Idaho Legislature Poised for Business with New Leaders, Freshmen Class

January 3, 2025

The Idaho Legislature, with a host of new Republican leaders and a fresh crop of first-year lawmakers, returns to Boise next week with its sights set on changes to education, Medicaid, and tax policy.

But there will likely be plenty of time to consider the merits of policies dealing with law enforcement, the death penalty, and expanding search and seizure responsibilities for parolees. You can be sure we’ll be keeping our eyes on these developments and others that may impact crime victims and their rights and protections.

The first session of the 68^th Idaho Legislature gets underway Monday with Gov. Brad Little’s State of the State Address. From there, the real activity begins on Tuesday when House and Senate committees begin debating proposed legislation that will shape Idaho’s future.

This version of the Legislature features some new and interesting dynamics. First, Republicans, thanks to this year’s success at the ballot box, begin with a 91-14 majority and will once again dictate what happens. The Senate will be operating under new GOP leadership after longtime Pro Tem Chuck Winder was defeated in the primaries in May. Finally, there is a big new batch of Republican freshmen who will tilt both chambers a little further to the right. All these factors should make things interesting over the next three-plus months.

Some of the things that our on our radar – based on proposed bills we’re hearing about – include legislation that would make firing squads the primary option when the Idaho Department of Correction (IDOC) executes a death row prisoner.

Another proposal we’re curious about would remove the requirement that all Idahovehicles have a license plate on the front bumper. Our concern is whether this makes it more difficult for law enforcement to track down crime suspects.

There could also be legislation to address a gap in the oversight of offenders released on parole and probation. The discussion centers around giving police officers the right to conduct 4^th Amendment searches of parolees without a search warrant. Currently, those searches can only be done by IDOC probation and parole officers.

If you’re interested, you can follow our Facebook and X accounts to keep tuned in to these and other issues related to crime victims and their rights and safety. We’ll also provide pertinent updates in future monthly newsletters.

Oh, and Happy New Year from the Marsy’s Law for Idaho team!

Matthew Hebb, State Director, Marsy’s Law for Idaho