by Logan Finney, Idaho Capital Sun
February 10, 2026
This story was originally published by FāVS News on Feb. 10, 2026.
Idahoans serenaded the Capitol halls Monday morning with a spin on the gospel song “This Little Light of Mine” as lawmakers made their way to the House State Affairs Committee.
“This little flag of mine, I’m gonna let it fly,” the crowd sang. “Let it fly, let it fly, let it fly!”
The committee heard House Bill 561, legislation that would strengthen an existing law that forbids local governments from flying flags that have not been approved by the state Legislature.
“You can have all these flags anywhere you want, you just can’t put them up the government flag poles,” said bill sponsor Rep. Ted Hill, R-Eagle. “Local control can be oppressive, in shoving these agendas down someone’s throat. That actually doesn’t include everybody. The term ‘inclusive’ is an entertaining term, because it rarely includes me when that term is used.”
The bill would add a $2,000 daily penalty for each flag flown, and empower the attorney general with a duty to enforce the law. It would also specify that only the official city and county flags “as established prior to January 1, 2023” can be flown. The Boise City Council voted to designate the LGBTQ+ pride flag as an official city flag after state lawmakers created Idaho Code 67-2303A.
Boise mayor defends pride flag as symbol of welcome
Boise Mayor Lauren McLean testified before the committee Monday to defend her city’s actions.
“The pride flag we have flown — for over a decade — as a symbol of being a welcoming and safe city for everyone. The flag is seen as a representation of our city’s values and a statement that you can welcome all, respect all,” McLean said. “I want to be clear that the pride flag is an expression of welcoming all people, and it is my job to ensure that we see and welcome everybody in our community, including those that identify as trans.”
The Rev. Sara LaWall of Boise Unitarian Universalist Fellowship helped coordinate the group that lined the Statehouse hallway outside the hearing room with a wide variety of flags and banners.
“There are so many different people that are part of this community. Flags and banners are a way to signal welcome, inclusion, support, celebration,” LaWall told FāVS News.
“When we start to ban those opportunities, our lawmakers are sending us the message that celebration and inclusion of all people in our communities is not OK with them,” LaWall said. “Particularly for us as people who have been longtime queer-affirming communities, it’s not lost on us that this bill is a real target to the queer community, because it’s an attempt to really erase the pride flag from public space. That feels like targeted discrimination.”
Boise activist Nikson Matthews, a transgender man, echoed those sentiments in his testimony.
“It really means a lot to me to live in a city that says that I am included — because, as what has been shared, I live in a country and a state right now that doesn’t feel that way,” Matthews said.
The Rev. Josh Lee of Boise First United Congregational Church of Christ told FāVS News that his congregation, the first Idaho church to become gay-affirming in 1990, uses the LGBTQ+ pride flag to signal safety.
“The pride flag is not taking the side of a political party; it’s taking the side of people’s humanity. For us in my religious tradition, we have a variety of opinions and ideas on theological things, political things, but where we don’t negotiate is people’s humanity,” Lee said.
“There’s people who brought flags today that aren’t pride flags. There’s a variety of flags. We have a strong Basque community. We have people who have served in the military, we’ve got Navy SEALs and the Army flags behind us. We’ve got a wide variety of representation, because flags, they usually represent people groups,” Lee said. “The flag is just another one of those expressions of our diverse country. People say that we’re supposed to be a melting pot, but I would like to say we’re more of a stew. We don’t want to lose ourselves as we come together.”
The two Democrats on the committee, both from Boise, expressed their opposition to the bill.
“In 1935, a law was passed in Germany, a lot like this one, to make the swastika flag the sole flag,” said Rep. Anne Haws, D-Boise. “It carried with it extreme penalties for anyone that flew any other kind of symbol, for anyone that flew the old German colors, the old German flag.”
Republicans say flag divisive to Christians
Lawmakers who support the bill say LGBTQ+ affirmation doesn’t respect their religious beliefs.
“These other countries, that the government is telling you you can’t carry other flags or have political flags, that is for the people. This is about government. This is only about government. Any person in this country can fly any flag they want. Offensive or not offensive, it does not matter. But when it comes to government, I think we need to be united,” said Rep. Heather Scott, R-Blanchard. “I think the government needs to stop trying to divide citizens. And whether the city of Boise thinks it’s divisive or not — they may see it as unifying — Christians are offended by that flag. And so it is divisive, one way or another.”
The capital city’s pride flag displays inspired last year’s law, and its legal maneuver to continue flying the pride flag downtown at City Hall have drawn the ire of lawmakers just down the street.
“This debate obviously centers around one flag,” said Rep. Joe Alfieri, R-Coeur d’Alene, “If it were a different flag we were talking about, if the flag at issue was the Confederacy flag, how many of us would think differently? How many people would be outraged that a city would fly a flag that honors rebellion in the United States? I, for one, would be — as I am by the flag that’s being flown in opposition to the feelings of many people in this community.”
Alfieri asked McLean about representation for other minorities, such as Latin Mass Roman Catholics like himself.
“I’m wondering why the city is not flying the flag of the Priestly Fraternity of Saint Peter, or a Vatican flag, to welcome me to the community,” Alfieri said.
Rep. Jaron Crane, R-Nampa, inquired whether there is a flag that represents heterosexuals.
“There seems to be a group that is offended, or left out, in your inclusivity,” Crane said.
“I believe that every neighbor, every citizen is welcome, has the same respect in our City Hall and throughout our city. Recognizing a group that has been marginalized with the statement that ‘everyone is welcome’ does not take away recognition of others,” McLean responded.
Attorney warns bill allows religious symbols on foreign flags
Attorney Erik Stidham is representing the city as pro bono outside counsel on the flag issue.
“This is a Soviet-style statute from top to bottom. It forces orthodoxy from the top. It provides no meaningful access to the court,” Stidham said. “A cowardly move, to protect a weak statute from judicial review.”
Stidham pointed out numerous official national flags that contain the kinds of political and religious symbols that lawmakers say they want to avoid being flown by Idaho governments.
“There was concern about the Shahada flag, the Islamic flag, being flown. Well, this bill expressly states that it can be flown. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia contains that insignia, it’s an official flag. Afghanistan’s official flag contains that language,” Stidham said. “It states that ‘There is no God but God. Muhammad is the messenger of God.’”
Lynn Bradescu, a Republican from Ada County, told the committee about her request to fly an Israeli flag at Boise City Hall for one day in recognition of that country’s founding.
“I would give up my right, or my ask — to fly the Israeli flag in support of Israel — to have a flag neutral policy,” Bradescu said. “They did send me a very adamant rejection letter, and said absolutely not, we are not allowing you to fly it.”
The committee voted along party lines to advance the bill to the floor after unsuccessful motions to amend it or postpone it. If approved by the Idaho House, the legislation would need to pass through the Senate as well as receive the governor’s approval to become law.
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I’m really disappointed what is happening here in Idaho, the American flag represents freedom what men and women fought and died for. Before we know what has happened are history is obsolete. When people move here from other countries they should respect our flag and our laws. America was a strong country, now we just lay down to what other people from other countries expect and want, I grew up when you said the pledge of allegiance in school, our teachers were Mr, Miss, or Mrs. Now it’s Bill, Nancy. Change is good, but not when we destroy what made this country so great.