Fear of Sharia law could cause Idaho to lose millions in federal funding

Conservatives in the Idaho legislature stopped a measure on Friday that would have brought the state into compliance with federal rules on child support payments, and provided millions of dollars in federal funding.

State Sen. Sheryl Nuxoll (R) testified that federal regulations on child support are tied to the Hague Convention on International Recovery of Child Support, which she said would subject the state to Sharia law, The Associated Press reports. Although none of the 80 countries involved in the treaty fall under Sharia law, and the state attorney general's office said that Idaho judges could reject other nation's child support rulings they do not believe meet the state's standards, Nuxoll and several others remained skeptical.

Idaho Health and Welfare Department officials will meet with U.S. Health and Human Services Department representatives this week, and they have 60 days to come to an agreement on how to get into compliance. Rep. Luke Malek (R) said the measure's opponents do not represent the Republican caucus in Idaho, adding that they were displaying "heavy-handed opportunistic theatrics at the expense of single-parents and children."

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up