Bill Aims to Eliminate Copyright of Idaho Laws

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho law students Jordan Stott and Randi Schumacher have spent nearly three years poring over the nuances of laws.

Now they're trying to write their own. An Idaho House panel introduced a bill — drafted by Stott and Schumacher — that would remove Idaho's copyright on its state laws. The University of Idaho students argue that if citizens need to follow Idaho's laws, then they should be free to access and reproduce them.

Boise Democrat Rep. Ilana Rubel, who is sponsoring the bill, says it's unclear whether it will get a full hearing, citing pushback from the Idaho Code Commission. Dan Bowen, who represents the commission, says the public has ample access to the official code in county law libraries across the state.