The Idaho Legislature adjourned sine die this week.

In this newsletter:

Gov. Brad Little vetoes library content bill, signs abortion trafficking bill

State law to recognize parental rights under surrogacy for first time

Federal judge criticizes Idaho's prosecution of death penalty cases

Unaddressed detail in election bill means no one can run for president

Idaho Reports airs Friday at 8 p.m. on Idaho Public Television.

We take a look this week at the months-long debates over collection policies in Idaho libraries, and how much they should do to prevent minors from checking out potentially obscene materials. Katie Ball from the University of Idaho College of Law, House State Affairs chairman Rep. Brent Crane, and Meridian Library board trustee Jeff Kohler discuss civil enforcement and what we may see in coming months as the debate continues.

Gov. Little vetoes ‘obscene content’ library bill

“Allowing any parent, regardless of intention, to collect $2,500 in automatic fines creates a library bounty system that will only increase the costs local libraries incur, particularly rural libraries,” Little said. “These costs will be forced onto property taxpayers of Idaho or cause the libraries to close to minors altogether.”

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Idaho Legislature adjourns 2023 session

The House of Representatives voted 46-24 to override the governor and pass the library materials bill, falling just one vote short of the two-thirds support needed to overturn a veto. There was no debate on the veto override vote.

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'Abortion trafficking' bill signed, despite plea from Washington state governor

On Tuesday, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee wrote a letter to Little asking him to veto a bill making it a felony to assist a juvenile in getting an abortion in another state without parental consent. Inslee argued that as a neighboring state, all Washingtonians have a stake in the matter. The nearest out-of-state abortion clinics for most Idahoans are in Oregon and Washington. In Washington, minors can legally get an abortion without parental consent. In Oregon, girls 15 and older can get an abortion without parental consent, but girls 14 and younger do need parental permission.

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Questions arise on Idaho’s place in 2024 presidential campaign

Gov. Brad Little has signed into law a bill to consolidate Idaho’s spring primary elections, but unaddressed details mean no one can officially file to run for president in the state until legislators come back and fix it.

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Follow Idaho Reports for updates throughout the week

This week on the podcast:

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Sorting Out Surrogacy Rights

Last week, Gov. Brad Little signed a bill by Rep. Brooke Green, D-Boise, Rep. Dori Healey, R-Boise, and Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa, which sets out legal processes and recognition of parental rights under gestational carrier agreements for the first time in state law. Green and Nicole Williamson from surrogacy agency A Host of Possibilities joined Logan Finney to talk about the new law and its practical impacts for intending parents and gestational carriers moving forward.

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Lawsuit filed after AG’s interpretation on abortion law

Two Idaho physicians and a regional arm of Planned Parenthood filed a lawsuit against the Idaho Attorney General’s Office over the state’s total abortion ban. The lawsuit came after an opinion from AG Raúl Labrador that the abortion law in Idaho prohibits medical providers from referring a woman across state lines to access abortion services.

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Federal judge criticizes death penalty prosecution

Idaho U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill issued an order in the case of Robin Row, dismissing her appeal but not before taking aim at "Idaho’s shortsighted and sometimes inadequate system of expedited justice for death penalty cases."

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Little: Avoid rushing to judgment on DHW grants

Earlier this year, Attorney General Raúl Labrador announced an investigation into the Department of Health and Welfare and recipients of funds through the Idaho Community Grant Program. DHW maintained that it legally awarded all grants, and any programs that served children younger than 5 also served school-aged children.

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