Latest news with #HeatherScott
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Anti-SLAPP bill heads to Idaho House with bipartisan support
Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, speaks from the House floor at the Statehouse in Boise on Nov. 15, 2021. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) A bill that its sponsors say is designed to protect free speech and public participation from frivolous lawsuits is heading to the floor of the Idaho House of Representatives with bipartisan support. Late Thursday afternoon, the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee voted unanimously to send Senate Bill 1001 to the House floor with a recommendation to pass it. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Rep. Heather Scott, a Blanchard Republican who presented the bill Thursday at the Idaho State Capitol in Boise, described Senate Bill 1001 as a tool designed to fight strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPP lawsuits. If passed into law, the bill would create a new anti-SLAPP motion that people could file if they are subject to a frivolous lawsuit. The anti-SLAPP motion would place a stay, or a freeze, on the case and allow a judge to quickly dismiss frivolous lawsuits that are filed without merit without having to go through a lengthy, drawn out legal case. In such cases, the winning party would also be able to recover court costs and attorney fees. 'These lawsuits can take years to defend and cost tens of thousands of dollars because they're really not designed to win,' Scott told legislators Thursday. 'They're designed to intimidate, distract, bankrupt or punish free speech.' On the other hand, if the judge reviewing an anti-SLAPP motion finds there is merit to the lawsuit, the case would be allowed to continue. Everyone who spoke during a public hearing on the bill on Thursday supported it, including the Idaho Association of Commerce and Industry, representatives of the Uniform Law Commission and Driggs resident Dirk Leasure, who said the need to protect Idahoans from frivolous lawsuits is 'an American democracy issue.' CONTACT US The bill was sponsored by Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, and Scott, who are two of the most conservative members of the Idaho Legislature. House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, a Boise Democrat, thanked Lenney and Scott for bringing the bill forward on Thursday, saying the bill has been badly needed for years. 'This is something I had hoped we could pass for probably 10 years now, and I never thought it would happen. I'm so excited that we're here,' Rubel said. Senate Bill 1001 heads next to the Idaho House for consideration, where it could be taken up and voted on next week. The Idaho Senate already voted 32-1 to pass the bill on Jan. 27. If a majority of members of the Idaho House vote to pass Senate Bill 1001, it would then be sent to Gov. Brad Little's desk for final consideration. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bill to limit which types of flags can be flown on government properties advances to Idaho House
Idaho House State Affairs Committee chairman Brent Crane, R-Nampa, listens to Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, introduce a new bill at the Jan. 7, 2025, meeting of the committee at the Idaho Statehouse in Boise. (Pat Sutphin for the Idaho Capital Sun) A bill to limit the kinds of flags a government entity can use on its property is moving forward to the floor of the Idaho House of Representatives. On Wednesday, the Idaho House State Affairs Committee held a hearing on House Bill 96, sponsored by Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard. According to the bill, municipalities, counties, special districts or any other political subdivisions or 'governmental instrumentalities' would be limited from using bills that are not: The U.S. flag The official flag of a governmental entity Official flags of any state in the U.S. Official flags of any military branches and units of the U.S. The POW/MIA flag Official flags of Native American tribes The committee voted to advance the bill to the floor with a recommendation that it pass. The committee's two Democrats, Rep. Todd Achilles, D-Boise, and a substitute for Rep. Brooke Green, D-Boise, voted against the motion. The House may vote on it in the coming days or weeks of the legislative session. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Idaho House calls on Supreme Court to undo same-sex marriage ruling
The Idaho House passed a Republican-backed resolution on Monday urging the Supreme Court to reconsider the legality of same-sex marriage. All of Idaho's Democratic House members opposed the nonbinding resolution, as did 15 Republicans. It passed 46-24. 'Christians across the nation are being targeted,' said state Rep. Heather Scott (R), who sponsored the measure. House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel (D) said she voted against the resolution because it harms 'good people.' 'It's deeply upsetting to some of those folks, and it makes them not want to live here,' Rubel told the Idaho Capital Sun. 'These are good people. These are good, law-abiding people who are feeling like their Legislature doesn't want them here and doesn't want them to be able to live the full rights that everybody else can.' State legislators argue the opposite in the resolution, claiming the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling upholding same-sex marriage was made 'in complete contravention of their own state constitutions and the will of their voters, thus undermining the civil liberties of those states' residents and voters.' Idaho voters passed an amendment to their state constitution in 2006 affirming that legal marriage was only between a man and a woman. The Supreme Court does not overturn its previous rulings absent a new case presenting a legal challenge. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
29-01-2025
- Politics
- The Hill
Idaho House calls on Supreme Court to undo same-sex marriage ruling
The Idaho House passed a Republican-backed resolution on Monday urging the Supreme Court to reconsider the legality of same-sex marriage. All of Idaho's Democratic House members opposed the nonbinding resolution, as did 15 Republicans. It passed 46-24. 'Christians across the nation are being targeted,' said state Rep. Heather Scott (R), who sponsored the measure. House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel (D) said she voted against the resolution because it harms 'good people.' 'It's deeply upsetting to some of those folks, and it makes them not want to live here,' Rubel told the Idaho Capital Sun. 'These are good people. These are good, law-abiding people who are feeling like their Legislature doesn't want them here and doesn't want them to be able to live the full rights that everybody else can.' State legislators argue the opposite in the resolution, claiming the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges Supreme Court ruling upholding same-sex marriage was made 'in complete contravention of their own state constitutions and the will of their voters, thus undermining the civil liberties of those states' residents and voters.' Idaho voters passed an amendment to their state constitution in 2006 affirming that legal marriage was only between a man and a woman. The Supreme Court does not overturn its previous rulings absent a new case presenting a legal challenge.
Yahoo
27-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Idaho House calls on U.S. Supreme Court to reverse same-sex marriage ruling
Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, speaks from the House floor at the Statehouse in Boise on Nov. 15, 2021. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) The Idaho House of Representatives on Monday called for the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse the 2015 ruling that extended the fundamental right of marriage to same-sex couples. On Monday, the Idaho House voted 46-24 to pass House Joint Memorial 1. Although it does not carry the force and effect of law, House Joint Memorial 1 says the Idaho Legislature rejects the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in case of Obergefell v. Hodges and calls on the U.S. Supreme Court to 'restore the natural definition of marriage, a union of one man and one woman.' Joint Senate and House rules of the Idaho Legislature define a joint memorial as 'A petition or representation made by the House of Representatives and concurred in by the Senate, or vice versa, addressed to whoever can effectuate the request of the memorial.' Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard, sponsored the memorial. 'I would ask you to substitute any other issue and ask yourself, 'Do I want the federal government creating rights for us, for Idahoans,'' Scott said in her floor debate. 'So what if the federal government redefined property rights or nationalized water rights? What does that look like if they came up with some new fair use policy or came up with different ways to define property rights? That is not a decision for the judges; it is a decision for the states.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX During debate on the House floor Monday, Scott repeatedly said marriage is a decision that should be left for the states to decide. But Scott's memorial actually calls on the U.S. Supreme Court – not the states – to define marriage as a union of one man and one woman. Scott went on to say the Obergefell decision poses threats to religious liberty. For example, Scott said cake-makers and photographers were pressured to support marriages they don't personally agree with. 'Christians across the nation are being targeted,' Scott said. All House Democrats and 15 House Republicans opposed House Joint Memorial 1, but it still passed with a comfortable 46-24 margin on Monday. CONTACT US Rep. Todd Achilles, D-Boise, voted against the memorial after calling it nothing more than a grumpy letter that will be thrown in the trash. House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, said calling on the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down its ruling guaranteeing same-sex couples the right to marry is deeply upsetting to many LGBTQ+ Idahoans. Rubel said one of her sons is gay and when he heard about the House Joint Memorial 1 he expressed concern that he would not be able to marry his longterm partner and still live in Idaho. 'It's deeply upsetting to some of those folks, and it makes them not want to live here,' Rubel said. 'These are good people. These are good, law-abiding people who are feeling like their Legislature doesn't want them here and doesn't want them to be able to live the full rights that everybody else can.' Despite opposition from both parties, House Republicans who control a supermajority were still able to comfortably pass House Joint Memorial 1 by a 46-24 vote. In 2006, Idaho voters passed an amendment to the Idaho Constitution that defines marriage as a union between one man and one woman. 'A marriage between a man and a woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in this state,' the Idaho Constitution states. In 2014 a federal judge ruled the amendment to the Idaho Constitution blocking same-sex marriage was unconstitutional. Then in 2015 the U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges legalized same-sex marriage in Idaho. House Joint Memorial 1 heads next to the Idaho Senate for consideration. If the Senate takes the memorial up and passes it, it does not require the signature of the governor, like a new law would. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
