HB 440a has passed both the House and the Senate and is now heading to Governor Little's desk. We must URGE Governor Little to VETO this bill, and the consequences for historically marginalized communities would be too great, and the economic impact to our state would be vast.

HB 440 attempts to roll-back key civil rights protections for protected classes in Idaho. The bill would prevent employers, educational institutions and contracts from providing “preferential treatment” based on sex, race, national origin, religion, age, and disability.

Affirmative action programs – including targeted outreach and recruitment efforts, the use of non-traditional criteria for hiring and admissions, after-school and mentorship programs, and training and apprenticeship opportunities – are tailored to fit specific instances where race and gender must be taken into account in order to provide fair and equal access to minorities and women.

These programs recognize and strive to correct the barriers that continue to block the paths of many individual Americans, including women, Native Americans, Arab Americans, Latinos, Asian Americans, and African Americans, and as such should be protected, not removed from state law.