2022 Legislative Report & Scorecard

HAGA CLIC AQUÍ PARA LEER EN ESPAÑOL.

2022: another session of relentless attacks on Idahoans’ civil rights and civil liberties.

• 81 days in the 2022 legislative session.
• 105 legislators in both the House and Senate.
• 1 ACLU lobbyists present in the Statehouse.
• 4 online community advocacy trainings.
• 58 total bills tracked.

The Idaho Legislature continues to be a hostile environment for rights we hold dear. Idaho was the second state in the country, following Texas, to pass a vigilante 6-week abortion ban (SB 1309) that allows family members to sue abortion providers for a minimum of $20,000 if they perform an abortion after 6-weeks of pregnancy. The bill was signed into law, despite Governor Little’s own fear that the novel civil enforcement mechanism would prove to be “both unconstitutional and unwise.”

The Idaho Department of Corrections was also successful in ushering through legislation that shrouds the death penalty in a veil of secrecy— denying the public, the courts, and counsel for the condemned from getting critical information about the source and suppliers for execution drugs. 

Despite these significant losses, with your help, we defeated a host of other harmful bills. While an onslaught of voter restriction bills passed the House, including bills that would eliminate ballot drop boxes and criminalize ballot assistance—the bills were defeated in the Senate. We also worked alongside partners to defeat HB 675, Idaho’s anti-trans legislation that would criminalize medical providers who offer life-saving care to trans youth. The victory would not have been possible without the voices of medical providers, parents, and youth who spoke out in strong opposition against the bill.

The issues noted above just scratch the surface. We invite you to read on to learn more about our 2022 legislative work in the report below.

Also, don’t forget to review our scorecard so you can track how your elected officials voted on civil rights and civil liberty issues you care about!

What is the Legislative Scorecard?

The ACLU of Idaho Legislative Scorecard documents the voting patterns of your state Senator and Representatives during the 2022 Legislative Session. At a glance, you’ll see how your legislators voted on issues like voting access, free speech, LGBTQ equality, reproductive freedom, and criminal legal reform. The votes presented in the Legislative Scorecard are those considered by either the full House or the full Senate. Some bills received votes from the full House but did not get out of committee to be voted on by the full Senate. This is why there are fewer bills listed on the Senate Scorecard.

Why is the scorecard created?

The Legislative Scorecard is a crucial accountability tool. We encourage you to use this scorecard to give your elected officials feedback on their votes during the 2022 Legislative Session. Direct communication with your elected officials is a valuable way to encourage them to stand up for freedom and protect our constitutional rights.

View, download and print the full 2022 Legislative Report & Scorecard below.