Idaho GOP supports bill that would eliminate affirmative action in state hiring, contracting

[yonder]

More weirdness from my home state:

Idaho Statesman
By Cynthia Sewell
February 12, 2020 12:58 PM

Following a tense and confrontational hearing on Wednesday, the House State Affairs Committee voted along party lines to advance a bill that would eliminate affirmative action in state hiring and contracting. The bill’s language does not prohibit discrimination based on religion, sexual orientation or gender identity.

North Idaho Republican Rep. Heather Scott’s bill, HB 400, prohibits the state from granting special treatment “to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in the operation of public employment, public education or public contracting.

Scott told the committee that her bill is not anti-affirmative action. “This bill does not end affirmative action. It ends discrimination in hiring and contracting. This is really a civil rights bill,” she said. “We can promote diversity, but we should refuse to reduce people down to their skin color or some other trait,” Scott said. “Frankly it is offensive. Hiring decisions should be about merit and competency and the best person for the job, regardless of that person’s traits.”

When Democratic committee members tried to discern whether Scott’s bill prevents discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity or religion, the hearing took a turn. ”You have made several statements here that we are all created equal, equality for all. We just need to treat everybody equally,” said Rep. John Gannon, D-Boise. “Am I reading your bill right that you have not included sexual orientation in this bill that we have before us?”

Committee Chairman Rep. Steven Harris, R-Meridian, would not let Gannon continue with his query. “We are going to address the bill we have before us,” Harris said. “The bill before us discusses not establishing criteria of sex or race as a basis for public hiring decisions,” Harris said, saying questions beyond this scope “are off limits.” Gannon and Rep. Brooke Green, D-Boise, repeatedly tried to ask questions as who this bill covers and whether it is constitutional. Harris continually shut them down saying their questions were not appropriate.

more: https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article240227461.html

Call me crazy, but I thought in-committee was where the constitutionality and merits (or not) of a bill were discussed and if not advanced, fine-tuned before sending it to the floor for debate. It would seem that at least the chairman, if not the republican majority, is not interested in any of that. Some might remember that the sponsor, Rep. Heather Scott (codename: "greenbean", I shit you not) is associated with the disgraced and very KooKoo Rep. Matt Shea of Washington State who has been branded a domestic terrorist and has been removed from the Republican caucus of that state, if not his seat.

They are both members of several Patriot Movement groups including the Coalition of Western States (COWS) in which they like to perform various "operations" for fun, hence her codename. Fun fact: Matt Shea's ex-wife claims that besides abuse, Shea would insist on her walking on his left side because "if he had a sword, it would be on his right". Let that sink in. If he had a sword.