Connect with us

Idaho

Idaho governor signs executive order opposing Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ athletes • Idaho Capital Sun

Published

on

Idaho governor signs executive order opposing Title IX protections for LGBTQ+ athletes • Idaho Capital Sun


Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed an executive order Wednesday aimed to oppose changes to the Biden administration’s final rule for Title IX.

Much-attacked final Title IX rule goes into effect while still blocked in 26 states

The final rule took effect this month, but Idaho is one of 26 states where state officials sued the Biden administration over the Title IX changes, and have thus blocked it from taking effect. 

Title IX is federal civil rights law enacted 1972 that prevented sex-based discrimination on any educational program that received federal funding. In April, the U.S. Department of Education added protections for LGBTQ+ students from discrimination in schools.

Advertisement

The final rule seeks to protect against discrimination “based on sex stereotypes, sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics.”

At a press conference at the Idaho State Capitol steps in Boise, Little said the executive order directs the Idaho State Board of Education to: 

  • Work with the State Department of Education to ensure Idaho public schools are following all of Idaho’s laws related to fairness in women’s sports and continue to update all public schools as the legal challenges to the new Title IX rules unfold.
  • Guarantee every female student in Idaho is provided equal opportunity in sports and school to the fullest extent, as guaranteed to them under the original Title IX rules and Idaho law.

Idaho officials, former collegiate athlete speak out against Title IX changes

Idaho was the first state to pass legislation defending women’s sports, Little said.

“These girls and women, and their families, dedicate their time, passion, and money to improve their skills and compete to win,” Little said. “They deserve a level playing field. That is why it is so important for us as a state to do all we can to protect and defend women’s sports.”

Advertisement

In 2020, Little signed House Bill 500 into law, which restricts transgender women from competing in women’s sports in Idaho. The bill was cosponsored by Rep. Barbara Edhart, R-Idaho Falls, and former Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur d’Alene, both of whom were in attendance at the press conference. 

Rep. Barbara Ehardt, R-Idaho Falls, debates a bill on the Idaho House floor on March 25, 2024. (Kyle Pfannenstiel/Idaho Capital Sun)

“Title IX changed my life,” Edhart said to the crowd. “In 1972, I was 8 years old. Life was very different from women back then. People would ask me, ‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’ I literally would tell people that I wanted to play sports, and I was told that’s not what girls do.”

Despite those comments, Edhart said she held onto her dreams, eventually playing Division I basketball through a scholarship, and coaching college basketball for 15 years.

“We made the world better for those female athletes,” Edhart said. “We are going to stand up for the rights of girls and women, not just in sports, but in all things related to Title IX rewrites.”

Riley Gaines, a former swimmer for the University of Kentucky, also spoke at the press conference. She tied for fifth place in the 200 freestyle final at the 2022 NCAA Women’s Championships against University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas, who is transgender. 

Advertisement

Gaines said she experienced discomfort in the locker room preparing to race against Thomas. 

“I can wholeheartedly attest to the unfair composition, to the tears that I saw from not just the moms in the stands watching as their daughter be obliterated in the sport that they once loved, but the tears from the girls the place ninth and 17th and missed out on being named all Americans by one place,” Gaines said. “… I am thrilled to be here today with these legislators, with Governor Little to say that Idaho will not comply.”

eo-2024-08



Source link

Advertisement

Idaho

Crash temporarily impacts rush hour traffic at Kimberly intersection

Published

on

Crash temporarily impacts rush hour traffic at Kimberly intersection


KIMBERLY, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Idaho State Police troopers are reminding drivers to exercise caution when entering or crossing U.S. Highway 30 between Kimberly and Twin Falls after a crash on Monday.

Around 4 p.m., a black sedan and a red hatchback crashed at the intersection of the highway and North 3400 East, according to a trooper on scene. One person in the black car was left with minor injuries.

The black sedan suffered extensive damage to the front bumper, while the red hatchback was sent over a ditch into a nearby field.

Troopers said they had to temporarily close westbound lanes and North 3400 East at the intersection before completely clearing the scene just before 5 p.m.

Advertisement

The intersection between U.S. Highway 30 and North 3400 East is one of the Magic Valley’s most dangerous intersections, according to a trooper on scene. ISP urged drivers to exercise caution and think twice before entering or crossing the highway.



Source link

Continue Reading

Idaho

Idaho Seeks Private Investment In Nuclear Energy Supply Chain Ventures

Published

on

Idaho Seeks Private Investment In Nuclear Energy Supply Chain Ventures


Idaho is seeking private investment and advice from companies interesting in developing the state’s nuclear energy supply chain.

The Governor’s Office of Energy and Mineral Resources issued a request for information to private industry to learn more about nuclear development incentives that can attract investments.

The office is seeking comprehensive feedback by Dec. 12 “from industry leaders to better understand the factors that influence location decisions and to identify specific initiatives that would make Idaho the preferred destination for nuclear investments,” the RFI stated.

Companies involved in the nuclear energy supply chain, including nuclear energy developers, are being asked to identify key factors influencing site selection and convey preferences about:

Advertisement
  • Business incentives such as tax and non-financial support,
  • Infrastructure,
  • Workforce needs,
  • Public-private partnerships, and
  • Regulatory and permitting requirements.

The state is also seeking information about potential investment barriers

“This RFI does not constitute a commitment by the State of Idaho to provide any specific incentives or support. All future agreements will be subject to separate negotiation and approval processes,” the state noted.

Idaho is already a national leader in advanced nuclear energy research thanks to its Idaho National Laboratory, a unit of the U.S. Department of Energy. There in Idaho Falls scientists and researchers are working on the latest nuclear power developments.

Nuclear Energy Advisory Task Force Created

Gov. Brad Little underscored the state’s commitment to backing advanced nuclear energy technologies—such as small modular reactors and next-generation reactors—as key to future economic prosperity.

Little issued Executive Order No. 2025-06 in September to create the “Idaho Advanced Nuclear Energy Task Force.”

Advertisement

The order says the task force is to “assess, recommend, and support strategies that advance Idaho’s leadership in nuclear energy innovation, deployment, and workforce development.”

Topics to advise the governor about include nuclear energy policy, spent nuclear fuel, and energy resiliency and security. Other issues it would delve into are fuel creation, enhancement and minimization as well as legislative and regulatory reforms to promote safe development of advanced nuclear projects.

Another responsibility of this organization is to create “marketing materials that position Idaho as a national hub for nuclear innovation, research, and private-sector development.”

Little also noted in his order that the group should also examine deploying in Idaho advanced nuclear technologies like small modular reactors, microreactors and molten salt reactors.



Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Idaho

Sunny skies to follow cloudy Sunday morning with high near 42

Published

on

Sunny skies to follow cloudy Sunday morning with high near 42


Sunday will start mostly cloudy but is expected to gradually become sunny, with temperatures reaching a high near 42 degrees.

A northwest wind will blow at 3 to 7 mph.

As night falls, the weather will turn mostly clear, with a low of around 25 degrees.

The northwest wind will calm to around 6 mph in the evening.

Advertisement



Source link

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending