State lawmakers says cities should be able to determine their own minimum wage

POCATELLO — At a ‘Town Hall’ meeting in Pocatello Saturday, state lawmakers talked about a bill that they say won’t even make it to the floor.

Democratic lawmakers discussed a minimum wage increase bill.

State representatives say the bill would allow individual cities to make their own choices on what the minimum wage would be for that area.

The idea would be to raise the minimum wage in small increments over time.

Steve Landon, Chairman of the Bannock County Democratic Party, says it’s time to do something about the minimum wage increase in the State of Idaho.

“We don’t wait for the federal government to do it. We do it as a state because we respect the people that live in this state and we want to be able to say ‘Look we live in Idaho. We’re proud of living in this state and we have an opportunity to make a good living and provide for our families here.’”

Second attempt at Idaho ‘Hot Dog’ law in the legislature

Another bill that became known as the “Hot Dog” bill in 2018 is back this year and cleared its first hurdle at the Idaho State Capitol Thursday.

Representative Elaine Smith of Pocatello introduced the Dog and Cat Rescue Act. It’s designed to give first responders protection if they have to break into someone’s vehicle in order to save a cat or dog during extreme conditions. Eastern Idaho law enforcement has reported finding an increasing number of dogs locked in cars in recent years, especially in the summer months.

The legislation introduced aims to give law enforcement some peace of mind if they have to rescue an animal.

“This would protect first responders from a civil liability or prosecution if they do save an animal which is a dog or a cat,” Smith says.

A similar bill was proposed last session, but ultimately failed. Those opposed thought it was too broad. The legislation being proposed this year would be limited to dogs and cats.

This article was first published by KPVI. It is used here with permission.