Legislation allowing Idaho state lawmakers to nullify any federal laws, regulations, or U.S. Supreme Court decisions is headed to the House floor.
The House State Affairs Committee on Wednesday advanced the proposal brought by Riggins Republican Rep. Paul Shepherd, who says his bill allows lawmakers to claim any federal law or regulation as unconstitutional. If the Legislature then passed a measure supporting that lawmaker’s claim, the state wouldn’t be allowed to enforce the federal regulation.
Several Republican legislators who support the proposal say they were unhappy with what they see as federal government overreach and argue Idaho needs a process to stop it.
Shepherd introduced similar legislation last year, but the proposal never got a hearing.
A review by the Idaho Attorney General’s office said the bill’s active obstruction of federal law would likely not hold up in court. (AP)
