The James A. McClure Federal Building in Boise is the largest of Idaho’s federal courthouses. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun)
Weeks after President Joe Biden vetoed a federal judge expansion bill, U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, introduced legislation to add a third Idaho federal district court judge.
Simpson’s office announced Thursday he introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives to approve another Idaho federal judge position.
Idaho Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch, both Republicans, also introduced Senate companion legislation, Crapo’s office announced.
Congress approved Idaho’s second federal district judgeship in 1954, when Idaho’s population was around 600,000 people. As one of the fastest-growing states in recent years, Idaho is now home to over 2 million people.
In 2021, the Associated Press reported Idaho had the fewest federal judges of any state.
In December, Biden vetoed the JUDGES Act, a bill that would’ve added a third Idaho federal district court judge and created 63 permanent judgeships across the country through 2025. Biden wrote the House and Senate didn’t fully explore “how the work of senior status judges and magistrate judges affects the need for new judgeships.”
The bill “would create new judgeships in states where senators have sought to hold open existing judicial vacancies,” the outgoing president wrote. “Those efforts to hold open vacancies suggest that concerns about judicial economy and caseload are not the true motivating force behind passage of this bill now.”
Simpson, who co-sponsored that bill, in a statement called Biden’s veto “a slap in the face to Americans who have been waiting far too long for their day in court.”
“Adding another district judge in our state is long overdue,” Simpson said in a statement. “My bill will alleviate overburdened judges, reduce the caseload backlog, and provide justice promptly. I will continue to fight to ensure this critical legislation gets across the finish line.”
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U.S. Rep. Russ Fulcher, R-Idaho, sponsored a bill in 2024 to add another Idaho federal judgeship. In a statement, Fulcher said a third judgeship is needed, noting Idaho’s population has nearly tripled since it received its second.
“Doing so will save taxpayer money as it avoids the costly burden of having to bring in non-local judges to oversee backlogged cases, and it will ensure citizens — especially those in rural Idaho communities — have quick and improved access to the court system,” Fulcher said in a statement. “Getting this legislation across the finish line is a top priority for me this Congress.”
Crapo, in a statement, said Idaho’s need for a third federal district judge “has been evident for years.”
“The lack of sufficient judicial resources has placed Idaho’s legal system at a significant disadvantage,” Crapo said in a statement. “Adding a third district judge is a practical solution to help manage the increasing workload and uphold efficient justice.”
“Idaho has faced a judicial emergency for years, putting our state and legal system at a great disadvantage,” Risch said in a statement. “As the state continues to grow, this bill is an important step in increasing Idahoans’ access to the judicial system.”
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