Idaho lawmakers are advancing House Bill 557, a bill that would strip cities and counties of their ability to protect people from discrimination. This bill would override local civil rights ordinances that many Idaho communities passed specifically because the state has failed to act. Cities like Boise, Meridian, Coeur d’Alene, Pocatello, Moscow, Idaho Falls, and others stepped up to protect residents from discrimination in housing, employment, and public services. HB 557 would erase those protections and prevent any community from creating new ones. Idaho state law still does not include protections for sexual orientation or gender identity. HB 557 does not fix that gap. Instead, it makes the gap permanent and punishes communities that tried to do better. Supporters claim this bill is about “uniformity.” In reality, it forces discrimination to be the lowest common denominator. It tells LGBTQ+ Idahoans, and anyone else relying on local protections, that their safety and dignity are negotiable depending on where they live. Local governments exist to respond to the needs of their communities. This bill removes that power and replaces it with state-mandated silence. It allows discrimination to go unchecked and leaves people with fewer protections than they had before. We believe that no one should lose civil rights because of where they live. We believe cities should not be sued or punished for protecting their residents. And we believe Idaho should be moving forward, not rolling back protections that communities fought hard to establish. We call on Idaho legislators to stop HB 557 immediately and reject any attempt to weaken local anti-discrimination protections. Sign this petition if you believe discrimination has no place in Idaho law.