Bill would bar Idaho’s lands and animals from ‘personhood’

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A bill that would prevent animals, natural resources and artificial intelligence from being granted “personhood status” in Idaho was introduced by the House State Affairs Committee on Tuesday.

The legislation sponsored by Republican Rep. Tammy Nichols of Middleton seeks to prevent any future efforts to increase environmental protections for animals or inanimate objects by granting them some of the same legal rights a person would have.

Nichols told the State Affairs Committee that some organizations are pushing for personhood status for non-human entities as a way to limit access to some natural resources.

The bill was introduced on a voice vote.