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Boise Wraps City Hall Flagpoles in Pride Colors to Comply With Idaho Flag Law

The move tests how far a new state flag ban reaches by swapping banners for pole wraps, rainbow lighting, interior signage.

Overview

  • Boise City Hall installed pride-colored pole wraps and interior signs that leaders say are not flags and therefore follow the state’s restrictions.
  • Idaho’s new statute, HB 561, authorizes fines of $2,000 per day for any unapproved flag and blocks city flags adopted after 2023.
  • Republican Rep. Ted Hill, who wrote HB 561, said the wraps are acceptable and that he will not seek extra penalties for Boise’s workaround.
  • Reporters have asked Governor Brad Little and Attorney General Raúl Labrador how enforcement will work, with no clear guidance provided so far.
  • The city says the lighting and wraps evoke the Progress Pride palette, with the project costing about $6,000 from existing funds.