Media Coverage: Idaho Legislature Settles Lawsuit Over COVID-19 Risks to People with Disabilities

A lawsuit filed by Stoel Rives on behalf of several disability rights groups and disabled individuals was settled through a consent decree entered into recently with the Idaho Legislature and leaders of the house and senate, receiving coverage in the Idaho and Washington press earlier this month.

The lawsuit, filed in January by Stoel Rives’ litigation partners Wendy Olson, a former Idaho U.S. attorney, and Elijah Watkins, sought to ensure that persons with disabilities are able to limit their risk of exposure to COVID-19 while testifying before legislative committees and participating in activities at the State Capitol during the current legislative session.

The Idaho Legislature agreed to make available means for remote testimony at all committee hearings where public testimony is allowed, update its website to include information regarding committee accessibility and remote testimony, and provide adequate social distancing for anyone attending legislative sessions in person.

For more information, see:

“Disability rights groups settle with Idaho Legislature over COVID-19 risks,” published by the Idaho Statesman, March 5, 2021. (Published also by the Spokesman-Review, EastIdahoNews.com and Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News.)

A press release by the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown University Law School.