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Idaho senators introduce bill to increase penalties for attacks on first responders after shooting – East Idaho News

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Idaho senators introduce bill to increase penalties for attacks on first responders after shooting – East Idaho News


WASHINGTON (Idaho Capital Sun) — In the wake of the June 29 deadly attack on North Idaho firefighters, Idaho U.S. senators introduced a bill to increase penalties for crimes against first responders. 

Idaho Republican Sens. Jim Risch and Mike Crapo as well as Missouri Republican Sen. Eric Schmitt introduced the Graham Hoffman Act, which would make it a federal crime to assault first responders, according to a press release. 

Under the act, a knowing assault of a first responder while they are performing official duties that causes serious bodily harm, death or attempts to do so, would be punishable by up to 10 years in prison, fined or both. If the attack results in death or the includes a kidnapping or attempted kidnapping, the penalty could be up to a life sentence. 

“Last month’s evil attack on first responders in North Idaho is a stark reminder of the dangers our brave men and women in uniform face every day,” Risch said in the release. “The Graham Hoffman Act is commonsense legislation to properly punish those who assault the men and women who keep our communities safe.”

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Risch said he and his wife, Vicki, “continue to pray for the victims of the North Idaho ambush, their loved ones, and all affected by this reprehensible act.”

The attack in Coeur d’Alene killed Coeur d’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Battalion Chief Frank Harwood and severely injured engineer Dave Tysdal, who also works for the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department. 

From left, John Morrison, battalion chief with Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and member of Coeur d’Alene Firefighters IAFF Local 710; Frank J. Harwood, battalion chief with Kootenai County Fire & Rescue and member of Kootenai County Firefighters IAFF L2856; and David Tysdal, firefighter/engineer with Coeur d’Alene Fire Department and member of Coeur d’Alene Firefighters IAFF Local 710. Morrison and Harwood were killed in the ambush shooting, and Tysdal is fighting for his life in recovery. | CDA Fire Department Facebook

The suspect, Wess Roley, was found dead nearby. Officials believe he started a brush fire and then opened fire on the firefighters, the Sun reported. 

“Their loss impels us to strengthen the law and deter further violence to ensure justice is fully meted on any individual who attacks our law enforcement or first responders,” Crapo said in the release.

RELATED | Two firefighters killed in ‘ambush-style’ shooting east of Coeur d’Alene

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RELATED | The man accused of killing 2 Idaho firefighters had once aspired to be one

Proposed law named after Kansas City paramedic

The act was named after Graham Hoffman, a Kansas City firefighter paramedic who was stabbed and killed while transporting a patient in April, the Kansas City Star reported. 

“This tragic loss underscores the urgent need to protect our first responders, who put their lives on the line to serve our communities,” Schmitt said in the release. “This legislation, in honor of Graham, ensures that anyone who assaults or kills a first responder faces the full force of federal law.” 

Risch and Crapo are joined by U.S. Sens. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.), Ashley Moody (R-Fla.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.).

Idaho Capital Sun is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Idaho Capital Sun maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Christina Lords for questions: info@idahocapitalsun.com.

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Gov. Little signs bill ending license plate registration stickers in Idaho

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Gov. Little signs bill ending license plate registration stickers in Idaho


Gov. Brad Little has signed House Bill 533, which would remove the need for license plate stickers on Idaho vehicles.

The legislation, introduced earlier this session by Rep. Jon Weber (R) of Boise, eliminates the requirement for registration stickers on Idaho license plates. Weber stated during the bills intorduction that officers can verify the status of license plates without the stickers, potentially saving the state around $300,000.

During the bill’s introduction, some lawmakers argued that it could increase the workload for law enforcement.

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The new law is set to take effect in July.



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Idaho resolution opposing same-sex marriage advances

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Idaho resolution opposing same-sex marriage advances


For the second year in a row, House lawmakers will consider urging the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn its ruling legalizing same-sex marriage.

The nonbinding resolution, which carries no legal weight, says the decision in Obergefel v. Hodges violates the longstanding religious definition of marriage between one man and one woman.

“The current definition of marriage that allows for same-sex marriages is a defilement of the word marriage,” said Rep. Tony Wisniewski (R-Post Falls), who sponsors the measure.

The resolution further states that the Obergefel decision “arbitrarily and unjustly” rejects the historical definition of marriage.

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Idaho voters passed a constitution amendment in 2006 that defines marriage as between one man and one woman, which was invalidated by the Obergefel ruling.

Wisniewski said regulating marriages should be a power left to the states.

Rep. Brent Crane (R-Nampa) agrees.

“If you want to get things … closer to the people with respect to some of these more complex social issues, I think the best place for those things to happen is in the states,” Crane said.

Doing so is a risk, he said.

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“You may have states that choose to acknowledge [polyamorous relationships]. You may have states that choose to have relationships between adults and younger children,” Crane said.

Cities in neighboring Oregon and Washington, for example, are considering giving those in polyamorous relationships legal recognition.

But he said that risk is worth it to allow other states that choose to only recognize traditional marriages.

Four lawmakers on the House State Affairs Committee opposed the resolution.

Rep. Erin Bingham (R-Idaho Falls) said she’s tried to balance her own religious beliefs with those of others while considering the measure.

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“I do feel like that it is important for us to work together, to find ways to compromise and to live together in peace and mutual respect,” Bingham said.

The resolution now goes to the House floor for consideration.

House lawmakers last year passed a similar measure, but it never received a hearing in a Senate committee.

Copyright 2026 Boise State Public Radio

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University of Idaho professor awarded $10M after TikTok tarot influencer claimed she ‘ordered’ quadruple murders

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University of Idaho professor awarded M after TikTok tarot influencer claimed she ‘ordered’ quadruple murders


A University of Idaho professor won a $10 million judgment after a tarot TikTok influencer publicly pushed false claims that she was behind the savage quadruple slayings of four college students.

A Boise jury in US District Court ordered fortune-telling Texas TikToker Ashley Guillard on Friday to pay $10 million after concluding she falsely accused professor Rebecca Scofield of having a secret romance with one of the four victims and orchestrating their killings, the Idaho Statesman reported.

Following the verdict, Scofield thanked the jury and said she hopes the case sends a clear warning that making “false statements online have consequences in the real world.”

Ashley Guillard posted TikTok videos falsely linking a University of Idaho professor to the Idaho college murders, leading to a defamation lawsuit. TikTok/ashleyisinthebookoflife4

“The murders of the four students on November 13, 2022, were the darkest chapter in our university’s history,” Scofield told Fox News.

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“Today’s decision shows that respect and care should always be granted to victims during these tragedies. I am hopeful that this difficult chapter in my life is over, and I can return to a more normal life with my family and the wonderful Moscow community.”

Scofield, the university’s history department chair, filed the lawsuit in December 2022 — just weeks after Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin were brutally stabbed to death at an off-campus rental home in Moscow, Idaho, on Nov. 13, 2022.

Guillard began uploading videos to her more than 100,000 TikTok followers in late November 2022, accusing Scofield of a secret relationship with one of the students and claiming she had “ordered” the killings, garnering millions of views across the social media platform.

The complaint states that Scofield had never met the victims and was out of state when the murders occurred.

Idaho murder victims Madison Mogen, 21, top left, Kaylee Goncalves, 21, bottom left, Ethan Chapin, 20, center, and Xana Kernodle, 20, right, and their two surviving roommates.

Even after being served with cease-and-desist letters and after police publicly confirmed Scofield had no connection to the murders, the Houston-based tarot reader continued posting videos, the history professor’s legal team argued.

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Guillard doubled down on her accusations against Scofield after being sued, posting a defiant video saying, “I am not stopping,” and challenging why Scofield needed three lawyers to sue her “if she’s so innocent.”

The professor’s legal team argued the defamatory accusations painted her as a criminal and accused her of professional misconduct that could derail her career.

Bryan Kohberger pleaded guilty to the savage slayings in July 2025 in a plea deal that took the death penalty off the table. AP

Bryan Kohberger, then studying criminology at Washington State University, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to the quadruple murders in a deal that took the death penalty off the table. He is currently serving four consecutive life sentences in Idaho.

In June 2024, Chief US Magistrate Judge Raymond Patricco found Guillard’s statements legally defamatory, leaving damages to be decided by a jury.

During the damages trial, Scofield described the anguish of seeing her name tied to the murders online, the Idaho Statesman reported.

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The off-campus home where four University of Idaho students were stabbed to death on Nov. 17, 2022, in Moscow, Idaho. James Keivom

However, Guillard, acting as her own attorney, insisted her comments were simply beliefs based on tarot card readings.

She claimed to have psychic powers and testified that she relied on tarot cards to try to solve the shocking homicides that shook the rural college town and sparked global attention.

It took jurors less than two hours to return their verdict, the outlet reported.

The jury awarded Scofield $7.5 million in punitive damages in addition to $2.5 million in compensatory damages.

With Post wires

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