Proposes an amendment to House Rule 70 to add certain restrictions regarding admittance to the floor of the House.
Summary
House Resolution 2 proposes an amendment to Rule 70 of the Idaho House of Representatives governing who may be admitted to the House floor during sessions. The resolution keeps the existing categories of permitted persons—legislators, elected state officials, former legislators, legislative employees, and representatives of the news media—but clarifies and tightens the conditions for access. It requires badges for elected state officials, former legislators, legislative employees, and media representatives, and states that only legislators and legislative employees may be on the floor while the chamber is conducting business.
The resolution also adds procedural limits for non-legislator access. Elected state officials and former legislators must be sponsored by a legislator to enter the floor and must leave before the House begins business unless the Speaker authorizes them to remain. Any other guest must be cleared through the Speaker or designees and through the Sergeant at Arms before being admitted. Overall, the measure is an internal House rules change focused on chamber security, order, and control of access rather than a change to public law.
Impact
HR002 affects the internal rules of the Idaho House of Representatives rather than the Idaho Code. If adopted, it would amend House Rule 70 to formalize badge requirements, sponsorship requirements, and clearance procedures for access to the House floor, and it would limit who may remain on the floor during floor business. The practical effect is to give the Speaker, the Chief Clerk, and the Sergeant at Arms clearer authority over chamber access and to restrict non-legislator presence during proceedings.
Sentiment
The available context suggests the resolution is procedural and administrative, with no recorded committee debate or vote history indicating controversy. The bill caption describes it as adding restrictions regarding admittance to the House floor, which implies a housekeeping or security-oriented measure. Because there are no transcripts or votes provided, the overall sentiment appears neutral to supportive, with the House acting to update its own operating rules.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of concern, based on the text alone, could include whether the new restrictions unduly limit access for elected officials, former legislators, or the press, and how much discretion the Speaker and Sergeant at Arms would have in approving guests. However, there is no evidence in the record provided that these issues were actively disputed.