Treaties, Child Support & Sharia Law

The “Extraordinary Session” of the Idaho legislature was another 1-ring circus as Republican lawmakers argued about ideology, the nasty Federal government and state’s rights. They would then turn and protect each other with statements like this one from Mike Moyle (R) of Star:

“I watched the press tear apart nine members of my caucus and nine members of his committee for doing nothing more than what they thought was right”

While Moyle was projecting a fairly compassionate attitude during today’s session he still voted no.

Rep. Heather Scott (R) of Blanchard and one of the “Gang of 9” who held the bill in committee in the first place hasn't given an inch:

“This legislation creates a global system of child support enforcement under international law. It will effectively transfer sovereignty of a process of government to a special commission appointed by the United Nations Secretary General of the Hague Conference on private international law.”

She sent an email today (May 18, 2015) that this would be the “ HB 1 passes, this would be the first time in history that an international treaty would be integrated into our State laws, setting a precedent and a guide for future actions.” To read her Facebook post — click here.

While many of the #GangofNine who killed the bill in committee didn’t trust the Idaho Dept. of Health and Welfare or the Idaho Attorney General’s assessment of the law, the trusted a guy named Shahram Hadian, who convinced them that a bill providing funds to enforce child support payments would threaten Idaho with sharia law.

Actually Idaho is party to dozens of international treaties through legislation since statehood. From the International Fuel Tax Agreement to the Columbia River Pact, Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Human Trafficking to dozens of international trade laws. Without international cooperation Idaho would loose valuable overseas markets for everything from potatoes to micro processors. We would be unable to enforce human trafficking laws across borders or extradition.

It continues to be clear there are two Republican parties… one made up people who know the people of Idaho, we often refer to as “Sage-brush Republicans” elected in the Reagan landslide in 1980 and are conservatives like Steve Symms, Larry Craig, etc. and a new wave of ideologue Tea Party favorites who say anything to get elected and leverage are adept at the fear-mongering less than 11% of the voting public* believes.

• Gallup poll Tea Party approval — http://www.gallup.com/poll/147635/tea-party-movement.aspx

In the end the “Child Support Bill”, cleared the House and Senate and was sent on to the Governor for his signature. What do we learn from this? We, as a state and electorate, must be more aware and supportive of Idaho’s place in the world. And then we must vote for people who will put the REAL interests of the people first, instead of the interests of the few ideologues who are attempting to hijack public opinion.