Idaho
Idaho Legislature Adopts Free Speech Protections Of The Uniform Public Expression Protection Act
Idaho State Capitol in Boise
By stunningly lopsided votes (Senate 32-1-2, House 70-0-0), the Idaho legislature has approved the passage of the Idaho Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, known as “UPEPA”, into law. The Idaho UPEPA now goes to Governor Brad Little for signing but will not go into effect until January 1, 2026.
This now makes ten states that have adopted the UPEPA as their Anti-SLAPP statute (or 11 if one counts Oregon as some do). Thus, the UPEPA now represents almost one-third of all the Anti-SLAPP statutes in the United States.
Looking at the text of the legislation, which is found as Idaho SB1001 here, it appears to be a very clean enactment of the UPEPA, which means that it is without any major non-uniform provisions. There are some minor procedural references to local Idaho statutes, but this is normal and to be expected.
Prior to the passage of the UPEPA, Idaho had no Anti-SLAPP law at all to protect free speech and expression. As I discussed in connection with the Ohio UPEPA that was enacted in January of this year, this demonstrates the power of the UPEPA as a Uniform Laws Committee legislation to bring quality Anti-SLAPP laws to those states which had no Anti-SLAPP statutes before.
For those who are unfamiliar, the purpose of Anti-SLAPP laws ― including the UPEPA ― are to nip in the bud frivolous lawsuits that infringe upon free speech by, essentially, moving the summary judgment procedure up from the end of a case to the outset of the case. Thus, lawsuits that are designed to harass folks into shutting up about something, or to retaliate against them for exercising their free speech rights, are thrown out of court very quickly. This keeps abusive litigants from using the litigation itself to harass folks.
So it is a good day for the citizens of Idaho. Congratulations!
We’re lucky to live in a place as safe as the Treasure Valley. Despite our growth, one of the things that makes our area so special is the way that we look out for one another–for our neighbors! That’s a principle that seems to have held on as Boise has boomed.
Despite low crime rates, there seems to always be one incident or so that makes us scratch our heads.
A recent string of fraud incidents in the Treasure Valley area is one of those.
Nampa Police initially warned the public of this because cases of fraud began to ‘mushroom’. Then, it took an interesting turn–people that HAD their credit cards were being ‘taken to the bank’, so to speak.
In a statement originally released on April 30th by the Nampa Police Department, officials advised the following:
We are not sure how the suspects are gaining access to the victim’s credit cards. There is a growing fraud scheme, “ghost tapping”, that scammers are using to access victims’ credit cards. This is possibly occurring in these instances. “Ghost tapping” uses stolen credit card details in Apple Pay or Google Pay, then remotely relays the tap signal over the internet to a ‘mule’ at a store, allowing them to make high-value purchases that appear completely legitimate. (We’ll share more information on ghost tapping in a later public service announcement that will also suggest ways to protect yourself.) The app used by these criminals obscures the actual credit card number, making it harder for investigators to link a victim to a particular crime. Keep in mind that victims still have their physical credit cards while suspects use the stolen card information to make purchases, which also affects how victims are alerted. So far, local investigators have not been able to identify a common theme among the victims (e.g., a specific bank, a website they visited, a gas pump they used, etc.) in the fraud cases we are investigating.
The investigation spans far and wide.
Authorities say that some suspects are in custody, others are being contacted, and others are still at large.
Now, a week later, the police are back to reaching out to the public–this time, urging people to check their bank accounts.
Nampa Police say that they have caught onto a pattern– there are fraudulent charges at Albertson’s to purchase gift cards, at Costco to purchase Apple products, and at Best Buy, also for Apple products.
Check those bank statements!
Inside The Arrest of 3 Venezuelan Fraudsters
What on earth was happening in Eagle this week?
Gallery Credit: Credit: Mateo, 103.5 KISS FM
It’s Not Hard To See Why This Idaho Police Photoshoot Is Going Viral
The Jerome Police Department is going viral thanks to Twin Falls photographer, Layton Henderson. Once you see the hilarious photos, you’ll see why!
Gallery Credit: Chris Cardenas
A powerful search engine that organizes and provides access to vast information on the internet.
The USDA has issued a public health alert for various meat and poultry products containing FDA-regulated dairy that may have been contaminated with salmonella. The recall was originally issued on April 30th, but the contaminated product list could continue to grow as more products are identified.
The Food Safety and Inspection arm of the U.S. Department of Agriculture issued the public health alert and there have been no confirmed reports of adverse reactions due to consumption of the products listed below, consumers are still advised to dispose of the items or return them to the place of purchase. Great Value and Pork King Good products sold at Idaho Walmart stores are included in the alert and recall.
Public Health Alert and Food Recall Issued For Pizza and Pork Rinds Sold in Idaho
As of right now, the food list includes pork rinds, breakfast pizzas, and chicken bacon ranch pizzas. The list could grow and the USDA advises consumers to check the list frequently. We will also update the list here when possible. The contaminated products carry a variety of ‘Best By’ and ‘Produced On’ dates, so check the lists carefully to make sure you don’t consume a contaminated product.
The nationwide brands to look for are Mama Cozzi’s from Aldi stores, Pork King Good, and Great Value at Walmart Stores.
Photo Credit USDA – 1
Photo Credit USDA – 1
You can also look through these label photos to see if you have the product in your freezer.
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
Photo Credit USDA Recalls
If you feel sick and have consumed a contaminated product, the USDA advise you to contact your health care provider.
Guy Fieri’s Top Idaho Moments On Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives
Food Network just posted a compilation video of Guy at these spots!
Gallery Credit: Shannon Buccola
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