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Committee holds bill that would make first-time commercial solicitation a felony
Summary
The Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee held House Bill 88 after extended debate over removing a misdemeanor penalty and treating all commercial solicitation of adult sexual services as a felony. Supporters cited an attorney general report; opponents said a felony for first-time conduct risks unfairly punishing isolated mistakes.
Representative Britt Raybould, sponsor of House Bill 88, told the Senate Judiciary and Rules Committee that the bill would remove the misdemeanor provision from Idaho’s commercial solicitation statute and leave only the felony offense in place, aligning the statute with language in an attorney general human‑trafficking report.
The measure drew sustained questioning from senators concerned that converting the first offense to a felony would impose a harsh penalty for isolated or youthful mistakes. “Five years in prison for trying to do business with a person of ill repute on the first offense...that’s…
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