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Associated Press
14-04-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Euro Manganese Announces Early Appointment of Chairman and Provides Financing Update
Highlights Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - April 14, 2025) - Euro Manganese Inc. (TSXV: EMN) (ASX: EMN) (FSE: E060) (the 'Company' or 'Euro Manganese') is pleased to announce that Mr. Rick Anthon has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors (the 'Board') as of April 11, 2025 (Vancouver). In addition, the Company is providing an update on the Company's previously announced upsized C$11.2 million (A$12.3 million) brokered unit private placement financing (the 'Financing'). Appointment of New Chairman Mr. Anthon was originally expected to join the Board upon the closing of the Financing, which is now anticipated to close on or about May 22, 2025, subject to shareholder approval. However, his appointment has been brought forward following unanimous approval by the other directors. The Company's current Chairman, Mr. John Webster, is stepping down as Chairman but will remain on the Board and as Chair of the Audit Committee. Mr. Anthon's appointment comes at a pivotal time for Euro Manganese as it advances the development of its Chvaletice Manganese Project. His addition to the Board brings decades of battery metals experience and reflects the Company's continued focus on building a strong leadership platform to support its role as a key contributor to Europe's battery materials supply chain. Martina Blahova, Interim CEO of Euro Manganese, commented, 'Rick's early appointment reflects the confidence we've built with key stakeholders and our focus on execution. His depth of experience in the resource sector and proven leadership will be invaluable as we continue to scale the Chvaletice Project and deliver on our strategic priorities. On behalf of the Board, we would like to express our gratitude to John for his outstanding contribution to Euro Manganese during his tenure as Chairman, and his exceptional stewardship during these recent transformative years. We look forward to continuing to receive his guidance and support as a director and as Chair of the Audit Committee.' Rick Anthon, Euro Manganese's new Chairman said, 'I am honoured to step into the role of Chairman at this important stage for Euro Manganese. The Company is exceptionally well-positioned to play a critical role in Europe's battery materials supply chain, and I look forward to working closely with the Board and management team to help drive the Chvaletice Project forward and create long-term value for all stakeholders. As I take on this new responsibility, I want to express my sincere appreciation to John for his exceptional leadership and unwavering dedication to Euro Manganese. His strategic vision and steady guidance have been instrumental in positioning the Company for the next stage of growth.' During his tenure as Director of Corporate Development at Allkem Limited, Mr. Anthon led the company's corporate development activities while it evolved from a junior explorer to a major industry player, navigating a successful IPO and playing a key role in Allkem's A$16 billion merger with Livent to create Arcadium Lithium, now one of the world's largest lithium producers and a NYSE-listed company that is being acquired by Rio Tinto. He currently serves as Chairman of the Board at Savannah Resources, a European-focused lithium producer, as well as Chairman of Greenwing Resources Limited, which has lithium brine operations in Argentina and a graphite project in Madagascar. Mr. Anthon is also Chairman of Rapid Lithium Limited, which is focused on lithium exploration in South Dakota, and Non-Executive Director at Savannah Goldfields Limited. John Webster, Euro Manganese's outgoing Chairman said, 'Serving as Euro Manganese's Chairman has been an honour. We have an extremely capable and enthusiastic management team, and with Rick joining as Chairman I am confident that this team will continue to execute on this next chapter of the Company's strategic vision and plans. I look forward to continuing to work with management and my fellow Board members to develop the Chvaletice Manganese Project and enhance value for all shareholders.' Financing Update TSX-V Conditional Approval The Company also announces that the Financing has received conditional approval from the TSX Venture Exchange ('TSX-V'). The TSX-V's final acceptance of the Financing is conditional upon the Company satisfying the filing requirements set forth in the conditional approval letter. Completion of the Financing is also conditional upon receipt of the necessary shareholder approvals to be obtained at the Company's upcoming Annual General and Special Meeting of shareholders (the 'Meeting') to be held virtually on May 15, 2025. The Company will mail Meeting materials to shareholders in due course and encourages all shareholders to vote in advance of the Meeting by returning their proxy or voting instruction form. Share Purchase Plan ('SPP') The Company also confirms a revised launch date of the SPP for later in April (see below), details of which were initially announced on March 6, 2025, and initially updated on April 1, 2025, for aggregate gross proceeds of A$1.5 million (approximately C$1.4 million). On April 1, 2025, Orion OMRF (BK) LLC ('Orion') agreed that if there is a shortfall between the maximum amount of the SPP and the total number of securities taken up under the SPP, Orion will subscribe for the securities up to a maximum of A$1.5 million on the same terms as the SPP, subject to regulatory requirements, any required regulatory and shareholder approvals and completion of the Financing and SPP. Updated Indicative Financing Timetable The indicative timetable for the SPP has been revised as set out below: About Euro Manganese Euro Manganese is a battery materials company focused on becoming a leading producer of high-purity manganese for the electric vehicle industry. The Company is advancing development of the Chvaletice Manganese Project in the Czech Republic and an early-stage opportunity to produce battery-grade manganese products in Bécancour, Québec. The Chvaletice Project is a unique waste-to-value recycling and remediation opportunity involving reprocessing old tailings from a decommissioned mine. It is also the only sizable resource of manganese in the European Union, strategically positioning the Company to provide battery supply chains with critical raw materials to support the global shift to a circular, low-carbon economy. Euro Manganese is dual listed on the TSX-V and the ASX. Authorized for release by the Interim CEO of Euro Manganese Inc. Neither TSX-V nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) or the ASX accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. Enquiries Martina Blahova Interim Chief Executive Officer +1 (604) 681-1010 [email protected] Neil Weber LodeRock Advisors Investor and Media Relations - North America +1 (647) 222-0574 [email protected] Jane Morgan Management Jane Morgan Investor and Media Relations - Australia +61 (0) 405 555 618 [email protected] Company Address: #709 -700 West Pender St., Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6C 1G8 Website: Follow us/Subscribe Follow us on X Subscribe to our YouTube Follow us on LinkedIn Subscribe to our mailing list for updates Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this news release constitute 'forward-looking statements' or 'forward-looking information' within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such statements and information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of the Company, its Chvaletice Project, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. Such statements can be identified by the use of words such as 'may', 'would', 'could', 'will', 'intend', 'expect', 'believe', 'plan', 'anticipate', 'estimate', 'scheduled', 'forecast', 'predict' and other similar terminology, or state that certain actions, events or results 'may', 'could', 'would', 'might' or 'will' be taken, occur or be achieved. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information or statements. Forward-Looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and, even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company. Such forward-looking information or statements also include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the Company's intentions regarding the development of the Chvaletice Project, the ability of the Company to scale the Chvaletice Project and deliver on strategic priorities and create long-term value for all stakeholders, statements regarding the terms of the Financing, including completion thereof, the anticipated closing date of the Financing, receipt of the final regulatory and shareholder approvals for the Financing and the SPP, the holding of the Meeting, the terms of the SPP, including completion thereof, and issuance of the SPP Prospectus. All forward-looking statements are made based on the Company's current beliefs including various assumptions made by the Company including that the Chvaletice Project will be developed and operate in accordance with current plans, that the Company will be able to raise the financing that it requires, and that it will meet conditions of its secured credit facility. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: risks and uncertainties related to maintaining necessary licenses or permits; risks related to acquisition of surface rights; securing sufficient offtake agreements; the availability of acceptable financing, and risks related to granting security; the potential for unknown or unexpected events to cause contractual conditions to not be satisfied; developments in EV (Electric Vehicles) battery markets and chemistries; and risks related to fluctuations in currency exchange rates, changes in laws or regulations; and regulation by various governmental agencies. For a further discussion of risks relevant to the Company, see 'Risk Factors' in the Company's annual information form for the year ended September 30, 2024, available on the Company's SEDAR+ profile at Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are based upon what management of the Company believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure investors that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. Subject to applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this news release. To view the source version of this press release, please visit
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
After Gov. Little vetoes Idaho ‘medical freedom' bill, Legislature pursues tweaks
Idaho Gov. Brad Little gives his annual State of the State address on Jan. 6, 2025, on the House floor at the Statehouse in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) Four days after Idaho Gov. Brad Little vetoed a bill that would've banned medical intervention mandates — including vaccines, medical treatment or medicine — by businesses, governments, schools and colleges, the Idaho Legislature's immediate path forward to respond remains unclear. The governor vetoed the bill Saturday. On Monday, the Idaho Senate introduced a new tweaked version of the bill. On Tuesday, the Idaho House made a similar move. But the Senate has not officially attempted to override the governor's veto; the original bill narrowly passed the Senate and would need broader support to pass a veto override, which requires two-thirds support in each legislative chamber. Senate President Pro Tempore Kelly Anthon, R-Rupert, hasn't ruled out a vote to override the governor's veto on the bill, he told the Idaho Capital Sun in an interview on the Senate floor Tuesday afternoon. But first, he said, lawmakers are focused on working with the governor 'to come up with language that is doable.' Asked if the Senate would override the governor's veto, Anthon told the Sun 'It very well could happen. But until we know that the road … is completely at a dead end, you won't see that happen. I think you're going to first see, 'Can we work with the governor to come up with language that is doable?' But you may not want to play that card or give up that leverage until you know you can't work out a deal.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The Senate's revised bill, Senate Bill 1210, exempts day cares and adds language specifying the school medical mandate ban provision is subject to various other Idaho laws that let school boards block sick students from attending, spell out parental rights, and more. The House's revised bill, House Bill 472, adds language specifying that the bill wouldn't overrule existing powers of school districts, or school board trustees — as already granted in Idaho law. To become law, Idaho bills must pass the House and Senate, and avoid the governor's veto. Right now, the Legislature is in the middle of a negotiation, Anthon told the Sun, and he doubts the new bills will become law as drafted. 'I personally think that none of those bills, as printed, will end up becoming law,' he said. The new bills appear to be competing versions of revised bills that attempt to address the governor's concerns over the original vetoed bill. Explaining his veto of the original bill, Senate Bill 1023, Little said he valued medical freedom but worried that the bill 'removes parents' freedom to ensure their children stay healthy at school because it jeopardizes the ability of schools to send home sick students with highly contagious conditions,' including measles. The Idaho governor's office couldn't be immediately reached for comment about how much either bill addresses Little's concerns over the original bill, called the Idaho Medical Freedom Act. 'Once the bill got vetoed … we start down a road where we try to figure out 'What's a bill that can actually pass both Houses?' Anthon told the Sun. 'And so you start to see the clamor of legislation.' The Idaho Legislature is more than a week past Republican leadership's nonbinding goal to adjourn, or end, this year's legislative session on March 21 — largely due to budgeting delays by the Legislature's powerful budget committee, the Sun previously reported. On Tuesday afternoon, the revised Senate bill was scheduled to be considered in the Senate State Affairs Committee, where it could've been advanced to the full Senate for a vote. But the meeting was canceled. Sen. Dan Foreman, R-Moscow, cosponsored the original bill that the governor vetoed and the revised Senate bill. He declined to comment on the bill's future to the Sun on Tuesday. Senate State Affairs Committee Chairman Jim Guthrie, R-McCammon, told the Sun in a Tuesday interview that Foreman had asked him to remove the bill from the committee's agenda. But Guthrie said he didn't know Foreman's reasons. Anthon, the top Senate Republican, told the Sun that Foreman 'is working really, really hard to get a policy across the finish line that effectuates, at the end of the day, the goal — and the goal is to get that medical freedom piece in place.' 'How to fine tune that language to get all of the different players happy is very difficult. So there's a negotiation taking place,' Anthon said. 'Sometimes you have to throw out a piece of legislation to get people to the table. So Senator Forman has done that. It looks like the House has done that a couple of times now. And once that piece of legislation is printed, the dialog starts. So I think we're just in the middle of a process.' Idaho Attorney General Raúl Labrador on Monday urged the Idaho Legislature to override the governor's veto, calling the bill 'the defining bill of this session.' 'Five years ago, COVID-19 brought chaos: lockdowns, mandates, business closures, school shutdowns, and restrictions that crushed our freedom,' Labrador said in a prepared statement. 'In hindsight, the damage to our society, children, and economy was far worse than the virus itself. I ran for Attorney General because our State failed to protect our citizens from government overreach. The legislature now has the opportunity to do the right thing.' Labrador is a former U.S. House of Representatives member. In 2018, he lost a Republican primary governor's election challenge to Little. In 2022, Labrador was elected as Idaho attorney general. Idaho Freedom Action, the lobbying arm of the Idaho Freedom Foundation, also supported a legislative veto override. Before Little vetoed the bill, Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon urged people to ask Little to sign the bill. Both bills introduced this week modify a bill that previously passed the Legislature, and was vetoed by Little. The original bill would have banned businesses and any Idaho governments — local, county or state — from requiring medical interventions for employment, admission to venues, transportation, or providing products or services. The bill would've also extended to schools in Idaho — private or public — and colleges, universities and trade schools, blocking them from requiring medical interventions for school attendance, employment, or entrance into campus or school buildings. CONTACT US The new broader medical intervention requirement ban the governor vetoed would have expanded on a previous Idaho law banning COVID vaccine requirements, which Little signed in 2023, despite its similarities to one he vetoed a year earlier, the Idaho Statesman reported. This year's broader bill — amended twice — was cosponsored by Sen. Foreman and Rep. Robert Beiswenger, R-Horseshoe Bend. Health Freedom Defense Fund President and Founder Leslie Manookian wrote the bill. Under the bill, medical interventions include 'a procedure, treatment, device, drug injection, medication, or action taken to diagnose, prevent, or cure a disease or alter the health or biological function of a person.' Business medical intervention mandates for employment would still be allowed in a few excepted circumstances, including in certain federal travel scenarios if jobs require entry into facilities that require medical interventions, or if required by federal law. The bill would also exempt medical intervention bans in situations where employers require 'personal protection equipment, items, or clothing … based on existing traditional and accepted industry standards or federal law.' But the bill says COVID-era requirements, such as for masks or vaccines, are not exempt from the ban. The bill would allow the Idaho attorney general or county prosecuting attorneys to enforce the law through injunctive relief, which are essentially civil court actions issued in lawsuits. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump's deportation campaign won't ‘make a dent,' Idaho lawmakers say. They want to help
Idaho lawmakers expressed support Friday for President Trump's mass deportations from the U.S. of immigrants without documentation. They also voiced concern that his policies weren't going far enough. At the current rate that the administration is conducting deportations, 'we're looking at only 728,000' people deported over the next four years, out of the millions of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S., said Rep. Jaron Crane, R-Nampa. More than a quarter of foreign-born people — about 14 million — living in the U.S. are undocumented, PBS News reported. 'We're not even going to make a dent,' Crane told a Senate committee Friday. Ahead of a public hearing for House Bill 83, which would make illegal entry into the state by a noncitizen a state crime that could be enforced by local law enforcement. Crane told lawmakers that Idaho would need to help fill the gap. 'States are going to have to start leaning into this, pressing forward and taking action to help the federal government with this issue,' he said. Crane's bill is one of multiple pieces of legislation this session that seek to grant local law enforcement more purview over immigration enforcement, which has traditionally been under federal jurisdiction, the Idaho Statesman previously reported. Crane sponsored a similar bill last year, which overwhelmingly passed the Idaho House, but failed in the Senate. On Friday, Crane and Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa, proposed combining an updated version of Crane's bill with Senate Bill 1039, sponsored by Senate Pro Tem Kelly Anthon, R-Burley. Anthon's bill would make it illegal for a 'dangerous illegal alien' to be present in or smuggled into Idaho, and would disallow their release on probation. 'I saw this particular bill being introduced in the House, and I recognized there was considerable overlap,' Anthon, an attorney, told committee members Friday. 'I thought that it would be better just to work together.' The proposal would test federal supremacy over immigration matters by deputizing local police and giving local judges authority to issue deportation orders, the Statesman reported. A similar law in Texas, after which the Idaho bill is modeled, has so far not been allowed to take effect by federal judges. The Idaho bill aims to create new state crimes of illegal entry and reentry, but calls for them to be enforced only if someone is detained on suspicion of first having committed a separate crime. 'This isn't just random out there looking for folks,' said Lakey, also a lawyer. But James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, a fellow attorney, raised concerns about targeting people merely 'suspected' of a crime, rather than convicted of one. 'It just seems to me that law enforcement could use lots of reasons to detain or investigate for suspected commission of an independent crime,' he told the committee Friday. 'Those words together just are so soft that it creates, maybe, a temptation for a law enforcement individual to profile.' Geoffrey Heeren, a University of Idaho law professor who specializes in immigration, told the Statesman in January that an earlier version of Crane's bill was likely to prompt costly litigation and had little chance of passing constitutional muster. Law enforcement agencies in the Treasure Valley cannot enforce immigration laws, but they do work with federal officials, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, if a person detained lacks legal status, according to spokespeople for several area police departments, the Statesman previously reported. The committee voted Friday to send Crane's bill to the Senate floor to amend it and incorporate portions of Anthon's bill. Dueling Idaho Republican immigration bills aim to expand state reach, create new crimes Idaho police could arrest immigrants without legal status in proposed law to mirror Texas Idaho has about 35,000 undocumented immigrants. Who are they? Here are 8 things to know
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Idaho bill to let police assist in immigration enforcement sent for amendments
More than 100 people march outside of the Idaho State Capitol in Boise holding Mexican flags and signs protesting President Donald Trump's immigration policies on February 7, 2025 (Mia Maldonado / Idaho Capital Sun) Idaho legislators are working to combine two immigration-related bills this legislative session. On Friday, the Idaho Senate State Affairs Committee voted to send House Bill 83 to the 14th order, which means it will receive amendments before a full Senate vote. The bill, which already passed the Idaho House in a 61-9 vote, would allow law enforcement to record a person's documentation status only if they are already detained or under investigation for a crime. If an individual involved in a crime is found to be living in Idaho without legal authorization, they would face a misdemeanor charge for 'illegal entry.' A second offense would result in a felony charge, and a conviction would lead to deportation. Bill sponsor Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa, said he is working to combine the bill with Senate Bill 1039, sponsored by Senate Pro Tem Kelly Anthon, R-Burley. Introduced in late January, Senate Bill 1039 would ban immigration sanctuaries in Idaho, criminalize the presence of 'dangerous illegal aliens,' and prohibit their transportation into the state. It would also require law enforcement to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE. Lakey said combining the two bills would align Idaho law enforcement efforts with federal immigration enforcement, rather than treating deportation as a separate state action. Rudy Rodriguez, a retired policeman from Burley, testified in opposition to the legislation. He said his main concern is racial profiling. 'I'm sure that you guys haven't been stopped and asked for your papers and asked where you come from, but let me tell you about my history,' he said, and proceeded to share a story of when his fifth-grade teacher asked all the Hispanic and Native American kids to go outside to get checked for lice, leaving the white students inside. 'The other day, I was in a restaurant and a gentleman in front of me told me, 'you better enjoy your time here in Idaho, because they're going to deport you.'' Rodriguez said. 'I'm a U.S. citizen.' In response to testimony, Anthon said he is proud to represent one of Idaho's most Hispanic districts and he loves his city, which according to the U.S. Census Bureau is 38% Hispanic. 'If there is ever an instance in the state of Idaho where someone is discriminated against because of their ethnicity or their background, to hell with them!' Anthon said. 'It's wrong, and it has no place in the state of Idaho, and I condemn it. But it has not changed the fact that we have a problem on our southern border, we've got to do something about it.' Anthon said the legislation is focused on preventing unauthorized immigrants with a criminal history from coming into Idaho, not individuals who commit infractions like a speeding ticket. 'I will continue to fight for that and I will continue to fight for my friends who are Hispanic in this state to make sure they are not discriminated against, and the two can be together,' Anthon said. The committee voted along party lines to advance the bill, with Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, being the only opposing vote. 'We're the ones who invite undocumented workers to come over and help us fill job requirements that Americans won't do, and to pretend otherwise is insulting to ourselves, and it's insulting to those hard working Hispanic families that come over here and integrate themselves into our communities,' Ruchti told the committee. Ruchti said he would prefer unauthorized immigrants who do commit crimes to leave, but overall, he said immigrant families contribute to Idaho communities. 'They make them better places to live,' Ruchti said. 'Our kids go to school with them. They grow up with them. They enjoy friendships with them. So, yeah, I am insulted by the bill. I'll be voting no.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Idaho Senate widely passes anti-SLAPP bill that aims to curtail frivolous lawsuits
Idaho Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke, R-Oakley, (left) and state lawmakers take a break from legislative proceedings on the Idaho Senate floor on Jan. 7, 2025. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) The Idaho Senate on Monday widely passed a bill intended to protect free speech by curtailing frivolous lawsuits. Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, has described the bill as an anti-SLAPP measure, targeting what are known as strategic lawsuits against public participation. The bill — Senate Bill 1001 — would put lawsuits on hold if a party files an anti-SLAPP motion. The bill would let the winning party recover attorney fees. Idaho is one of 15 states without anti-SLAPP protections, Lenney said in the state Senate on Monday. 'These are lawsuits that happen all over the United States that can take years to defend. And they can cost tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands, of dollars in legal fees for the defendant,' Lenney said. 'Because the type of lawsuits this bill deals with are not designed to win. They're designed to intimidate, to distract, to bankrupt or to punish a person for exercising free speech.' Anti-SLAPP laws are in place in 35 states and the District of Columbia, according to a 2023 report by the Institute for Free Speech. The Idaho Senate passed the bill on a 32-1 vote. Two Idaho state senators — Sens. Codi Galloway, R-Boise, and Ali Rabe, D-Boise, — were absent for the vote. Idaho Senate President Pro Tempore Kelly Anthon, R-Rupert, was the only senator to vote against the bill. Anthon said he agreed with Lenney's goal, but Anthon said he had a slightly different approach — through civil procedure rules. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The bill now heads to the Idaho House, where it could be considered by a committee before a possible vote by the full House, where Idaho Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, is listed as a co-sponsor. To become law, bills must pass the Idaho House and Senate and avoid the governor's veto. If passed, the bill would take effect on Jan. 1, 2026. The bill says it would apply to civil actions or causes of actions filed that day and later. Last year, Lenney sponsored a similar bill, Senate Bill 1325, which failed to pass the Idaho Senate on a 15-20 vote. Members of both major political parties voted against last year's bill after concerns over its legality were expressed. The bill gives courts a 'comprehensive, efficient framework' so they can 'quickly resolve sham lawsuits,' Lenney said in Senate floor debate on Monday. The bill has wide, diverse political support, he said. 'The judge still has discretion to be a judge. Decisions can still be appealed. This doesn't take away anything from the courts,' Lenney said. 'It just gives them, like I said, an additional mechanism. Nor does this bill give anyone a hall pass to engage in defamation, slander, things like that.' The bill would give courts an earlier chance to determine whether lawsuits should advance, said Sen. James Ruchti, D-Pocatello, who serves as assistant minority leader. 'It is designed for cases where it's not the outcome of the trial that everyone is interested, or that the person who brought the lawsuit is interested in,' he said. 'It's the lawsuit itself. It's the cost of litigation. It's the notoriety. It's the pressure. It's an effort to use lawsuits against somebody to get them to change their behavior, rather than the outcome of the lawsuit.' Without the bill, Ruchti, an attorney, said the first opportunity for that is usually within six months of the lawsuit's filing, if a motion to dismiss is filed. The second opportunity, he said, could happen if a motion for summary judgement is filed. 'That's where the court would say, 'Yep, there is law that supports your claim. But even if the facts are as you say, no reasonable juror could determine that you prevail, and so we're going to dismiss the lawsuit,'' he said. 'But that is done rarely. And when the court determines whether reasonable jurors could find in your favor, they take that very seriously,' Ruchti continued. 'In other words, the tendency, the trend, is always to allow — except in rare cases — the case to go to trial. Because you deserve your day in court.' Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa, also an attorney, said he believes the bill protects the integrity of the judiciary and legal system. 'People need to be confident that they're getting an independent and unbiased review, and that the legal system is not being used to the advantage of some parties that may have the resources' to do that, he said. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
