BOISE, Idaho -- State Rep. Chris Bruce, a Republican from Kuna who also serves on Kuna's City Council, says he has seen it happen. A whistleblower flags that the mayor or a city council member is doing something illegal or corrupt, but he or she doesn't have anywhere to turn. The city's police chief reports to the mayor, and in some cases, the county prosecutor may have a close working relationship with city leaders.
A 2014 law gave the state's attorney general the authority to prosecute elected county officials accused of violating state law, but it didn't mention city officials. The new bill "just adds city officials to that as well," Bruce, one of the bill's sponsors, told members of the House Judiciary, Rules and Administration committee during a Wednesday public hearing at the Capitol.
kAm"%9:D ;FDE 8:G6D WH9:DE=63=@H6CDX E96 23:=:EJ E@ 8@ @FED:56 E96:C C62=> @7 5@:?8 E9:?8D[ E@ 2D< E96 pv E@ =@@< :?E@ :E 7@C E96>[" 96 D2:5]k^Am kAmxE H2D E96 D64@?5 E:>6 qCF46 2?5 9:D 4@\DA@?D@C[ r@>>:EE66 r92:C #6A] qCF46 $<2F8[ 925 7=@2E65 E96 3:==] {2DE J62C[ E96:C 3:== A2DD65 E96 w@FD6[ 72:=:?8 :? E96 $6?2E6 H:E9 2 E:65 G@E6[ $<2F8[ 2 #6AF3=:42? 7C@> }2>A2[ E@=5 4@>>:EE66 >6>36CD 5FC:?8 9:D y2?] '_ :?EC@5F4E:@? @7 E96 3:==]k^AmkAm"x 5@ ?@E F?56CDE2?5 H9J E92E 92AA6?65 @? E9:D[" 96 D2:5]k^AmkAm$<2F8 2?5 qCF46 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ 2? 6>2:= 7C@> E96 x529@ $E2E6D>2? C6BF6DE:?8 4@>>6?E] |2C:2 (668[ 2 DA@<6DA6CD@? 7@C E96 4:EJ @7 q@:D6[ D2:5 D96 4@F=5 ?@E 4@>>6?E @? 2 3:== >@G:?8 E9C@F89 E96 =68:D=2E:G6 AC@46DD]k^AmkAmq:== H@F=5 2==@H x529@ pv E@ @A6? :?G6DE:82E:@?D 282:?DE 6=64E65 4:EJ @77:4:2=Dk^AmkAm%96 3:== 2:>D E@ "E2<6 25G2?E286" @7 E96 6IA6CE:D6 E96 pEE@C?6J v6?6C2='D ~77:46 92D 56G6=@A65 AC@D64FE:?8 42D6D :?G@=G:?8 AF3=:4 4@CCFAE:@?[ 244@C5:?8 E@ :ED DE2E6>6?E @7 AFCA@D6]k^AmkAm%96 @77:46 2=C625J 92D 2 DJDE6> :? A=246 E@ C6G:6H 2==682E:@?D 282:?DE 4@F?EJ @77:4:2=D :7 E96J 2C6 6=64E65[ 92G6 2==6865=J G:@=2E65 2 DE2E6 4C:>:?2= =2H[ 2?5 H6C6 24E:?8 :? E96:C @77:4:2= 42A24:EJ[ D2:5 y677 }J6[ 49:67 @7 :ED 4C:>:?2= 5:G:D:@?[ 5FC:?8 9:D E6DE:>@?J 2E E96 (65?6D52J 962C:?8]k^Am kAmp? 6I2>A=6 @7 24E:?8 :? 2? @77:4:2= 42A24:EJ >:89E 36 2 D96C:77 H9@ AF==D 9:D 8F? @? 2 8C@FA @7 4:E:K6?D AC@E6DE:?8 2E 9:D 9@>6 :7 E96 8F? H2D 4@F?EJ\:DDF65[ }J6 D2:5] qFE :E >:89E 6I4=F56 2? @77:4:2= 244FD65 @7 2 4C:>6 :?G@=G:?8 E96 @77:4:2='D A@=:E:42= 42>A2:8?[ 2D =@?8 2D E96 @77:4:2= :D 4@?5F4E:?8 E96 42>A2:8? 2D 2 AC:G2E6 4:E:K6? 2?5 ?@E :?G@=G:?8 @77:4:2= 24E:G:E:6D DF49 2D FD:?8 @77:46 7F?5D]k^AmkAm"(6 ECJ 2?5 36 AC6EEJ DEC:4E 23@FE E92E =:?6[" 96 D2:5]k^AmkAm%96 6I:DE:?8 =2H 2==@HD E96 @77:46 E@ 3C:?8 2 4C:>:?2= AC@D64FE:@? 282:?DE 2 4@F?EJ @77:4:2=[ 96 D2:5[ 3FE 2=D@ E@ C64@>>6?5 2 EC2:?:?8 :7 E96C6 H2D 2 "E649?:42= G:@=2E:@?" @7 E96 =2H 3FE E96 @77:46 5@6D?'E 36=:6G6 2 4C:>:?2= 492C86 :D 2AAC@AC:2E6]k^AmkAm#6A] y@9? v2??@?[ 2 s6>@4C2E 7C@> q@:D6[ BF6DE:@?65 E96 3:=='D ?646DD:EJ] pE E96 4@F?EJ =6G6=[ 96 2C8F65[ E96C6 2C6 =68:E:>2E6 4@?7=:4ED @7 :?E6C6DE 3642FD6 4@F?EJ 4@>>:DD:@?6CD 4@?EC@= E96 7F?5:?8 @7 E96:C 4@F?EJ AC@D64FE@C'D @77:46D -- 3FE ?@ DF49 4@?7=:4E 6I:DED 36EH66? 4:EJ @77:4:2=D 2?5 4@F?EJ AC@D64FE@CD[ 96 D2:5]k^AmkAm%96 4@?7=:4E :D 2 >@C6 :?7@C>2= @?6[ }J6 C6DA@?565]k^AmkAm"(92E'D 366? 6IAC6DD65[ 3@E9 E@ >6 AC:G2E6=J[ 2?5 AF3=:4=J[ :D E92E 2 =@E @7 E:>6D[ J6D -- E96J 5@?'E C6AC6D6?E 4:EJ @77:4:2=D[ 3FE E96 4@F?EJ'D 5@:?8 3FD:?6DD H:E9 E96 4:EJ[" 96 D2:5] "%96J 92G6 E@ 86E 2=@?8] %96C6'D C6=2E:@?D9:A :DDF6D E96C6]"k^AmkAmr@>>:EE66 >6>36CD A2DD65 E96 3:==[ D6?5:?8 :E E@ E96 7F== w@FD6]k^AmkAm\\\\\\\\\\\\k^AmkAm©a_ad x529@ $E2E6D>2?] ':D:E 2E k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]:529@DE2E6D>2?]4@>Qm:529@DE2E6D>2?]4@>k^2m] s:DEC:3FE65 3J %C:3F?6 r@?E6?E p86?4J[ {{r]k^Am