Last week, filing closed for Idaho primaries. One of the candidates who filed in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate is Marvin Richardson, who legally changed his name last year to “Pro-Life.” The Secretary of State accepted his filing, saying since “Pro-Life” is the new legal name of the candidate, he has no choice but to list him.

However, on March 24, S. 1514 was introduced in the Idaho Senate, saying if a candidate changes his name so that the new name seems intended to convey a political message, then the candidate must have in parentheses after his name, “A person formerly known as (blank)”. The bill passed the Senate unanimously on the same day it was introduced, and if it is signed into law, takes effect immediately. The Idaho primary is in May.