© 2024 Boise State Public Radio
NPR in Idaho
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Chad Daybell's murder trial has begun. Follow along here.

Idaho House Dumps Unconstitutional Capitol Protest Rules

Idaho Capitol Dome
Emilie Ritter Saunders
/
Boise State Public Radio

A House panel ended the state's bid to appeal a federal judge's decision that rules governing protests at the Capitol are unconstitutional.

The House State Affairs Committee on Tuesday voted to reject rules that, among other things, had sought to limit protest duration and give special treatment to state events.

They were crafted in the wake of the "Occupy Boise" protests of 2011 and 2012.

But U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill decided the rules violated constitutional free speech protections last year.

Following Tuesday's unanimous committee vote, Idaho Department of Administration Director Teresa Luna says her agency no longer plans to appeal Winmill's decision.

She says Winmill's ruling provided guidance on how to craft rules governing Capitol gatherings in a way that doesn't run afoul of the U.S. Constitution.

You make stories like this possible.

The biggest portion of Boise State Public Radio's funding comes from readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

Your donation today helps make our local reporting free for our entire community.