‘Targeted picketing’ bill prompts protest at lawmaker’s home

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — An Idaho lawmaker who introduced a bill to prohibit targeted picketing outside officials’ homes found torch- and pitchfork-wielding protesters gathered outside his own house Wednesday night.

Rep. Greg Chaney, a Republican from Caldwell, posted about the demonstration at his home on social media accounts Thursday morning, calling it an intimidation tactic.

Chaney’s bill is co-sponsored with Rep. Brooke Green, a Democrat from Boise. It comes in response to targeted protests that occurred last year outside health officials’ homes by people angry about coronavirus-related orders.

Opponents of the bill say it would violate their First Amendment right to free speech.

(1/3) They say they do this because they aren’t heard-but we’d just spent hours hearing them in committee and they still showed up where my wife and kids were. #idleg #idpol pic.twitter.com/4TOsCckEQa
— Rep. Greg Chaney (@gregchaneyidaho) February 18, 2021

(2/3) They say they do this because have nowhere else to protest. I was at the Statehouse all day allowing them to insult and slander me in my own committee and they still showed up where my wife and kids were. #idleg #idpol pic.twitter.com/kMMzFXggSy
— Rep. Greg Chaney (@gregchaneyidaho) February 18, 2021

(3/3) They say this isn’t an intimidation tactic but they showed up with torches and pitchforks and a stuffed animal hung in effigy. One of our little girls asked @sarahchaney248 this morning “why do they want to kill dad?” (p.s. that’s my kids’ surname, too). #idleg #idpol pic.twitter.com/gSCOoCFyH8
— Rep. Greg Chaney (@gregchaneyidaho) February 18, 2021