Rating: 0

Bill Summary:

Senate Bill 1056 amends Idaho Code §67-5303 to designate all attorneys employed by the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL) as nonclassified employees within the state personnel system. This change exempts them from the classified service protections typically afforded to state workers, such as competitive hiring processes, grievance rights, and civil service job protections. As nonclassified employees, DOPL attorneys will serve at-will and be subject to direct hiring, firing, and management discretion by the division’s leadership.

This classification is consistent with how other legal roles in the executive branch are treated, including assistant attorneys general, hearing officers, and attorneys in other state agencies. The bill includes an emergency clause and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Reason for Rating:

S1056 is best rated as neutral because it represents an internal administrative change rather than a clear ideological shift. While it could be seen as promoting government efficiency and executive control—values generally supported by the Idaho Republican Party Platform—it also eliminates civil service protections, which may raise concerns about arbitrary or politically motivated employment practices. Since it does not expand government power, increase taxes, or significantly shift authority outside existing executive channels, it earns a neutral rating.