Idaho governor signs bill criminalizing public breast exposure and ‘truck nuts'
Idaho Gov. Brad Little gives a press conference after delivering his annual State of the State address on Jan. 6, 2025, in the Lincoln Auditorium in the Idaho Capitol. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun)
Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed into law a bill that criminalizes the public exposure of breasts.
House Bill 270 updates Idaho's indecent exposure law, which already bans public exposure of genitals, to include female breasts, male breasts altered to look like female breasts, artificial breasts and toys or products that resemble genitals.
Breastfeeding is exempt.
The bill takes effect immediately — through an emergency clause. Little signed the bill Wednesday, according to the governor's office legislation tracker.
Supporters say the bill will protect decency and modernize Idaho's indecent exposure law. Opponents say it could unduly punish transgender Idahoans and males experiencing hormonal conditions that enlarge breasts.
The Republican-supermajority controlled Legislature widely passed the bill, with support from 87 Republican state lawmakers and opposition from 14 Democratic state lawmakers.
The bill was cosponsored by Rep. Jeff Cornilles, R-Nampa, and Sens. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, and Ben Toews, R-Coeur d'Alene.
Debating the bill in the Senate this week, Lenney said the bill deals with a real problem of people exposing themselves.
'I've heard arguments … on this bill that said this somehow sexualizes breasts. I don't think we need a bill to do that,' he said. 'I think that's been happening since the Garden of Eden, and it's going to continue to happen forever.'
Idaho Senate Minority Leader Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, argued the bill violates the First Amendment by criminalizing expression that 'we don't like.'
And she said the bill would allow people to call police over dangling faux scrotums hung on truck hitches, commonly called truck nuts.
'They're gross, they're offensive, and kids on the road see them. So why wouldn't the police get a call and say, 'That offends me, pull it off the truck?'' Wintrow said. 'Because now this bill will allow it. And I talked to police and they said, 'Indeed it would.'
Nampa City Councilmember Sebastian Griffin helped craft the bill, telling lawmakers that the bill stemmed from him seeing a topless woman at an event at Lakeview Park in Nampa, where Canyon County Pride was held. He testified a police officer he approached at the time said the person wasn't engaging in illegal behavior.
That's because it is not illegal for a man with breast enhancements to walk around topless, the officer said, according to Griffin.
A first violation of Idaho's indecent exposure law is a misdemeanor crime. A second offense within five years is a felony.
SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Sunday shows preview: Trump-Musk spat leaves admin reeling; ‘Big, beautiful bill' hits speed bump
President Trump and tech billionaire Elon Musk's feud spilled out in public on Thursday, with the world's richest man and the world's most powerful leader trading barbs that engulfed news cycles in Washington and abroad. Musk, a Trump ally, was vocal about his disappointment with Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' currently sitting in the Senate. Musk, who spent millions during the 2024 presidential campaign to help elect Trump, called the massive piece of legislation a 'disgusting abomination.' Trump then weighed in on Thursday at the White House during German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's visit, saying, 'Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will anymore.' The spat intensified, with Musk floating the prospects of creating a third party, claiming that without his political contributions, Trump would not be victorious against ex-Vice President Harris in November and accusing the president of having ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Trump threatened to cut off federal contracts awarded to Musk's companies. Later on Thursday, Musk signaled he might be open to brokering a truce with the commander-in-chief. After speaking with several news outlets Friday morning, Trump suggested he is ready to move on and indicated that he will not be speaking with Musk for a while. Trump told CNN Friday morning that he is 'not even thinking about Elon' and added that the SpaceX and Tesla CEO has 'got a problem. The poor guy's got a problem.' In the Senate, Trump's agenda bill, which passed the House chamber last month, has sparked concerns and criticism from GOP senators. The first group of GOP Sens., which consists of Susan Collins (R-Maine), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) and Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), are arguing they could vote against the bill if it slashes Medicaid benefits. Others, including Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) and Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) have previously said they would not back the legislation if it retains the current debt and spending levels. The GOP can have three defections total if all Democrats vote against the legislation. Sen. Johnson will be on CNN's 'State of the Union where he will likely discuss if any of his concerns regarding the 'Big, Beautiful Bill' have been addressed. As part of a push to root out waste, fraud and abuse within Medicare, Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said this week that a bill sponsored by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), that would crack down on Medicare Advantage overpayments known as 'upcoding,' could be inserted into Trump's massive legislation. Cassidy will be on NewsNation's 'The Hill Sunday,' where he will likely discuss the latest on the reconciliation package along with his recent visit to the White House. NewsNation's 'The Hill Sunday': Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.); Rep. Sarah Elfreth (D-Ma); U.S. Chamber of Commerce chief policy officer Neil Bradley. ABC's 'This Week': Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). NBC's 'Meet the Press': Sens. James Lankford (R-Okla.), and Cory Booker (D-N.J.). CNN's 'State of the Union': 'Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), and Markwayne Mullin (R-Okla.); Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.). CBS' 'Face the Nation': National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett; Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.); Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-Texas); Save the Children U.S. President and CEO Janti Soeripto. 'Fox News Sunday': Office of Management and Budget Director Russ Vought; Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.); Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas). Fox News' 'Sunday Morning Futures': White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt; Secretary Of Interior Doug Burgum, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.); House Ways And Means Committee Chairman Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.); Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.). Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CNBC
2 hours ago
- CNBC
Protesters rally against ICE for second day in Los Angeles
Federal agents in Los Angeles on Saturday faced off against demonstrators protesting immigration raids following Friday's protests that senior White House aide Stephen Miller condemned as an "insurrection" against the United States. The security agents on Saturday engaged in a tense confrontation with protesters in the Paramount area in southeast Los Angeles, where one demonstrator was seen waving a Mexican flag and some covered their mouths with respiratory masks. A live video feed showed dozens of green-uniformed security personnel with gas masks lined up on a road strewn with overturned shopping carts as small canisters exploded into gas clouds. A first round of protests kicked off on Friday night after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conductedenforcement operationsin the city and arrested at least 44 people on alleged immigration violations. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that "1,000 rioters surrounded a federal law enforcement building and assaulted ICE law enforcement officers, slashed tires, defaced buildings, and taxpayer funded property." Reuters was unable to verify DHS's accounts. Miller, an immigration hardliner and the White House deputy chief of staff, wrote on X that Friday's demonstrations were "an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States." The protests pit Democratic-run Los Angeles, where census data suggests a significant portion of the population is Hispanic and foreign-born, against Trump's Republican White House, which has made cracking down on immigration a hallmark of his second term. Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people in the country illegally and lock down the U.S.-Mexico border, with the White House setting a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3,000 migrants per day. But the sweeping immigration crackdown has also included people legally residing in the country, including some with permanent residence, and has led to legal challenges. In a statement on Saturday about the protests in Paramount, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office said: "It appeared that federal law enforcement officers were in the area, and that members of the public were gathering to protest." ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Los Angeles Police Department did not respond to a request for information about the protests or potential immigration sweeps on Saturday. Television news footage earlier on Friday showed unmarked vehicles resembling military transport and vans loaded with uniformed federal agents streaming through Los Angeles streets as part of the immigration enforcement operation. The Democratic mayor of Los Angeles, Karen Bass, in a statement condemned the immigration raids. "I am deeply angered by what has taken place," Bass said. "These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. We will not stand for this." The LAPD did not take part in the immigration enforcement. It was deployed to quell civil unrest after crowds protesting the deportation raids spray-painted anti-ICE slogans on the walls of a federal court building and gathered outside a nearby jail where some of the detainees were reportedly being held. In a statement, DHS criticized Democratic politicians including Mayor Bass, saying their anti-ICE rhetoric was contributing to violence against immigration agents. "From comparisons to the modern-day Nazi gestapo to glorifying rioters, the violent rhetoric of these sanctuary politicians is beyond the pale. This violence against ICE must end," said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. FBI deputy director Dan Bongino posted on X that they were reviewing evidence from the protests. "We are working with the U.S. Attorney's Office to ensure the perpetrators are brought to justice," Bongino said.
New York Post
2 hours ago
- New York Post
Ted Cruz was with president when Musk's barrage of attacks started: ‘Trump was pissed'
Sen. Ted Cruz was with a fuming President Trump as Elon Musk viciously attacked his former ally online Thursday — with the Texas Republican saying the spat made him feel like he was a kid in the middle of a divorce. 'I was sitting in the Oval as this unfolded. Trump was pissed. He was venting,' the Republican senator revealed on his podcast 'Verdict with Ted Cruz' Friday. 'I was sitting there, and the tweets were coming…. Elon was saying some really harsh things.' The SpaceX and Tesla billionaire went on a multi-day social media offensive against Trump, panning the president's 'big, beautiful' reconciliation bill 'disgusting' and urging Congress to kill it. 'Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate,' Musk fumed after Trump spoke out about the simmering feud. Cruz, who's friends with both former bros, called their very public break-up this week 'incredibly painful.' 'These are two men whom I know very well, they're both good friends of mine,' he said. 3 President Trump and Tesla billionaire Elon Musk came to blows on social media this week, ending their bromance. AFP via Getty Images 'I feel like the kids of a bitter divorce where you're just saying, 'I really wish mommy and daddy would stop screaming.'' 3 Ted Cruz talked about the break-up this Friday on his podcast 'Verdict with Ted Cruz.' Verdict with Ted Cruz/Facebook Trump and Musk's tiff escalated later in the week — with Trump threatening to cancel billions of dollars in government contracts to Musk's companies and Musk claiming Trump was holding out on making the Jeffrey Epstein files public because he's in them. 3 Trump and Musk's tiff escalated later in the week. Getty Images 'It just went from zero to 11 instantaneously,' said Cruz. 'These are two alpha males who are pissed off. And unfortunately, they're unloading on each other … They're angry, it's not complicated.' Cruz and his co-host commented that they thought both men are right — Trump's big beautiful budget bill has to get passed but the government has to tackle the deficit more as Musk argued. 'Unfortunately, Elon is working under the assumption that Congress actually wants to do the job and save our country,' said podcast co-host Ben Ferguson. 'And I think Trump is working under the reality that there's a lot of people in Congress that actually aren't looking out for the American people.' Musk on Saturday deleted his post about the Epstein files in a sign he was ready to throw in the towel. But Trump made it clear he wasn't interested in kissing and making up anytime soon. 'I have no intention of speaking to him,' he told NBC News.
