BOISE, Idaho (KIFI) – An Idaho Senate bill is creating controversy as critics say the legislation unfairly targets the state’s most vulnerable. The proposed legislation would ban unauthorized camping on public property and require cities to enforce the law.
Senate Bill 1141 passed the Idaho Senate in a 27-8 vote on Friday, March 14. The bill is now in the hands of the House State Affairs Committee.
The bill’s sponsor, Senator Codi Galloway, R- Boise, says it’s a necessary step to protect both public spaces and those experiencing homelessness.
“Public camping creates a plethora of problems, including public safety issues, sanitation and health concerns, and increased crime… we do not let people live like this. We get them help and we help rescue them and get them back into society,” Galloway told members of the Senate.
“More harm than good”
The bill was made possible by the 2024 U.S. Supreme Court Johnson v. Grants Pass decision, which allowed cities to enforce bans on homeless people sleeping outdoors in areas without shelters.
Local homelessness advocates called the decision a “double-edged sword,” warning that cities apathetic to the homeless population could “sweep them under the rug.”
State advocates of Idahoans experiencing homelessness argue the new legislation would do more harm than good.
Eastern Idaho-based shelters like the Idaho Falls Rescue Mission, currently provide shelter to around 80 to 100 homeless individuals every night, but there are still members of the Gem State community sheltering outdoors.
Senator Melissa Winthrow, D-Boise, argued that the bill asks Idaho police officers to take a step beyond what they should.
“I think what it could inadvertently happen is that we would criminalize a family who’s struggling, who’s escaping because one of the leading causes of homelessness is domestic violence,” said Winthrow.
