BILL THAT WOULD MAKE UNREGULATED MILITIAS LEGAL
There is a bill currently in the Idaho legislature that seeks to repeal all Idaho statues that would prohibit UNREGULATED MILITIAS in our state. It is being introduced as Senate Bill 1007 and has been assigned to the State Affairs Committee in the Senate.
The BCHRTF was alerted to this bill by Mary McCord at ICAP—the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection—at Georgetown University. You may remember that they were very helpful in sharing information several years ago when we had armed militia members “patrolling” our streets and following the young people that were demonstrating that “Black Lives Matter.”
It is important that all of us who oppose this bill make our voices heard ASAP. This bill could be presented in Committee as soon as Wednesday.
The BCHRTF is asking you to please let the members of the State Affairs Committee know that you oppose Senate Bill 1007. You can write to the Committee Secretary and ask her to please cc the Committee Members.
Information on that committee:
State Affairs M, W, F, 8:00 am, Room WW55 Secretary: Joyce Brewer Email: sstaf@senate.idaho.gov Phone: 332-1326
Chair Jim Guthrie Vice Chair Treg A. Bernt Chuck Winder Kelly Arthur Anthon Mark Harris Abby Lee Ben Toews
ICAP has written a detailed letter to the Legislature making clear what statutes this Bill would repeal and refuting the claim that they violate the First and Second Amendments.
For your reference, I am attaching a copy of the ICAP letter. Read through it to give yourself a thorough understanding of what this Bill would mean. There is no need to re-iterate that, however, when you write your own letter, as this letter has been sent to the Legislature already by an Idaho law firm that included our former US Attorney. Just expressed your own concerns-- in your own words—as an Idaho citizen.
Also, I am attaching a link to a video that gives clear instructions about how to submit written testimony. It also gives valuable information about how to keep informed, on a daily basis, of the status of bills proposed to the legislature.
League of Women Voter Remote Testimony Training: https://youtu.be/pqCRxDVUy74
It is important that we act now and speak out against Senate Bill 1007. A similar bill was proposed last year, but it never made it out of committee. Let’s hope the same thing happens this year!!
Please feel free to share this information so that more people are uninformed and, hopefully, also inspired to write to the Committee.
Brenda Hammond, Linda Navarre—co-presidents of the BCHRTF
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