Outside of Sen. Todd Lakey, R-Nampa, who served as the floor sponsor for the bill, debate from legislators from across the political spectrum was entirely negative. Members of both parties raised concerns the legislation would consolidate power in the state, lead to paranoia amongst public officials and employees and present a fundamentally unnecessary solution in the face of existing oversight mechanisms.

Sen. Treg Bernt, R-Meridian, said the bill would allow the state to “supersede local decision making” by “stripping communities” of their ability to manage local issues. In addition to intruding on the relationship between state and local government, Bernt said the bill would bring “unprecedented authority” and investigatory power into the attorney general’s office.

“This consolidation places critical decisions affecting freedom and democracy in the hands of a selected few, rather than dispersing power as intended in a representative government,” Bernt said. “This ship fundamentally alters the balance of power in the state of Idaho — I have grave concerns over this.”

Sen. Ali Rabe, D-Boise, questioned why the legislation was necessary with the safeguards already in place. Even in bills that lack enforcement mechanisms, Rabe underlined there are mechanisms in place to “keep our elected officials” in check, including the Idaho Bribery and Corrupt Influences Act and the Idaho Ethics in Government Act, both of which govern the conduct of public officials.

“I worry also it could put us at odds with each other and make us kind of paranoid against each other,” Rabe said. “It seems pretty easy in here to just send a referral from one elected official to another about anyone over anything. … I believe that it could potentially be abused in a lot of ways.”

Pointing to the provision of the legislation that could bar people from public office for up to five years, Sen. Josh Kohl, R-Twin Falls, said blocking individuals from seeking office puts the state on “thin ice” in maintaining constitutional protections.

“It’s just a tool of potential weaponization, and people could use this to target people they just don’t like or are feuding with. … You could imagine 1,000 scenarios where people could use this to target someone,” Sen. Brian Lenney, R-Nampa, said.

McCandless covers Idaho politics for the Lewiston Tribune, Moscow-Pullman Daily News, Idaho Press of Nampa and Coeur d’Alene Press. He may be contacted at rmccandless@idahopress.com.

BOISE, Idaho – Around 1 p.m. today, Idaho State Police responded to a disturbance involving about 12 protesters inside the Idaho Capitol building.

The group used whistles and bullhorns inside the building, then went into a restroom and blocked the door with their bodies to keep others out. Troopers gave numerous warnings about the disturbance, and the group was trespassed from the building. The group refused to leave when instructed and remained in the restroom, further disrupting the situation.

Around 2:40 p.m., troopers arrested six people for misdemeanor trespass. One person was also charged with resisting arrest.

During the arrests, one person sustained a minor injury while leaving a bathroom stall. They were taken to a local hospital for a precautionary evaluation before being booked.

All of the people involved were adults. No weapons were reported in the incident.

The Boise Police Department assisted in transporting those arrested to the Ada County Jail.

ISP supports the public’s right to protest and express their opinions. People must follow lawful orders and rules to keep everyone safe and maintain order in public buildings.

I’m not comfortable with AI (artificial intelligence).  It’s going to rob us of liberty and humanity.  But our economic and military rivals are diving in headfirst.  The argument is that if China gets there first, the situation will only worsen.  Idaho is considered a good location for developers, with open space and cheap energy.  Some of it is nuclear from Idaho National Laboratory.  I’m not as worried about electricity demand as I am about water.  We’re in the midst of a drought, and we don’t know when it ends.  I guess for national security reasons, we’re being asked to abandon the region and leave it to the machines.

Opposition from All Directions

Opposition unites a diverse coalition, from the religious to farmers, to labor activists.  Such as the socialist Bernie Sanders, who wrote about his concerns in the Wall Street Journal (behind a paywall).  Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are calling for a moratorium while the impact is studied.

This reminds me of opposition to the Lava Ridge Wind Project.  It came from multiple sides.  When our state legislature unanimously opposed the incredible idea.  I had told House Minority Leader Ilana Rubel about local opposition. She did some research and got the Democrats’ caucus on board.

Danger, Danger, Danger

AI is going to deliver some wonders.  We may see life expectancy double, and equations that have bedeviled us for millennia solved in minutes.

More than 30 years ago, I was at a public hearing on a matter I don’t remember, but I can recall a comment from one of the men testifying.  He told me the Taoist symbol (Yin Yang) is split between opportunity and danger.  Tread softly.