Idaho Senate passes bill to prevent local, state governments from displaying some flags

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — The Idaho Senate in a 20-11 vote on Wednesday advanced a bill to prevent government entities from displaying certain flags. 

House Bill 96 prevents government entities from displaying flags on its properties, with exceptions to: 

• The U.S. flag
• The official flag of a government entity U.S. state flags
• Military flags 
• POW/MIA flags
• Tribe flags 
• Country flags to commemorate special occasions
• Flags of Idaho colleges, universities and schools

The bill already passed the Idaho House of Representatives in a 53-17 vote. The bill now heads to the governor’s desk where he can sign it, let it become law without his signature or veto it. 

The bill sponsor, Sen. Ben Toews, R-Coeur d’Alene, said the bill “isn’t stifling freedom of speech,” and local and state governments should remain neutral. 

Sen. Jim Woodward, R-Sagle, asked if it would impact Bonners Ferry, a town he represents which flies a Canadian flag at the entrance of the city to welcome Canadian visitors. 

“It’s hard to say if that’s a special occasion, I mean being a border town, I think it is understood as something that’s important, and it does allow for official flags of countries other than the United States,” Toews said. “It’s a little bit of a gray area to be honest.”

Woodward joined three other republicans to vote alongside Democrats against this bill, including Sen. Kevin Cook, R-Idaho Falls; Sen. Dave Lent, R-Idaho Falls; and Sen. Jim Guthrie, R-McCammon. 

Sen. Melissa Wintrow, D-Boise, said the bill targets her city and the neighborhood she represents that flies pride flags across Harrison Boulevard in North Boise. 

“I understand that in my neighborhood now, when we want to celebrate and unite under this rainbow flag and support our community, that is going to be taken from us by the state,” she said. “This is two blocks off my street. Every time those flags get hung, big groups of people go out to celebrate because we welcome everyone in my district. I think this is far overreach.”

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