By Sen. Tammy Nichols | Originally published at Nichols for Idaho Substack
I serve as co-chair of the Child Custody and Domestic Relations Task Force, a state touring task force formed to address concerns about how divorce and custody cases are handled in Idaho. The task force is made up of 10 members (5 House and 5 Senate) and is bipartisan. We have already held meetings in Boise, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho Falls, and Nampa, and just had our latest, and final testimony hearing back in Boise.
Our goal has been to review current laws to determine if they are working as intended, if they are being applied as the legislature intended, and if they meet the needs of Idaho families. We will also be evaluating whether certain laws are outdated, ineffective, or missing key provisions. Our next meeting will be public, but will not include any testimony. It will be used for the committee to go over the information we have heard and deliberate on solutions through legislation.
At each hearing, the first 2–3 hours has been reserved for expert testimony, followed by 2–3 hours for public testimony from those who have navigated custody or divorce cases. We have encouraged participation from anyone with relevant experience, as firsthand accounts are critical to our review process.
This task force has already attracted interest beyond our state. Both Oregon and Florida have recently reached out to learn about our process so they can begin forming similar task forces in their own states.
In addition to public testimony, we are gathering feedback through a survey for individuals who have gone through, or are currently going through, family court or child custody proceedings. This survey is designed to help us identify patterns and gather important information that will guide our work. The survey can be accessed here.
All hearings can be viewed online through the legislative website, as well as a listing of the meeting agendas and minutes by going here.
The work of this task force has been about listening directly to the people impacted by our current custody and divorce laws and using their input to determine where improvements may be needed. By holding hearings in different parts of the state and collecting survey responses, we aim to ensure that a broad range of voices and perspectives are considered in our recommendations.
I have also been invited to speak at the National Press Club for the National Conference on Family Courts in November about our work in Idaho. I look forward to reporting on that after my return.
In Liberty,
Senator Tammy Nichols
District 10
About Tammy Nichols
Sen. Tammy Nichols of Middleton is a small business owner and community volunteer who champions liberty, limited government, and Idaho families. She chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee and co-chairs the Idaho Freedom Caucus.
