Yesterday, the Idaho Legislature adjourned sine die from the 2018 Legislative Session. The 2018 session was productive for pro-gun legislators who helped to enact Senate Bill 1313.
Senate Bill 1313, sponsored by Senator Todd Lakey (R-12), consolidated and codified existing law to clearly protect the inherent right of a person to defend themselves. This legislation clarified that in the exercise of self-defense, a law-abiding citizen may stand their ground and protect themselves or their family anywhere they have a legal right to be. SB 1313 also protects the right of a person to defend themselves against intruders who enter the defender’s home or business unlawfully or by force, without the defender having to demonstrate that he reasonably feared that the intruder was about to cause death or great bodily harm. The unlawful or forceful entry is enough to establish a legal presumption that the defender’s fear of serious injury was reasonable—and, therefore, that the defense against the criminal was reasonable as well. This bill will go into effect on July 1, 2018.
Thank you to NRA members and Second Amendment supporters that attended committee hearings and contacted legislators throughout the session. Additionally, thank you to all of the legislators that stood strong on protecting Second Amendment rights in Idaho.
Your NRA-ILA will be back at the Capitol for the 2019 session, and in the meantime, please stay tuned to your email inbox and www.nraila.org for further updates on Second Amendment issues in the Gem State.