Vito Barbieri

Early life, education, and career

Barbieri earned his associate degree from El Camino College and his bachelor's degree and J.D. from Western State College of Law.

He practiced law in California for 20 years. Since moving to Idaho in 2004, he has operated several small businessess, including a catering business and owns an electronic cigarette store in Post Falls.

Idaho House of Representatives

Committee assignments

• Business Committee (chairman)
• Local Government Committee
• State Affairs Committee Barbieri previously served on the Revenue and Taxation Committee from 2010 to 2012.

Elections

On November 23, 2020, Barbieri announced that he would run for Idaho House of Representatives assistant majority leader against Jason Monks.

Controversies

Barbieri came to national attention on February 23, 2015, after asking a doctor giving testimony if a woman could swallow a camera in order to undergo a remote gynecological exam and received the answer that such was not possible as swallowing a pill will not lead it to the vagina. In response to commentary on social media about the seeming anatomical confusion, he explained his remarks: "I was being rhetorical, because I was trying to make the point that equalizing a colonoscopy to this particular procedure was apples and oranges... So I was asking a rhetorical question that was designed to make her say that they weren't the same thing, and she did so. It was the response I wanted."

However, upon receiving the explanation from the testifying doctor, Barbieri's response was, "Fascinating". The exchange included Barbieri's question: "Can this same procedure then be done in a pregnancy? Swallowing a camera and helping the doctor to determine what the situation is?" Dr. Julie Madsen, MD responded: "Mr. Chairman and Representative, it cannot be done in pregnancy simply because when you swallow a pill it would not end up in the vagina." Barbieri replied, "Fascinating. That certainly makes sense."

References

References

1. "James Vito Barbieri II # 116893 - Attorney Licensee Search".
2. [https://www.martindale.com/attorney/james-vito-barbieri-ii-259730/ Martindale-Hubbell Law Profile]
3. "House Membership: Vito Barbieri". [[Idaho Legislature]].
4. "Representative Vito Barbieri's Biography". [[Project Vote Smart]].
5. "Idaho State Legislature - House Membership". idaho.gov.
6. [https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2017/mar/26/key-idaho-lawmaker-vito-barbieri/ Key Idaho lawmaker: Vito Barbieri]
7. [https://sos.idaho.gov/blue_book/2012/04_legislative.pdf 2011/2012 Idaho Blue Book - Legislative Branch]
8. [[Ben Ysursa. "May 25, 2010 Primary Election Results: Legislative Totals". [[Secretary of State of Idaho]].
9. Ysursa, Ben. "November 2, 2010 General Election Results: Legislative Totals". Secretary of State of Idaho.
10. Ysursa, Ben. "May 15, 2012 Primary Election Results: Legislative Totals". Secretary of State of Idaho.
11. Ysursa, Ben. "November 6, 2012 General Election Results: Legislative Totals". Secretary of State of Idaho.
12. Ysursa, Ben. "May 20, 2014 General Election Results: Legislative Totals". Secretary of State of Idaho.
13. Ysursa, Ben. "November 4, 2014 General Election Results: Legislative Totals". Secretary of State of Idaho.
14. [[Lawerence Denney. "May 17, 2016 Primary Election Results: Legislative Totals". Secretary of State of Idaho.
15. Denney, Lawerence. "Nov 8, 2016 General Election Results: Legislative Totals". Secretary of State of Idaho.
16. Russell, Betsy Z.. "Another contested leadership race: Barbieri to challenge Monks". [[The Idaho Press]].
17. "Idaho lawmaker asks if woman can swallow camera for gynecological exam before medical abortion". [[Minnesota Star Tribune]].
18. Russell, Betsy Z.. "Barbieri: 'It was rhetorical'". The Spokesman-Review.
19. (February 24, 2015). "Male Politician Thinks Vagina Is Connected To Stomach". [[MSNBC]].
20. (March 11, 2015). "'Fascinating': Stomach not directly attached to vagina". Nick Gillespie.