Idaho Republicans advance bill to impose hefty fines on cities flying Pride flags

Idaho Republicans are moving to fine the state’s largest city thousands of dollars a day for flying the LGBTQ+ Pride flag, escalating a broader push targeting LGBTQ+ rights across the state.

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The state Senate passed House Bill 561 this week, which would allow Idaho to fine cities like Boise $2,000 per day, per flag, for displaying banners not permitted under state law. Each day would count as a separate violation, and the measure authorizes the Idaho attorney general to enforce the penalties. The measure is aimed squarely at the LGBTQ+ Pride flag, which has flown over city buildings in the state’s capital for years.

The bill now returns to the House before heading to Gov. Brad Little, a Republican.

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The proposal builds on a 2025 law that restricted which flags could be displayed on government property but lacked a clear enforcement mechanism. The new legislation would impose daily fines and give the Idaho attorney general authority to pursue enforcement of violations, according to the Idaho Capital Sun.

After lawmakers passed last year’s restriction, Boise officials found a workaround: They designated the Pride flag as an official city flag, allowing it to remain in place. The new bill is designed to close that loophole, the Idaho Capital Sun reports, effectively forcing the city to take the flag down or face mounting penalties. The legislation clarifies that only a limited set of flags, such as the U.S. flag, the Idaho state flag, official government flags, and certain military or tribal flags, may be displayed on public property.

Supporters of the bill describe the effort as a matter of neutrality and as an attempt to keep political symbols off public property. During the debate, Republican lawmakers argued that governments should be held to the same standards as residents when it comes to complying with state law.

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Opponents, including Democratic lawmakers, have described the bill as a direct challenge to local control and an effort to single out LGBTQ+ expression.

The legislation does not stand alone.

In recent weeks, Idaho lawmakers have advanced a series of proposals reshaping daily life for transgender residents. One would effectively bar transgender people from using public bathrooms aligned with their gender identity, with criminal penalties. Another would require teachers and medical providers to notify parents if a minor identifies as trans, forcing the outing of LGBTQ+ youth.

And in a move that extends beyond state policy, Republican lawmakers have introduced a resolution urging the U.S. Supreme Court to reconsider Obergefell v. Hodges, the decision that legalized same-sex marriages nationwide.