House lawmakers could soon consider allowing people to carry guns in parts of county courthouses in the waning days of the legislative session.
House Bill 621 would require counties to let people carry firearms in administrative areas of a courthouse, like commissioners’ offices and clerk counters.
Courtrooms and detention centers would be exempt from this proposal.
The newly-renovated Nez Perce County courthouse, like several courthouses in the state, has a security checkpoint at the entrance, according to Rep. Kyle Harris (R-Lewiston), who sponsors the bill.
“I still have to disarm myself to walk in to pay my taxes, to register to vote, to talk to my county commissioners,” Harris said.
That, he said, infringes upon his Second Amendment right to carry a firearm for protection.
“You must have some tough county commissioners if you’ve got to take your gun in there to talk to them,” joked Rep. Brent Crane (R-Nampa). “Mine aren’t that tough.”
The bill’s fiscal analysis said, “This legislation causes no increase or decrease in revenue, or additional expenditure of funds at the state or local level of government.”
However, a survey by the Idaho Association of Counties found remodeling courthouses to comply with the bill could cost tens of millions of dollars.
Rep. Erin Bingham (R-Idaho Falls) said 25 of Idaho’s 44 counties responded to the survey, with renovation costs among them totaling $36 million.
Ada County Clerk Trent Tripple says his county saved millions of dollars by combining administration and court operations in their current facility that opened in Boise in 2002.
He called the atmosphere an emotional powder keg that could turn dangerous if people were allowed to bring in firearms, even outside courtrooms.
“People are being incarcerated while family members watch. People are being fined. Parents are potentially losing custody of their kids. Ex-spouses are battling over livelihoods,” Tripple said.
“All of those folks are interacting with my employees at the front counter and in the hallways before and after court.”
Nick Woods, who’s running for a county commission seat in Lewiston, supported the bill. He said establishing gun-free zones is more dangerous than allowing citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights.
“If a deranged person had the intent to murder anyone in the courthouse, the unarmed security officer won’t be preventing it. In fact, you now have more victims inside the courthouse that are unarmed and could’ve protected themselves otherwise,” Woods said.
The House State Affairs Committee unanimously, including both Democrats, sent the bill to the floor for possible amendments.
Bingham, who made the motion, told Boise State Public Radio on Tuesday the bill needs to better define which courthouse facilities will be included under the legislation.
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