Housing, Participation, and Town Halls

February 12, 2022 

"We must be headlights and not taillights." --John Lewis

RACIST HOUSING COVENANTS CORRECTED

The Senate unanimously passed S1240 on Tuesday. This bill allows homeowners and tenants to record a modification to the title of any property that has a racially restrictive covenant on it at no cost. These covenants are already illegal and unenforceable, but they linger on our records. The modification would be a nullification of the racist language and would become a permanent part of the deed for the property. The bill now heads to the House for its consideration.

LOCAL CONTROL CHECK ON PREDATORY LANDLORDS IN JEOPARDY

H442 passed the House 54-14-2. Landlords have been engaging in predatory practices related to application fees and deposits, such as charging as much as $190 for an application fee. This bill would make it impossible for local governments to take action to curb these excesses. Idahoans are struggling enough with finding affordable house as it is. Taking this tool to help renters away from cities and counties is wrong. The bill will now come to the Senate.

SCHOLARSHIPS FOR SURVIVORS EXPANDED

H461 expands an existing college scholarship program for children and spouses of service members and public safety officers who die or are permanently disabled while serving to include deaths or disabilities as a result of training. The tragic deaths of National Guardsmen last year during a Black Hawk helicopter training exercise spurred this important change.

POST-ELECTION AUDITS

Idaho's elections are extremely well-run with no evidence of fraud of any kind effecting the outcomes of races. Nonetheless, there is room for improvement and S1274 would add a requirement for the Secretary of State's Office to conduct limited post-election audits to ensure that our elections remain secure.

PARTICIPATE IN THE LEGISLATIVE PROCESS

Over the past two years, the legislature has improved its capabilities and this session the Senate is taking remote testimony in all committees--for House committees this is at the discretion of the Chair. To testify online, sign-up via the link on the agenda for the committee meeting. All committee agendas, bills, votes, livestream of committee meetings and floor sessions, and more are available on the legislature's website.

TOWN HALLS 

Please join Representatives Sally Toone, Ned Burns, and me for one of our zoom town hall meetings. We appreciate the opportunity to speak with and listen to our constituents.

·    Register for the February 22, from 6-7pm, meeting here: bit.ly/feb22townhall

·    Register for the February 26, from 9:30-10:30am, meeting here: bit.ly/feb26townhall

Respectfully,

Michelle