[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6382155,"mediaKeyId","2127539-f891beecdc0b2e4974d509f9df8c0690","parentId",2127539,"title","After contested hearing, committee approves minimum $300 fine for possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana","audioSeconds",7896,"startMs",1820000,"endMs",9716000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127539-f891beecdc0b2e4974d509f9df8c0690&start=1820&end=9716","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127539-f891beecdc0b2e4974d509f9df8c0690/thumbnail_1820000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6382155/Idaho/After-contested-hearing-committee-approves-minimum-300-fine-for-possession-of-up-to-3-ounces-of-marijuana","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6382155-ca21ec57a52d13beb1168253b48c54d7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152637&Signature=ZkBkIXNaQFEdvIxdVw9uiYf53t3yAik7UeW4FQ5u0QV9qGQpOHwYxRYP-GzjJWohWuCQ1g3VsMjWEATZveylz3UPejvCMAo~RRjw3PF9OG~8TEQIb6-0kHCKcGglih77LrMp9UOKf95a95byxxrhaTd0WpdmE5lAYe6d5Dg8HqdWkrsogRc2SV~j0XUWr8iVUBtLRwNgVncnFNTMNeduiZIla6i4Id1tmPcE4MqrXM7yX5rKt-9uz~XxTDzB7g~bY9UATXNbX4zAWRVj-qTWT-5G3fcvglLLD7ZHIC-~ybMVb94KHdPCFMVx41aoMdWCoj5Z~Pyk4ONF4vfyF0sUfA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Idaho House of Representatives","date","2025-01-15T00:00:00Z","article","The Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee voted 10-4 to send House Bill 7 to the House floor with a due-pass recommendation after more than two hours of public testimony and debate.

Sponsor Representative Jordan Redmond (District 3) told the committee HB 7 \"sets a minimum fine of $300 for adults in possession of 3 ounces or less of marijuana\" and said the bill is intended to create a uniform penalty across counties and act as a deterrent. The bill expressly excludes children under 18.

The hearing drew a mix of law-enforcement, business, veterans, medical-advocacy and criminal-justice testimony. Supporters included Sheriff Chris Getz, speaking for the Idaho Sheriffs Association, and Rex Ingram, Chief of Police in Caldwell and president of the Idaho Chiefs of Police Association; both described the minimum as a deterrent and said they have seen increased local impacts after neighboring states legalized recreational marijuana. \"By having a mandatory minimum for marijuana... that sets the tone,\" Chief Ingram said.

Supporters from the business community and construction sector said predictable penalties help deter workers from using marijuana on the job and ease hiring for safety-sensitive occupations. Brian Baumann, an insurance agent representing contractors, told the committee that workforce readiness is harmed when marijuana use becomes normalized in neighboring states.

Opponents included multiple veterans and health‑care petitioners and criminal-justice practitioners. Monica Gray, managing attorney for the Ada County Office of the Idaho State Public Defender, said the mandatory minimum would disproportionately affect indigent defendants who make up the majority of those prosecuted for low-level possession. \"A mandatory minimum fine not only will not be able to be paid by our clients but will lead to probation violations, incarceration from those violations, contempt proceedings and their simple inability to adhere to their court-ordered rehabilitative sentence,\" Gray testified.

Veterans and patient-advocacy witnesses described using cannabis for serious medical conditions and urged judicial discretion for medically vulnerable people. Jeremy Kitschaber, a disabled veteran undergoing cancer treatment, said he relied on opioids that created other risks and that cannabis was sometimes the only effective symptom relief. \"I would ask that this not be the only law in Idaho where a minimum fine would be imposed,\" he said.

Legal advocates warned that mandatory minimums do not reduce crime and erode judicial discretion. Paul Riggins, a criminal-defense attorney and vice president of the Idaho Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said mandatory minimum penalties have not been shown to deter behavior and argued they undermine separation of powers by restricting judicial sentencing discretion.

The committee debated two procedural motions. Representative Garner moved to hold HB 7 in committee; that substitute motion failed on a 6-8 vote. Representative Hill then moved to send HB 7 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation; a roll-call on the main motion showed the committee approved the bill 10-4 (the chair announced \"Motion carries 10 to 4\").

What HB 7 would do: it would create a mandatory minimum $300 fine for adults possessing three ounces or less of marijuana; current statute already classifies possession under certain amounts as a misdemeanor with a statutory maximum fine (previous testimony referenced a current maximum fine of up to $1,000 and the three-ounce felony threshold). The bill does not address legalization or medical‑marijuana policy; proponents said it creates uniformity and deterrence, while opponents argued it is regressive in practice and would disproportionately harm low‑income and medically vulnerable people.

Next steps: HB 7 was reported out of committee to the House floor with a due-pass recommendation for further debate and amendment at the full-chamber stage.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Judiciary, Rules and Administration January 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The committee voted 10-4 to send House Bill 7 to the House floor with a due-pass recommendation; the bill would set a mandatory $300 minimum fine for adults possessing three ounces or less of marijuana.","taxTitle","Judiciary, Rules and Administration, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Idaho","taxId",56892,"location","Idaho","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6382160,"Panel votes to send bill expanding Attorney General investigation authority to city officials to the floor",280,281000,561000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127539-f891beecdc0b2e4974d509f9df8c0690&start=281&end=561","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127539-f891beecdc0b2e4974d509f9df8c0690/thumbnail_281000.jpg","/articles/6382160/Idaho/Panel-votes-to-send-bill-expanding-Attorney-General-investigation-authority-to-city-officials-to-the-floor","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6382160-26a22e1145476861720b10e12fd936df/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152637&Signature=HfNgF57Remis1144KzmLphm01IiQKed4a6lA9WmThpHvpT~ntwIHY8u43pE~yJU8uoNOR1fawScg5SgNC-tOkPzero2EUVd7UIT6k8KYJJUM9j9xPT~WkZPmHQMLgf2ziXxk2kZCF7SItoLq-KUDhTt2c8G4Jg69c7mbSOD9z97rHESuxEg6iYHdtSeFmZj8Bky10wtxj52OQi-D8SpI8XB8JEkc9QFqBOgPYSfaFqBfsT9W8SzHS8Fox2d32HhSmvmuWJnka69edk~JXjClXT~wAjzuDucGaJQNE2wF3iPD9Deuo8-LzRWbQBJJfxDpcivs1RbVyHzTJIl8bHI5iA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Chris Bruce, sponsor of House Bill 6, told the Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee the measure would add city elected officials to the existing authority that allows the Attorney General to investigate county elected officials for alleged violations of state criminal law. \"This bill just adds city officials to that as well,\" Representative Bruce said.

Chief Deputy Jeff Nye of the Idaho Attorney General's Criminal Law Division described the office's current process for county-elected-official complaints and said the same process would be used for city officials if the bill is enacted. Nye told the committee his unit receives an intake form, conducts an initial jurisdictional review (checking whether the official is elected, whether the allegation is criminal, and whether the act was in the official's capacity) and, where jurisdiction exists, refers matters to a special investigations unit. \"If they do not check all three boxes, then we send a letter back to that individual explaining why we do not have authority to investigate and we refer them to the appropriate agency,\" Nye said.

Committee members questioned whether the Attorney General had asked for this authority. Representative Bruce said he received emails from smaller municipalities asking for the same recourse county officials already have. Representative Cannon asked about conflicts of interest between county prosecutors and county officials; Deputy Chief Nye said the AG's office has concurrent jurisdiction with county prosecutors and typically coordinates with county prosecutors and other offices before stepping in.

Representative Heather Scott pressed Nye for examples of what constitutes acting in an \"official capacity.\" Nye cited past cases where county property (a county-issued gun) was used as an example that could qualify as official-capacity conduct; he contrasted campaign activity as typically outside official capacity.

Representative Schertz asked whether the bill would increase the AG's reach over open-meeting-law violations. Deputy Chief Nye said it would not: the statute the bill copies referenced an exception for open-meeting law that currently has no effect because the statutory text was changed in 2016 to remove civil jurisdiction; the AG's office would continue to have authority over open-meeting law only for state entities and not local bodies.

After discussion, Representative Scott moved to send House Bill 6 to the floor with a due-pass recommendation. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; the chair announced the motion carried. The committee did not record a roll-call tally in the hearing record provided.","The committee voted to send House Bill 6 to the House floor with a due-pass recommendation after testimony from the bill sponsor and the Attorney General's office about process, scope and limits; the measure would extend to city elected officials the AG's authority now limited to county elected officials under Idaho law.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6382163,"Committee introduces RS 31797 to allow fingerprint checks for private entities serving vulnerable people",129,127000,256000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2127539-f891beecdc0b2e4974d509f9df8c0690&start=127&end=256","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2127539-f891beecdc0b2e4974d509f9df8c0690/thumbnail_127000.jpg","/articles/6382163/Idaho/Committee-introduces-RS-31797-to-allow-fingerprint-checks-for-private-entities-serving-vulnerable-people","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6382163-db7c4c5757a769f44eb0b5992404629c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771152637&Signature=BKCAZDL4N2l7yCC5LZilUHQ0BHOgzchnWSWHZCSgh6UuwOqgOs7X~sxuiaDiCqb~2hbI5NufBrccuHxMWTFjFy15FBKoygaonEGE~lHNWPHNtQGIo2Zm8-QLyrEJfLlYKd2~4KjFc3nKOtWd-Q3OZLCnraFvhYvRCa9BzVEWfSqxByyMZ1jA4gOfY13cBtX7ondstgq6~yPzwOqeJ7lS-675Yf6h7yS4Tis7qId~C7lw2KiZHsYlNcCA1qYTlD4ryawywL5OFYU1zNwNSLDUS1enXw8O-KtLL2iKh2w3kL1yb9oImCCfpB2QZY6VqM33yi3ZLIBMhAOhnWen7pE9fQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chairman Skog called RS 31797 before the Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee and Representative Pohanka introduced the draft language to permit fingerprint checks requested by private entities that serve vulnerable populations. Representative Pohanka said the bill “amends section 67-3008 to include fingerprinting services for private entities” and that the Idaho State Police (ISP) and the Attorney General’s office had reviewed and cleared the language.

The sponsor told the committee the change is intended to align statute with current practice and that any cost of the fingerprint service would be borne by the private entity requesting the check, not by state dedicated or federal funds. “This legislation will have no financial impact to any dedicated fund or federal fund because the service is borne by the private entity requesting the fingerprint check,” Representative Pohanka said.

No public opposition was recorded during the brief handling of the RS. Representative Hostelli moved to introduce RS 31797; the motion was put by voice vote and the chair said the motion carried. The committee did not record a roll-call tally for the introduction.

The committee did not take further testimony or amendments on RS 31797 at this hearing; the item was introduced and made available for formal bill drafting and subsequent committee consideration.

RS 31797 will be processed through the legislative drafting and bill-introduction steps before any subsequent hearings or votes that could adopt a final bill version.","The Judiciary, Rules and Administration Committee introduced RS 31797 to amend Idaho law so private entities that serve vulnerable populations may request fingerprinting services; sponsor and Attorney General staff said Idaho State Police and the governor’s office approved the language and there is no fiscal impact to state funds.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

After contested hearing, committee approves minimum $300 fine for possession of up to 3 ounces of marijuana

Panel votes to send bill expanding Attorney General investigation authority to city officials to the floor

Committee introduces RS 31797 to allow fingerprint checks for private entities serving vulnerable people