, but there were so many people who testified (37 opposed and 1 in favor), we will have to finish on Monday, March 25. There will be no more testimony taken, only discussion and then the vote. The Senate killed the first bill earlier in the session, and out of anger, another bill was resurrected in the House that is even worse. There is a false narrative being spun that libraries stock books that are "harmful material" to minors, but these bills are more about redefining what extremists think is harmful. Most of the books identified have themes about understanding race, sexuality, and gender identity. My hope is that we will kill the bill on Monday, but stay tuned.
On Wednesday the Senate passed H617 which will criminalize all needle-exchange programs in our state. These programs are quite literally life-saving; they reduce the spread of infections and create a point of contact where Idahoans struggling with addiction can reach out for help. The programs are evidence-based, and the fact that this passed is a shameful display of ignorance and disregard for Idahoans struggling with addiction.
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IT'S DANGEROUS TO BE PREGNANT IN IDAHO
On Friday House and Senate Democrats held a press conference addressing the lack of action by the supermajority to address the women’s health crisis in our state. On behalf of the House and Senate Democratic Caucus, Rep Ilana Rubel filed H721 which would restore reproductive freedoms in Idaho. Rep Green introduced H737 to protect and clarify the legal status of IVF in our state. Unfortunately the supermajority won't give these bills a committee hearing as they continue to put their heads in the sand, denying that doctors are leaving our state in droves and the health care system is in serious trouble.
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Let’s be clear, it is dangerous to be pregnant in Idaho!
The legislature continues to fail Idahoans with the current status of strict abortion bans that are driving doctors out of the state, collapsing community health systems, and forcing women to seek standard health care across state lines.
It’s expensive, it’s dangerous, and it’s cruel.
There should be no special requirements for accessing basic, lifesaving reproductive health care, including abortion. Quite simply, everyone should have bodily autonomy to protect their health and control their future.
People should be allowed to make decisions about their bodies with their medical providers, and we all should be able to control our bodies, our lives, and our futures without politicians interfering with our medical decisions.
Our government should not be in the business of policing why one person is deserving of health care and another isn’t. The deeply personal decision on whether or not to have a child should not be subject to politicians’ opinions on who deserves care.
CLICK HERE TO READ MY PRESS CONFERENCE COMMENTS
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ONE STEP CLOSER TO SUCCESS
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At the start of the session, I submitted four original pieces of legislation that responded to problems brought to my attention. Here's an update!
S1247 Passes Out of the House Health & Welfare
- Sometimes an undetected medical condition can trigger a serious behavioral crisis for people with a neurocognitive disorder, like Alzheimer's or dementia. This bill provides a 24-hour protective placement to get them to a hospital for medical treatment instead of just leaving them in their current situation, taking them to jail, or inappropriately putting them on a mental health hold.
- Once stabilized, doctors can work with caregivers to get them home quickly and safely.
S1350 Passes Out of House Judiciary and Rules
- This bill is a product of the recommendations of the Human Trafficking report required by H.B. 341a (2023). That report recommended the development of standardized training, screening, and assessment tools for Human Trafficking victims, which this bill provides. The Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections (IDJC) will collaborate with counties to support the development of the screening, which will help determine if juveniles who enter the system are at risk of trafficking.
S1234 Signed by the Governor
- We have all been celebrating the passage of S1234 that expands access to prescription contraception for up to 6 months, which means you only have to make 2 trips to the pharmacy each year.
S1260 Stuck in the Drawer House State Affairs
- This simple bill ensures that unopposed city council candidates in large cities (Boise, Nampa, Meridian) still appear on the ballot. Last year, in Boise's city council election, Lucy Willits and Jimmy Halliburton didn't appear on the ballot since they were unopposed. There was a lot of confusion. So, I brought a bill to fix the problem. However, Rep Crane has chosen not to hear the bill after it passed in the Senate unanimously.
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SCHOOL FACILITIES BILL HIJACKED
H521, which started as the Governor's "School facilities funding bill" got hijacked along the way, and the legislature created a monster that eventually passed and will probably do more harm than good in the long run to help schools.
Additionally, on par with a legislature that constantly punishes Boise even though it reaps the benefits of our schools through open enrollment, the bill caps Boise School district unfairly at $40M, but provides up to $140M to West Ada, home of the House Speaker -- you do the math!
The plan was supposed to provide $2 billion for school facilities over the next 10 years (about $200 million/year) by borrowing $2 billion and paying interest on the debt with taxpayer dollars. I say “supposedly” because the bill places several conditions as to how the money can be spent. The most restrictive condition is requiring it to first pay off old school bonds before it can be used to fund new school facilities. This doesn’t help school districts needing new revenue now to fix or replace school buildings.
One of the most damaging aspects of the bill is to remove the lottery funding and the bond levy equalization fund that was created in 2006 after the state was sued for violating a constitutional mandate to levy taxes equitably. That stabilization fund provided state subsidies for lower taxing districts that had a hard time raising funds to be sure they had an equitable shot at funding their schools. Without that stabilization fund, the chasm between the rural have nots will widen and we will likely be back on court, a common theme for this legislature.
This will force most school districts to continue asking voters to approve new school bonds. The reduction in property taxes by paying off old bonds will be lost when having to approve new bonds. In addition, the $200 million needed each year to pay off the $2 billion debt gets taken from the source that funds schools each year – thus leaving less money available to allocate for schools. And none of this takes a downturn in the economy into consideration.
Other items that have nothing to do with school facilities are also attached to this bill. These items include another reduction in the income tax rate which will reduce state revenue by $60 million a year. This leaves even less money available to adequately fund education. The bill also eliminates the August election date, thus making it even more difficult for school districts to float bonds when the legislature fails to adequately fund their schools.
I voted AGAINST this bill, which does less than it claims to do and potentially more damage than is readily apparent. It is my opinion that this is one more example of a failure of government and a failure to the people of Idaho.
Here’s a list of some of the items buried in this so-called “facilities” bill:
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WHERE'S SEN WINTROW???
STATEHOUSE SCAVENGER HUNT
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Join me for a fun STATEHOUSE SCAVENGER HUNT
Winner Gets Lunch with Me to Learn More About Idaho Politics
- Each week, I'll post a photo of me in the Statehouse (above). This is Week 2.
- You guess where I am.
- Contact me at Wintrow for Idaho and share your guess on my contact form. Be specific with floor and location.
- My intern will track responses.
- The person with most correct answers wins lunch, and I'll buy!
Hint: I'm somewhere on the first floor!
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KONIE WISHES YOU A HAPPY SPRING!
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KONIE CAUGHT UP TO ONE OF HIS FAVORITE DOCS IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD!
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Local news resources to stay updated on the legislature:
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