Idaho lawmakers target COVID-19 rules even as they get sick

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A fourth lawmaker in the Idaho House of Representatives has tested positive for COVID-19 in less than a week’s time and just as the Legislature is debating a bill that would ban local governments from requiring that people wear masks.

The increasing number of lawmakers out sick with the coronavirus has legislative leaders in the conservative state worried they may not be able to finish business in a timely fashion.

“Of course I’m concerned,” Republican House Speaker Scott Bedke said Wednesday, before the announcement of the fourth COVID-19 diagnosis among his colleagues.

Bedke wasn’t wearing a face-covering but put one on before getting in an elevator in the Statehouse. “We’re re-emphasizing the safety protocols. We also want to be done by the end of the month. I guess we’ll just see how it goes,” he said.

Read more: https://www.postregister.com/news/state/idaho-lawmakers-target-covid-19-rules-even-as-they-get-sick/article_bc33e0ee-0d25-5718-885a-8fc5ad21d00e.html
(Idaho Falls Post Register)