It was standing room only in the packed committee room Thursday as the House State Affairs Committee took public testimony on a bill designed to prevent Idaho courts from making decisions based on Islamic or other foreign legal codes.
Supporters say the bill is needed to protect courts in America from encroachment from foreign laws, especially Sharia law which bill sponsor Rep. Eric Redman, a Republican from Athol, says is “the major law throughout the Earth.”
Opponents say the law is unnecessary and is discriminatory because its only target is Muslims.
KBOI-2-TV reports, the committee voted to advance the legislation to the House floor with just two Democratic lawmakers voting against.
There are no known cases in which an Idaho judge has based a ruling on Islamic law.
