BOISE — The Idaho House voted to advance a new flag bill on Thursday, sending a bill to the Senate that serves as a revised effort from the legislature to bar the Pride flag from being flown in Boise. House Bill 561 was sponsored by Rep. Ted Hill, R-Eagle, and expands upon House Bill 96, which was signed by Gov. Brad Little last April. That law prohibits government entities — including universities and public schools — from displaying flags other than the United States flag, the official flag of a governmental entity, official flags of any states in the US., official flags of any military branches, the POW/MIA flag, or official flags of Indian tribes. The bill considered on the House Floor on Thursday is an amended version of legislation. Hill brought before the House State Affairs Committee in February to tighten restrictions on what flags could be flown by local governments, Concerns raised by individuals who testified as well as House members at the hearing led to the addition of several exceptions in response. An addition to House Bill 561 is a carve out for the Basque autonomous community flag after public testimony highlighted the bill allowed only “official flags of countries other than the United States” to be flown on special occasions. Under prior language, Boise, as well as any other city or county in Idaho, would have been barred from flying the Basque flag.as is historically done during celebrations. The amendment process further loosened the bill to allow flags or banners to be displayed on government-owned streetlights or property adjacent to streets or boulevards so long as what is being displayed is not “political, religious, or ideological in nature.” This change came after several House members questioned the impact of the bill on their local communities. During the prior committee meeting, Rep. Erin Bingham, R-Idaho Falls, said she was concerned the bill would have prevented local communities from posting anything on their lampposts or streetlights, whether that be announcements for local events or banners for graduating seniors of the local high school. While presenting his revised bill to the House on Thursday, Hill said his intention is to have local governments be neutral in what thev are flying and ensure some