By Ruth Brown, Idaho Reports
In a 10-3 split, House State Affairs introduced a bill Monday that would add some changes to a voter identification bill, HB 692, that the committee introduced last week.
A so-called trailer bill makes changes or additions to legislation passed in the same legislative session.
The original bill, pitched by Rep. Dorothy Moon, would remove the emergency clause in HB 692, meaning any changes would not be effective before the May primary. Instead, should the bill pass, any election changes in the bill go into effect on July 1.
Rep. Rod Furniss, of Rigby, was the only Republican to vote no.
Moon, R-Stanley, explained that she met with county clerks and the Idaho Transportation Department to address concerns that came up in the hearing for HB 692 last week.
Moon is one of three candidates running for the Republican nomination for secretary of state in the May primary. Fellow candidate Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur d’Alene, introduced similar legislation last week.
The largest changes in Moon’s bill include prohibiting the use of signed affidavits for same-day voter registration.
Under current law, a new voter may register at the polls by signing an affidavit after providing proof of residency. This proposal would require proof of citizenship at the poll to register the same day as the election. The bill would also prohibit the use of a student ID as a form of identification.
Both bills will now go before the full House for a vote.
Ruth Brown | Producer
Ruth Brown grew up in South Dakota and her first job out of college was covering the South Dakota Legislature. She’s since moved on to Idaho lawmakers. Brown spent 10 years working in print journalism, including newspapers such as the Idaho Statesman and Idaho Press, where she’s covered everything from the correctional system to health care issues. She joined Idaho Reports in 2021 and looks forward to telling stories about how state policy can impact the lives of regular Idahoans.
