AG/IDHW Rift; Sine Die?
News Roundup Mar 31 - Apr 3
AG/IDHW Rift Deepens
The Attorney General, Raul Labrador, is now looking into child protection cases, one of which pertains to a ‘Baby Cyrus’. Child Protective Services (CPS) took possession of Baby Cyrus last March in a contentious encounter with his mother and others in the Rodriguez family. It led to a protest at St. Luke’s which would see the candidate for Governor Ammon Bundy and Diego Rodriguez (Bundy’s campaign manager and Cyrus’ grandfather) hit with criminal and civil litigation.
This new investigation further inflames an already strained relationship between the AG and the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare (IDHW) due to the existing investigation over the funding of IDHW’s childcare programs. IDHW’s Director Dave Jeppeson indicated that this was a conflict of interest as Rodriguez donated to Labrador’s campaign in 2014 and is said to be a close friend. Labrador dismissed the assertion saying he could not do his job if every acquaintance created a conflict of interest.
Trump Arraignment Tuesday
Trump landed in NY on Monday in preparation of his arraignment on Tuesday. According to the story, Trump will not be placed in handcuffs nor will a mug shot be taken. Leaks claim Trump faces 34 felony counts of falsifying business records apparently around hush money payments to hide affairs. Even if convicted, the charges would not prevent Trump from running for President.
2023 Legislative Session Finale
While not technically over, both House and Senate are done with legislating and just awaiting Governor Little’s response on a few bills before they ‘sine die’ - finish the session.
The two most contentious bills sitting on Little’s desk are the Library Bill (HB314) and the Transgender Care Bill (HB71). Supporters and opponents have been calling the Governor to urge his signing or veto. If the Governor vetoes either bill, then the legislature will convene on Thursday to determine if they will override the veto. A veto override is very rare but this legislature did do just that with the Property Tax Relief Bill (HB292) last week.
Democrat Debrief
Rep Ilana Rubel gives this weeks debrief and summary of the session that is over but for a few bills on the Governor’s desk.
Positive: record increases in education including pay raises and scholarship programs; fought off voucher programs; fought off efforts to end medicaid expansion; got renter protection, clean slate bill, surrogacy and tort reform
Negative: It was a bad session for women referring to horrible abortion laws that are driving doctors out of the state; killed committee that investigates why high rate of pregnant women dying; killed funding to cover menstrual products in schools and funding to cover teenage pregnancy
Open: The library bill and transgender care bill currently sit on the Governor’s desk and they urge calling the Governor to veto those bills
Perhaps Mr Jeppeson can review and identify every CPS case in which he knew the family members of the cases his social workers investigated. Did he ever have a conflict of interest in knowing families submitted to CPS? Did certain families receive special treatment? It seems to me that conflict of interest is a concept Mr Jeppeson should reconsider.
The Governor -- if he has integrity-- will fearlessly sign the library and no-child mutilation bills. Or, if he cannot put pen to paper, let the bills pass without his veto or signature,