Governor signs HB 601, public records bill, and HB 440, anti-affirmative action bill; vetoes tele-dentistry bill
Betsy Russell | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 4 years, 9 months AGO
Idaho Gov. Brad Little today signed HB 601, the bill to add new public records exemptions for legislators and public officials; and HB 440a, Rep. Heather Scott's anti-affirmative action bill, which amends the Idaho Human Rights Act to forbid any preferences for women or minorities, except in cases where such a ban would cost the state federal funds. He also vetoed SB 1295, the tele-dentistry bill, which caused a big fight during the legislative session between Idaho dentists and a national tele-dentistry firm that said the bill would drive it out of business in Idaho. The governor's veto letter on SB 1295 is online here; he signed the other two measures without comment.
On the tele-dentistry bill, Little wrote, "I vetoed SB 1295 because Idaho has a strong framework for safe telehealth access" in existing law, and safeguards on the practice of tele-dentistry can be established through administrative rule.
According to the governor's website, he has just one bill left to act on before Tuesday's 6:33 p.m. deadline: HB 340a, the controversial bill to allow state representative and Pastor Tim Remington to operate an unlicensed residential juvenile drug treatment program in Coeur d'Alene, making a special exception from state law by declaring Remington's program a "pilot program" for the state. The measure has drawn strong opposition from juvenile treatment advocates who say it sets a dangerous precedent for the state. Remington made headlines today for defying the governor's COVID-19 stay-home order and sermonizing against it at in-person services at his Coeur d'Alene church on Sunday.
ARTICLES BY BETSY RUSSELL
Governor signs both HB 500 and HB 509, the anti-transgender bills
Here's a report from the Associated Press:
Little holds press conference on coronavirus; no cases in Idaho yet, but they're expected...
Gov. Brad Little is holding a press conference this morning on Idaho’s response to the coronavirus. Though no cases have yet been documented in Idaho, they are expected, said Dr. Christine Hahn, state epidemiologist. “We’re very fortunate that we don’t have what’s going on in Washington state, our neighbor, right now, Hahn said. “But we are watching it very closely. ... Our public health goal in Idaho and across the nation is to slow this virus down. We probably can’t stop it. … It’s too late to stop it.” She added, “This is a virus that none of us have immunity to.”
Primary election won't be delayed, but will go all-absentee; link to my full story
Idaho Secretary of State Lawerence Denney said this afternoon that the governor won't be delaying the May 19 primary election, but it'll go all-absentee due to the risk from coronavirus. “He is not going to delay it,” Denney told the Idaho Press. Denney said he anticipates a formal announcement probably on Wednesday. “We still have some things to iron out about exactly what we will be trying to do,” Denney said, “and I can tell you we’re going to push very, very hard for as much absentee as we can, so that we don’t have people having to be in contact with each other.”