Committee holds bill that would loosen on-site supervision requirements for electrician apprentices

The Idaho Senate Commerce Committee voted to hold House Bill 214 in committee after hearing more than an hour of testimony for and against changes to apprentice supervision rules for electricians.

Representative Kyle Harrison, the bill sponsor, described the proposal as a deregulatory measure that would allow journeymen and contractors to determine whether an apprentice is qualified to continue work onsite without direct supervision. "If I gotta run and get parts, I can leave him there to keep wiring that house," Harrison said, arguing the change would reduce project delays and foster apprentice development.

Opponents, including trade groups, union representatives and multiple electricians, said the change would create safety risks and could imperil reciprocity with other states. "This is a terrible bill. Apprentices need supervision on the job," said Joe Maloney, president of the AFL-CIO of Idaho and a…