BOISE, Idaho — A bill that would give Idaho’s attorney general authority to sue public officials and government agencies believed to be violating state law was unanimously held in committee Wednesday after the bill sponsor, House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star, requested that to happen.
House Bill 743 would have allowed the attorney general to file suit against any public officer, employee or government entity when the attorney general has “reason to believe” the law is being violated. State funding to the entity would be frozen the moment a lawsuit is filed, and individuals found to be willfully breaking the law could face personal fines of up to $50,000.
“I didn’t walk in here wanting to hold the bill, but I don’t have the votes yet to get the bill passed,” Moyle told KTVB after the committee meeting. “So, there’s some concerns with some of the parts of the bill, and so we’ll address them.”…