Bill Description: House Bill 6 would expand the jurisdiction of the Office of the Attorney General to include investigating and prosecuting city officials.
Rating: +1
Does it in any way restrict public access to information related to government activity or otherwise compromise government transparency, accountability, or election integrity? Conversely, does it increase public access to information related to government activity or increase government transparency, accountability, or election integrity?
Under Idaho law, Idaho's Attorney General has concurrent jurisdiction with local prosecutors to investigate and, if necessary, prosecute elected county officials for state crimes committed when acting in their official capacity. House Bill 6 would create Section 50-238, Idaho Code, and amend other sections to provide similar authority for the Attorney General to investigate and prosecute city officials.
This bill does not increase the scope of government, criminalize anything new, or expand penalties. It provides increased accountability for city elected officials by allowing the Attorney General's Office to use its resources and expertise to investigate and prosecute allegations of corruption. It also provides a check on local prosecutors who might be tempted to ignore certain difficult allegations.
(+1)