Spokesman.com: Eye On Boise posts

Keeping an eye on it...

Sun, 06 May 2018 13:01:57 -0700

This is my last post here, but starting Monday, I’ll be blogging at idahopress.com/eyeonboise in my new position as Boise bureau chief and state capital reporter for the Idaho Press-Tribune and Adams Publishing Group, which also owns the Idaho State Journal, the Idaho Falls Post Register and more. This blog – with its full archives going back to 2004 – will remain online, and I hope you’ll find it a valuable resource on what’s happened in Idaho politics – in detail – over the past 14 years.

When political debates also include comic relief…

Sun, 06 May 2018 08:56:33 -0700

When six GOP candidates for Idaho’s open 1st District congressional seat faced off in the “Idaho Debates” last week, much of the fireworks – and the humor – came in the closing statements; you can read my full column here from Sunday’s Spokesman-Review.

First, Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa, lit into rivals Russ Fulcher and David Leroy. She joked that Fulcher’s signs, on which he’d taped over “governor,” the office for which he first filed this year, to switch to “Congress,” had started peeling, leaving him running for “gov-gress.” “He didn’t even want to run for this seat – he was running for governor,” she declared. “Well, then Labrador and some special interest groups came in and wouldn’t allow him to do that, so he folded.”

Perry then said of Leroy, “He’s had a distinguished career here in the state of Idaho, but a long time ago. What he didn’t tell you, though, was that the voters rejected him back in ’86 when he lost to a Democrat, and then again in ’94 when he lost to a strong conservative Republican woman from this district. So he’s kinda 0-for-2, and this is his last breath.”

Fulcher, who was up next, prefaced his statement with, “Thank you, Rep. Perry, for the incorrect and inaccurate history lesson, but the short answer is it’s called servant leadership.”

Leroy had this to say at the beginning of his statement, followed by a dramatic pause: “With my last breath…” The studio audience, cautioned to stay silent, laughed anyway.

Leroy fired back, “With all due respect, the experience Washington needs right now is a little gray hair, a lot of good judgment and perhaps a touch of statesmanship.”

Rep. Luke Malek, R-Coeur d’Alene, the next one to speak, is bald, sporting a shaved head and beard. “Dave, I don’t think Washington needs more hair,” he said to laughter as he opened his statement.

Meanwhile, candidate Michael Snyder used his closing statement to declare that the race is really just between him and Fulcher – according to “people all over social media.”

Candidate Alex Gallegos stayed out of the fray, instead focusing on how people have told him that as a first-time candidate, he faces an “impossible challenge.” “The people that told me that must not be from Idaho, because Idahoans thrive on challenges,” he said.

Candidates flock to race for open Idaho congressional seat; link to my full story

Sun, 06 May 2018 08:48:12 -0700

An open seat in Congress, as Rep. Raul Labrador steps down to run for governor, has drawn a whopping 10 candidates to the primary election ballot – and poses a big challenge for Idaho voters as they prepare to make their picks on May 15.

The Republican ticket alone has seven hopefuls, all of whom are hoping to capture at least a slice of the voters in Idaho’s 1st Congressional District, which stretches from west Boise to the Canadian border. The Democratic ticket has three hopefuls vying for the nomination. In the seven-way GOP primary, a candidate could win with far less than a majority.

“Theoretically, it could be under 20 percent,” said College of Idaho political scientist Jasper LiCalzi.

So how are voters to distinguish among the members of the pack?

“With the primary it’s always difficult,” LiCalzi said. “They don’t have the typical cue of the party.” Each candidate, he said, will “want to stand out in some way.”

Some indicators that voters can examine: Who’s backing each candidate and how strongly, their top issues and their stances on them, their record, their performance in debates, and how they each have tried to distinguish themselves from the others. Here’s a link to my full Sunday story at spokesman.com.

Judge rules former Rep. Kathy Sims should stay on ballot

Sat, 05 May 2018 08:03:17 -0700

Less than a week after she was knocked off the ballot, former Idaho state Rep. Kathy Sims was granted another chance to return to the Legislature. First District Judge Richard S. Christensen ruled Friday that Sims, the owner of Coeur d’Alene Honda who previously served in the Legislature, should remain on the May 15 primary ballot; you can read a full report here from S-R reporter Will Campbell.

Earlier this week the Idaho secretary of state’s office told county officials that she was ineligible to run for the District 3 seat that includes Post Falls because she has not been a registered elector in that district a year before the November general election. Sims previously represented District 4, which represents Coeur d’Alene. Sims, 75, is facing Tony Wisniewski in the Republican primary.

“The voters have been trusting me for years,” Sims said after the hearing.

Former state Rep. Phil Hart also was booted from the ballot for similar reasons as he attempts a comeback in District 7, claiming a Kellogg address; a judge will consider that case next week.

Crapo campaign used D.C. condo 81 times at no cost

Sat, 05 May 2018 07:42:38 -0700

Here’s an article from the Idaho Statesman:

By Cynthia Sewell

U.S. Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, has admitted to federal election officials that he used a lobbyist-owned Washington, D.C., townhouse 81 times over a four-year period at no cost, including as recently as February.

The new details from Crapo's re-election and leadership committees came in a response to a Federal Election Commission inquiry.

The committees conducted an internal review of use of the townhouse and "fully disclosed to the FEC the date and purpose of each use of the space – not just those named in the FEC complaint filed last month – as well as the corresponding reimbursements," said Sam Neel, counsel for the committees.

"Senator Crapo strives to adhere to all FEC laws and regulations and has worked quickly to correct the oversight that occurred regarding the use of the townhouse,” Neel said, in a statement provided on behalf of Crapo.

The campaign used the townhouse for 78 “kitchen cabinet” meetings, fundraising events and other campaign-related meetings. The campaign did pay for catering, cleaning, telephone calls and staff expenses associated with each use of the townhouse.

“However, the committee did not pay for or report the costs of each use of the townhouse rental space, which the committee understood to be in-kind contributions from Ms. Vicki Hart,” states the April 26 letter from Crapo’s campaign treasurer, Paul Kilgore, to the FEC.

In addition, Crapo's leadership PAC, Freedom Fund, admitted to the FEC that it, too, failed to disclose similar contributions. it had used the same townhouse three times since 2014 for fundraising events, but it did not pay for or report the rental space costs.

“The Crapo campaign and Freedom Fund are committed to ensuring compliance with all FEC reporting requirements," Neel said.

The townhouse is the same one that drew attention earlier this year, after Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt rented it from Hart and her husband, J. Steven Hart, for well below market rates.

Vicki Hart is a health care lobbyist. J. Steven Hart is chairman of a large lobbying firm and a lobbyist for HSBC, a British bank.

Crapo's committee reported a $1,000 in-kind contribution from Hart in 2015, but none since.

"In March, the committees initiated an internal review of their use of the townhouse space at 223 C Street and found that the campaign used the space for 45 meetings and calls related to the campaign, as well as 33 fundraisers," said Neel. "Freedom Fund used the space for three fundraisers. Most of the calls and meetings regarding the campaign occurred during the senator's re-election campaign and related to updates from his campaign team in Idaho.

"The campaign used the townhouse for those campaign activities because campaign business cannot be conducted on federal property. No one from the campaign or Freedom Fund ever used the townhouse for an overnight stay."

The townhouse is owned by an LLC governed by Hart, rather than by Hart individually. Corporations cannot make in-kind contributions, so the committees had to pay the LLC for each use of the townhouse.

“Hart recently informed the committee that the cost of the event space is $100 per use,” states the letter.

On April 20, the campaign reimbursed Hart $6,700 for 67 campaign-related events held in the space during the 2016 election cycle and $1,100 for the 11 campaign-related events held in the current election cycle. The same day, the Freedom Fund reimbursed Hart $300 for the three fundraising events it held in the space.

That step came after a watchdog group, Campaign for Accountability, filed a complaint with the FEC against Crapo and Vicki Hart.

The group says it plans to file an amended complaint with the FEC Monday.

“Given how extensively Crapo's campaign used the condo, there are a lot of questions about whether his campaign broke any laws,” said Daniel Stevens, Campaign for Accountability executive director.

ISU loses track of dab of radioactive, weapons-grade plutonium, faces federal fine

Fri, 04 May 2018 16:26:48 -0700

Here’s an article from the Associated Press:

By Keith Ridler

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — A small amount of radioactive, weapons-grade plutonium about the size of a U.S. quarter is missing from an Idaho university that was using it for research, leading federal officials on Friday to propose an $8,500 fine.

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission said Idaho State University can't account for about a 30th of an ounce (1 gram) of the material that's used in nuclear reactors and to make nuclear bombs.

The amount is too small to make a nuclear bomb, agency spokesman Victor Dricks said, but could be used to make a dirty bomb to spread radioactive contamination.

"The NRC has very rigorous controls for the use and storage of radioactive materials as evidenced by this enforcement action," he said of the proposed fine for failing to keep track of the material.

Dr. Cornelis Van der Schyf, vice president for research at the university, blamed partially completed paperwork from 15 years ago as the school tried to dispose of the plutonium.

"Unfortunately, because there was a lack of sufficient historical records to demonstrate the disposal pathway employed in 2003, the source in question had to be listed as missing," he said in a statement to The Associated Press. "The radioactive source in question poses no direct health issue or risk to public safety."

Idaho State University has a nuclear engineering program and works with the U.S. Department of Energy's Idaho National Laboratory, considered the nation's primary nuclear research lab and located about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of the school.

The plutonium was being used to develop ways to ensure nuclear waste containers weren't leaking and to find ways to detect radioactive material being illegally brought into the U.S. following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, the school said in an email to the AP.

The university, which has 30 days to dispute the proposed fine, reported the plutonium missing on Oct. 13, according to documents released by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The agency said a school employee doing a routine inventory discovered the university could only account for 13 of its 14 plutonium sources, each weighing about the same small amount.

The school searched documents and found records from 2003 and 2004 saying the material was on campus and awaiting disposal. However, there were no documents saying the plutonium had been properly disposed.

The last document mentioning the plutonium is dated Nov. 23, 2003. It said the Idaho National Laboratory didn't want the plutonium and the school's technical safety office had it "pending disposal of the next waste shipment."

The school also reviewed documents on waste barrels there and others transferred off campus since 2003, and opened and examined some of them. Finally, officials searched the campus but didn't find the plutonium.

The nuclear commission said senior university officials planned to return the school's remaining plutonium to the Energy Department. It's not clear if that has happened.

Energy Department officials didn't return calls seeking comment Friday.

Dricks, the commission spokesman, said returning the plutonium was part of the school's plan to reduce its inventory of radioactive material.

He said overall it has "a good record with the NRC."

The week that was...

Fri, 04 May 2018 16:12:26 -0700

On tonight’s “Idaho Reports” on Idaho Public Television, I join host Melissa Davlin to discuss the events of the week with Idaho Statesman reporter Cynthia Sewell, Idaho EdNews reporter Kevin Richert, and Idaho Reports producer Seth Ogilvie. There are also clips from the four final “Idaho Debates” – the debates between the Democratic candidates for governor, the Republican candidates for governor, the Republican candidates for state schools superintendent, and the Republican candidates for Idaho’s 1st District congressional seat.

“Idaho Reports” airs at 8 p.m. Fridays on Idaho Public Television; after it airs, you can watch it here online any time. It also re-airs Sunday at 10 a.m. Mountain time, 9 a.m. Pacific.

Dems demand investigation into 'The Idahoan,' call for Denney to recuse himself

Fri, 04 May 2018 12:27:48 -0700

The Idaho Democratic Party is demanding an investigation into the statewide mailing of a 48-page candidate endorsement publication under the title “The Idahoan,” charging that it’s “nothing more than a campaign mailer intended to sway voters before the upcoming primary elections on May 15.”

“The Idaho Democratic Party believes that certain conservative political organizations are funding The Idahoan and are attempting to circumnavigate campaign and election laws by improperly classifying The Idahoan as a newspaper,” says a letter from attorney Sam Dotters-Katz, on behalf of the party, to Idaho Secretary of State Lawerence Denney. The letter also calls for Denney to recuse himself from the investigation, because of his past campaign dealings with one of the identified principals behind the publication, GOP campaign consultant Lou Esposito. You can read the Dems’ full letter here.

Chief Deputy Secretary of State Tim Hurst said today that Denney has received the letter. “We’re going to discuss it with the Attorney General’s office,” he said. However, as two key staffers in the Attorney General’s office are out of the office or busy with other matters today, Hurst said, those discussion likely won’t take place before Monday.

Hurst said, “We discussed it a little bit yesterday. … We had a discussion about whether or not it was a newspaper or whether it was something else. … Yesterday we were leaning toward it being a newspaper, understanding that it’s hard to say, when they say it’s the first” edition. The publication says it’s “your newspaper,” says it “will be delivered to you prior to each election cycle,” and also describes itself as “a conservative voter information periodical.”

Idaho’s Sunshine Law requires reporting of who’s responsible and how much they’ve spent when electioneering communications are sent out to voters before an election, but newspapers and periodicals are exempt from those requirements. The Idahoan features an extensive list of endorsements of far-right candidates in the May 15 primary, multiple ads for the Idaho Freedom Foundation and Idaho Chooses Life, editorials decrying certain Republican candidates as too moderate, and multiple typos, including one misidentifying the election date as May 8.

Sandpoint High alum Luke Mayville sparked Medicaid initiative effort; link to my full story

Fri, 04 May 2018 06:03:39 -0700

Luke Mayville was a junior at Sandpoint High School when the 9/11 attacks happened, and his English teacher, Marianne Love, encouraged the quiet, high-performing student to read his essay on the attacks in front of a school assembly just a few days later.

“It was my first ever public speech,” recalls Mayville, 33.

The young student of modest means is now a political scientist who teaches at Columbia University, holds a doctorate and two master’s degrees from Yale, is the author of a book on President John Adams, and helped organize the “Reclaim Idaho” campaign that collected thousands of signatures across the state in an attempt to qualify an initiative to expand Medicaid for the November ballot; you can read my full story here at spokesman.com.

If voters approve the measure, they’d close a health coverage gap in the state that the Legislature has refused to address every year for the past six years.

“There was so much skepticism and doubt out there that it was possible to do this,” said Mayville, 33. “And those who were skeptical put forward a lot of really good reasons to be skeptical. You have to organize in 18 different districts all across the state, you’d have to gather all of your signatures in the dead of winter, etc. But as we organized and started building teams of incredible volunteers all across the state, month after month, it just kept gaining momentum.”

Love, who taught English at Sandpoint High School from 1969 to 2002 and herself is the author of three books, said, “Luke is someone special.”

Giant statewide 'newspaper' mailing backs far-right candidates, has ties to Esposito, Hoffman

Thu, 03 May 2018 13:38:04 -0700

Voters across the state received a fat 48-page newsprint publication in the mail this week – mine was addressed to “resident” – calling itself “The Idahoan,” and purporting to be a newspaper that is published only right before an election – complete with endorsements of far-right candidates in the May 15 primary, multiple ads for the Idaho Freedom Foundation, editorials decrying certain Republican candidates as too moderate, a screed against urban renewal, a call to cut taxes, and multiple typos, including one misidentifying the election date as May 8.

The publication, and its accompanying website, identify longtime GOP campaign consultant Lou Esposito and Patrick Malloy as the editors and publishers, but the original filing with the Idaho Secretary of State’s office for The Idahoan was made by none other than Wayne Hoffman, now president of the Idaho Freedom Foundation.

“It used to be Wayne Hoffman’s DBA; he’s terminated that,” Idaho Secretary of State Tim Hurst said today. “The Idahoan LLC is Patrick Malloy.” According to state records, Hoffman terminated his use of the business name on April 19, the same day that Malloy filed to use the name.

Hurst said, “We’re looking to decide if it’s a newspaper like it says it is, and if it is, they’re exempt from electioneering communications” reporting requirements – which would otherwise require identification and reporting of who’s funding the voter outreach effort. Asked if a newspaper can exist that’s published only right before an election – and focused only on electioneering – Hurst said, “We’re looking at that.”

The cost to send out this large mailer statewide had to be substantial. Idaho’s much-smaller voter pamphlet, which is a pamphlet of a few pages that also is printed on newsprint and mailed out statewide when there’s a constitutional amendment on the ballot, costs about $200,000.

“The Idahoan,” in an article by Esposito on page A2, declares that it’s a “conservative voter information periodical.”

Why one House Dem leader donated $100 to a Republican...

Thu, 03 May 2018 13:14:23 -0700

Idaho Reports producer Seth Ogilvie spotted an odd item in one of the first state campaign finance reports to be filed in advanced of next week’s Tuesday deadline: A $100 contribution to Rep. Kelley Packer, R-McCammon, who’s running for lieutenant governor, from Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise – the House assistant minority leader. “We don’t always agree, but I respect her,” Rubel told Ogilvie. “There are only a few people on that side of the aisle that I wouldn’t mind in office, and she is one of them.”

Rubel’s bipartisan work has stood out in the House, Ogilvie writes; she worked on bipartisan legislation this year including working with Rep. Christy Perry, R-Nampa, on mandatory minimum sentence legislation and Rep. Steve Harris, R-Meridian, on civil asset forfeiture reform. Rubel said of Packer, "She has displayed courage and civility in a place that doesn't always have either."

Rubel said she hasn’t donated to any other Republicans, and will support the Democratic candidate in the general election; Packer’s $25,000-plus in fundraising for the cycle came otherwise from her fellow Republicans. You can read Ogilvie’s full report here.

http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/boise/2018/mar/22/otter-signs-unanimously-passed-civil-forfeiture-reform-bill-law-after-vetoing-last-year/

Jordan: Campaign email wasn't meant to mislead Idaho voters

Wed, 02 May 2018 10:32:19 -0700

Here's an article from the Associated Press:

By Kimberlee Kruesi

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Democratic gubernatorial candidate Paulette Jordan is not apologizing for sending a campaign email blast that critics say misled voters to think she was endorsed by the Idaho Democratic Party.

Jordan, a former two-term state representative and member of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, told The Associated Press in an email Tuesday she did not intend to mislead anyone.

Jordan is running against Boise businessman A.J. Balukoff.

"I think we are all proud to be 'Idaho Democrats' including A.J. — who used the exact same wording in a glossy mail piece sent out to his supporters," Jordan said. "Let's not repeat the mistakes of the past and fight about email wording — there is nothing Republicans would like to see more than Democrats fighting amongst themselves."

Balukoff's campaign balked at the criticism they had also misled voters.

"The mailer...features a picture of A.J. and identifies him as an Idaho Democrat. It's important to note that this is not an endorsement from the Idaho Democratic Party," Andy Bixler said, Balukoff's communication director.

The issue began on Saturday when Jordan's campaign sent out an email that identified the sender as "Idaho Dems (via Paulette Jordan)." It was targeted to supporters seeking campaign funds in the final two weeks of the gubernatorial primary campaign.

The email sparked concern from Idaho's Democratic leaders fearful the move would signal the party had picked a side in a competitive race before the upcoming May 15 primary.

"I think it's important for folks to take responsibility regardless of intent," Rep. Melissa Wintrow said, a Democrat from Boise. "The impact could potentially be damaging."

Officials with the Idaho Democratic Party have since said they've been forced to clarify they don't endorse before the primary due to the high volume of inquiries over Jordan's email.

Policy Director Shelby Scott said the party asked Jordan's campaign for clarification, preferably a retraction.

Fallout from Jordan's email dust-up spurred a handful of Democratic lawmakers who previously vowed to remain neutral in the competitive race to throw their support behind her opponent A.J. Balukoff, even though it was Jordan — not Balukoff — who once worked with those same lawmakers inside Idaho's Republican-dominant Statehouse.

For example, Wintrow said she wanted to stay out of endorsing a candidate in the gubernatorial race, but officially announced Tuesday along with two other lawmakers she was throwing her weight behind Balukoff.

Balukoff is a longtime Boise School Board member, but has never held a statewide or legislative elected office.

Jordan downplayed the lack of endorsements, explaining she asked her colleagues in advance not to endorse her before resigning from her legislative post earlier this year.

At least four lawmakers, including House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding and Wintrow, told The Associated Press they had no memory of that conversation.

"I never got that message," Rep. Sue Chew said, a Democrat from Boise. "There was a meeting where she told us it was going to be a competitive race and she told us she wouldn't pressure us for an endorsement but she never asked us not to endorse her."

Rep. Ilana Rubel, a Democrat from Boise, said she has been approached by both campaigns since the legislative session ended in March and asked if she would endorse a candidate.

"To be clear, I consider myself friends with both," Rubel said. "I have chosen not to endorse, but both sides have asked me to endorse."

Jordan has received multiple national endorsements from Planned Parenthood, Indivisible and celebrities like Cher.

Crapo, Risch, Simpson, Wyden join officials at NIFC to celebrate long-sought end to 'fire borrowing'

Wed, 02 May 2018 10:15:34 -0700

After years of gathering annually at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise to decry “fire borrowing” – the situation in which the Forest Service, each year, shifts millions from other programs when the costs to fight the West’s escalating wildfires balloons, thereby cutting prevention efforts meant to reduce that trend – a bipartisan group of congressmen and top agency officials had a different tone when they gathered at NIFC today: Celebration.

The fix for “fire borrowing” finally came in this year’s omnibus budget bill, which also allocated millions more for firefighting over the next two years before the new mechanism takes effect, allowing federal disaster funds, starting in 2020, to be tapped for catastrophic wildfires, just as they are for hurricanes or floods; you can read my full story here at spokesman.com. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Oregon, called it “an uncommon triumph for common sense.” Idaho GOP Sen. Jim Risch said, “We’ve redone the way that firefighting is going to be funded, to free up the agency’s money to be used for what they should be used for.”

Idaho GOP Sen. Mike Crapo said, “This bill has been a bipartisan bill from the outset.” Plus, he said, it had near-unanimous support from hundreds of interest groups across the country, from timber interests to sportsmen to conservationists.

Risch said, “This was not a partisan deal – it was a bipartisan deal. If anything it was us in the West trying to convince our folks on the east coast.”

Idaho GOP Rep. Mike Simpson said many years of intense work went into the bill. “I believe this is the most important bill to affect the Forest Service probably in the last 50 years,” he said, “both the wildfire funding and how we do that, and the reforms that were made. It’s critically important.”

Wyden noted that the bill also funds the Secure Rural Schools program, on which rural Idaho counties rely to fund schools and roads; Wyden called that “a big, big boost for the West.”

The Wildfire Disaster Funding Act, which passed as part of the omnibus budget bill, also expands the Good Neighbor Authority program, under which state foresters partner with federal forest officials; Idaho already has been using the program to cooperatively conduct timber sales on federal forest lands.

Said Simpson, “As Jim said, it was tough getting some people from the east coast.” To laughter, he said, “I used to think I was going to have to go to the speaker’s district and start a wildfire.”

Acting U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen said she wanted to offer “just a heartfelt thank you.” She said, “You’ve given us resources in the omnibus to get the work going. … Thank you for your leadership, thank you for your commitment. … Fires don’t know any jurisdiction.”

The omnibus spending bill, H.R. 1625, passed the Senate on March 23, 65-32; both Crapo and Risch voted no on its final passage, after Risch held up the bill for hours in an attempt to remove language that Simpson had inserted to rename the White Clouds Wilderness after the late Idaho Gov. Cecil Andrus, Risch's longtime foe. It won final House passage on March 22 on a 256-167 vote, with Simpson voting yes but Idaho GOP Rep. Raul Labrador voting no.

Crapo’s spokesman, Lindsay Nothern, said today that Crapo’s “no” vote was because of “the overall spending levels. Obviously we supported the fire bill and always have. It was unfortunate it was included in the omnibus, because of the size of the omnibus. … Sen. Crapo has opposed a number of omnibus spending bills. He would prefer not to do omnibus spending, and instead to go through the normal budgeting process. So it was a very difficult vote.”

Asked if the Andrus wildnerness-naming issue played into Crapo’s “no” vote, Nothern said, “No, oh no. It was about the overall size of the bill.”

Labrador, in an April statement, said, “I opposed the ‘omnibus’ because I could not in good conscience vote for a bill that adds billions to the debt and puts our economy at risk.”

Sims says she believes she can fight ballot ousting, because she lived in same county

Wed, 02 May 2018 07:35:02 -0700

Former state Rep. Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d’Alene, is vowing to fight the Idaho Secretary of State’s decision to disqualify her from the ballot for not having been a registered voter in the Post Falls district where she’s seeking to run for a year – saying in a statement that she’s lived in the county, and she apparently believes that’s good enough. Here’s her statement, which she posted on Facebook:

"I have been a registered voter in Kootenai County for 50 years where I have voted in many dozens of elections since 1968. Article 3, Section 6 of the Idaho Constitution states that one must be an elector of the county or district one year prior to the election. I meet the criteria based on what the Idaho Constitution very clearly says and am continuing my campaign and fighting vigorously to stay on the ballot so that I can continue to promote conservative principles and issues for the people of Kootenai County and District 3."

Here’s the Idaho Constitution’s Article III, Section 6:

QUALIFICATIONS OF MEMBERS. No person shall be a senator or representative who, at the time of his election, is not a citizen of the United States, and an elector of this state, nor anyone who has not been for one year next preceding his election an elector of the county or district whence he may be chosen.

The Secretary of State's office informed Sims in a letter yesterday that as the ballots already have been printed, her name will be blacked out. Sims, who served three House terms from Coeur d'Alene's District 4 before losing to Rep. Paul Amador, R-Coeur d'Alene, in the 2016 GOP primary, registered in Post Falls' District 3, which has an open House seat, in February.

"If she wants to fight it, they'd better get a lawsuit filed pretty quickly, an injunction," Chief Deputy Secretary of State Tim Hurst said this morning. At this point, he said, Sims is off the ballot.

He also said the Secretary of State's office has been contacted by Pocatello attorney Tom Katsilometes about both Sims' and Phil Hart's ouster from the ballot over residency requirements, and Secretary of State Lawerence Denney will meet with Katsilometes tomorrow.

Governor candidate endorsed by national progressives, but not her fellow Idaho lawmakers

Tue, 01 May 2018 20:16:48 -0700

The Idaho Statesman reports tonight on how 12 of the 16 Democratic state lawmakers who served with former Rep. Paulette Jordan, D-Plummer, have endorsed her opponent, A.J. Balukoff, in the Democratic primary for governor, and the other four are staying neutral. Three, including House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding, spoke out in a Balukoff press release today about their support for him. The news follows an announcement yesterday from the Idaho Democratic Party that it’s staying neutral in the race – prompted by an email sent out by Jordan’s campaign over the weekend that seemed to suggest it was from the party, with the address line saying “From: Idaho Dems (Via Paulette Jordan),” and the subject line, “she needs you.”

Here’s Statesman reporter Cynthia Sewell’s report:

By Cynthia Sewell

Former Rep. Paulette Jordan worked side-by-side with Democratic lawmakers during her two terms in the Idaho Legislature.

But so far, none of the gubernatorial candidate's fellow legislators have endorsed her in this month's primary.

Of the 16 Democratic lawmakers Jordan worked with the last two sessions, 12 have endorsed her opponent, AJ Balukoff, who has never held a statewide office.

Additionally, former House Minority Leader John Rusche, who worked with Jordan during the 2015 and 2016 sessions, has endorsed Balukoff.

None of the legislators have criticized Jordan in their endorsement statements, focusing instead on why they believe Balukoff to be the better choice.

“I have known both AJ and Paulette well,” said Rep. Sue Chew in her Friday endorsement statement. “I've served with Paulette; I know AJ. When AJ asked me to endorse him, I readily agreed. AJ is in this race for the right reasons — he really cares about all of us and he really works hard for Idaho.”

Jordan's campaign has not responded to several Statesman emails asking about endorsements and related issues. Jordan's phone was not accepting voice messages as of Tuesday.

Several national groups have endorsed her, including Planned Parenthood, People for the American Way, Democracy for America, Indivisible and People for Bernie Sanders. She also has earned the support of a celebrity, Cher, and a CNN political commentator, Van Jones.

"Beyond the historical significance of this campaign, Paulette is a candidate who promises to govern by putting Idahoans first — above political parties and above special interests," states Jones on Jordan's website. "Paulette has made it clear that she’ll stand up for the people who haven’t always had a voice in Idaho’s government, from the folks in rural areas to the indigenous populations to the hardworking families who often struggle to get by. Throughout her time in the Legislature, Paulette has proven herself to be a strong and effective leader — someone with the determination to get things done.”

Current Democratic lawmakers endorsing Balukoff include Sens. Cherie Buckner-Webb, Grant Burgoyne, Maryanne Jordan, Janie Ward-Engelking and Mark Nye, and Reps. Sue Chew, Phylis King, Hy Kloc, John McCrostie, Melissa Wintrow, Elaine Smith and House Minority Leader Mat Erpelding.

The remaining four members of the Democratic caucus — Senate Minority Leader Michelle Stennett and Reps. John Gannon, Ilana Rubel and Sally Toone — are remaining neutral.

Email prompts complaints

Four of the endorsements came this week following a dustup over a fundraising email sent Saturday by Jordan's campaign.

The email states it is from “Idaho Dems (via Paulette Jordan)” and gives the appearance of being a forwarded message from Jordan's campaign. The subject line reads "she needs you."

The Idaho Democratic Party uses “Idaho Dems” for its website and social media handles.

On Monday, the party issued a press release addressing the matter: “(T)he Jordan for Governor campaign sent an email that was perceived by some as an endorsement from the Idaho Democratic Party. This email was not from the Idaho Democratic Party nor was it approved by the Party. We are very firm in our commitment to neutrality in the primary. We have asked and reminded all of our Democratic candidates to help us maintain that neutrality."

A screenshot of an April 28, 2018 fundraising email sent by Paulette Jordan's campaign. The framing of the message caused complaints within the Idaho Democratic Party, which cannot be seen as favoring one Democratic primary candidate over another.

As of Tuesday, the party had not received a response from Jordan or her campaign, said political director Shelby Scott.

"We did have members of the public and members of the party who were confused and thought that we had endorsed," Scott told the Statesman.

On Tuesday, three of the most prominent sitting Democrats — Erpelding, Buckner-Webb and Wintrow, all of Boise — jointly announced their support for Balukoff.

"Like all concerned Idahoans, I have followed the campaigns for governor with great interest," Buckner-Webb said in the joint statement. "As a legislator I have watched with concern for how each of the candidates will be able to navigate the difficult issues facing Idaho. ... (Balukoff's) experience, integrity and honesty compel me to endorse his candidacy for governor."

Erpelding focused on Balukoff's work ethic.

“Regardless of your political leanings, we can all agree that Idaho needs honesty from its leaders. I support AJ Balukoff because he has worked tirelessly for Idaho, is a person of integrity, and shares the values of every Idahoan,” Erpelding said. “As governor, he will ensure the security of our families, protect our quality of life, and defend our rights. AJ’s integrity is what Idaho needs, and he has my vote.”

Earlier this year, the Jordan campaign attributed a separate email misstep to “staff error,” the Lewiston Tribune reported. A campaign email incorrectly stated Jordan was the “only Democrat ever elected” to the Legislature from North Idaho.

Democratic governor candidates talk wage gap in final debate

Tue, 01 May 2018 19:50:08 -0700

Here’s an article from the Associated Press:

By Kimberlee Kruesi

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho gubernatorial candidate Paulette Jordan labeled her Democratic challenger A.J. Balukoff as out of touch in their second and final televised debate on Monday.

The 38-year-old Jordan's attack stemmed from 71-year-old Balukoff's promise to work toward eliminating the gender wage gap in Idaho — an issue that has become a priority for the Boise businessman.

"It starts with educating people who are in denial," Balukoff said. "And then we work through the Department of Labor and other resources that we have to make sure there's equal pay for equal work throughout our state.... I don't know if there needs to be legislation so much as education and working with private employers where we see a problem."

Jordan, who is a member of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, was quick to criticize Balukoff.

"We have a candidate here who is very out of touch because I think we're all well aware — as a woman myself, as a woman of color — we know that even a woman of color is paid far less than the average woman who is paid far less than men. So if you're getting three-quarters of the dollar and the woman of color in the state is getting half a dollar that's a major problem."

Balukoff's statements during Monday's debate differed from what's currently on his campaign website, which read Balukoff will "bring the fight to the Capitol by working to pass meaningful legislation" regarding the pay gap.

If elected, Jordan would become not only Idaho's first female governor, but also the first Native American woman to be governor in the country.

Jordan supports pushing legislation requiring business owners to offer an equal livable wage to their employees.

"Legislation can be pushed to push this issue," she said.

"As a businessman in downtown Boise who employs more than 400 employees, I am not out of touch," Balukoff said. "I know what's going on and I know what the wages are and I know in my businesses we do pay equal pay for equal work."

Balukoff has served on the Boise School Board since 1997 and works as an accountant. He co-owns Boise's Grove Hotel and the CenturyLink Arena

Both candidates agreed the state's minimum wage, which is currently set at the federal rate of $7.25 an hour, should be increased over time, and tied to increases in the Consumer Price Index.

However, in Republican-dominant Idaho, it has been an uphill battle both to budge GOP lawmakers' resistance from increasing the minimum wage, as well as to elect a Democratic statewide candidate.

Monday's debate was hosted by KTVB-TV.

'Food truck' voting at Micron sparks complaint from Ahlquist campaign

Tue, 01 May 2018 14:44:42 -0700

Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Ada County election officials say an early voting location near the Micron campus is appropriate despite concerns raised by GOP gubernatorial candidate Tommy Ahlquist's campaign. The state's most populous county announced earlier this month officials would park a food truck-inspired voting station outside the company's southeast Boise headquarters as part of the county's effort to attract more people to participate in the upcoming May 15 primary election. However, Ada County Deputy Clerk Phil McGrane said Tuesday he received an informal complaint from Ahlquist questioning the selection of Micron because the campaign argued the company had too many ties to fellow GOP governor hopeful Lt. Gov. Brad Little. McGrane said his team found nothing objectionable with the location after vetting the concerns with the county and Micron. A Micron spokesman didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.

'Instant racing' initiative backers say they have enough signatures to make ballot

Tue, 01 May 2018 07:25:31 -0700

After hundreds of hours of knocking on doors, pounding the pavement and working the crowds at events, organizers of a statewide initiative to legalize certain gambling machines say they have enough signatures to get their proposal on Idaho's November ballot, the Idaho Statesman reports. Save Idaho Horse Racing will deliver its signatures to county clerk's offices around the state today, writes reporter Cynthia Sewell. Save Idaho Horse Racing says it has collected 114,815 signatures, according to spokesman Todd Dvorak. "We believe we have enough signatures to qualify for the ballot."

The Save Idaho Horse Racing proposal would legalize gambling terminals that let you bet on the results of past horse races at locations where live or simulcast horse racing occurs, including Ada County’s Les Bois Park. The Statesman’s full report is online here.

Idahoans taking oil, gas protections into their own hands

Tue, 01 May 2018 07:14:01 -0700

Here's an article from the Idaho Statesman via the Associated Press:

By Rocky Barker

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Julie and Duke Fugate turned down repeated attempts by an oil company to lease the mineral rights to their 1-acre property here, where they moved from Oregon to retire.

Then last September, Julie Fugate got a packet from the Idaho Department of Lands. It said Alta Mesa Idaho — the only company producing oil and gas in the state — wanted to force her and her neighbors to lease their mineral rights. The company would use a process designed to allow it to drill if it could get approval from at least 55 percent of the area's mineral-right holders.

Fugate, a retired speech therapist, started going door-to-door, visiting 60 of her neighbors. She convinced many of them to file letters of objection. When the forced pooling hearing came, Alta Mesa had other issues and decided to withdraw its application.

Fugate joined Citizens Allied for Integrity and Accountability, an Idaho group organized to push health, safety and property-rights issues raised by oil and gas development. She and other members then went to the Fruitland City Council to press for an ordinance to protect residents and property values.

In February, the council approved an ordinance creating a 1,200-foot setback for oil drilling from residents, churches, water sources and canals. It requires oil and gas companies to get conditional-use permits for their post-extraction facilities, and limits those structures to the city's industrial areas.

Now, Fugate is working with Eagle residents seeking an even stronger ordinance in that city. Alta Mesa has leased mineral rights in that area, but said it has no immediate plans to drill.

"I didn't plan on this for retirement," said Fugate, crediting other volunteers and CAIA for the recent successes. She has two wells within a mile of her home. One is close enough for her to see the flaring of natural gas.

"We're at ground zero here," she said.

Eight years after natural gas was discovered in commercial quantities in Payette County, the size and scope of Idaho's oil and gas resources remain uncertain. Alta Mesa has 18 wells, with seven actively producing oil, gas, condensate and other natural gas liquids.

The company has been quiet since the Idaho Legislature passed a sweeping reform measure in 2017 designed to protect mineral-right holders and other property owners. It reconfigured the state Oil and Gas Conservation Commission and required transparency comparable to other oil- and gas-producing states.

Since then, Alta Mesa and its partners have drilled three wells — one in the Willow Creek area of Payette County, near most of its other wells, and two in and around Fruitland. None of the new wells are producing yet, and Alta Mesa has not yet indicated its plans. But James Thum, Idaho Department of Lands oil and gas program manager, said not to expect anything soon from the Fruitland wells.

"There will be a significant delay before they come online," Thum said.

Richard Brown is CEO of Snake River Oil and Gas, which has partnered with Alta Mesa and convinced that company to come to Idaho. He said he can't talk for Alta Mesa, but he had hoped to know more about the size of the oil and gas field by now.

"After seven years, we still haven't figured out if it has a long-term future or not," Brown said. "I wish we did."

Production dropped sharply in 2017 as the only producing oil well was closed — because, Alta Mesa said, the cost of disposing of wastewater was so high.

Ideally, the company would like to use deep injection wells to return the water to the ground it came from, a common industry practice. Idaho has asked the Environmental Protection Agency to take over regulating such wells, to speed up getting a regulatory framework in place. That has brought widespread protests from southwest Idaho residents who worry the solution could contaminate groundwater. The EPA is expected to decide on the request later this year.

Regardless, the oil well began pumping again this year. That's good not only for the company and Idaho taxpayers, but also for the mineral right owners of the well, Randy and Thana Kauffman, whose farm lies in the Willow Creek area at the center of Alta Mesa's oil and gas operations.

They negotiated their lease with Brown in their living room in 2012, and believed their royalties would be unaffected by the expenses of getting gas into a pipeline, marketed, transported and processed. Since then, they've told the commission they believe they have been unfairly charged expenses and have not been paid what they were owed. They asked the commission to intercede under the authority of the new law.

The commission several months ago appointed Boise attorney Jason Risch as a hearing officer to examine the Kauffmans' case. But at a commission meeting April 11, Mick Thomas, who heads the Idaho Department of Lands' oil and gas division, said he had nothing new on the matter to report.

Production of gas and condensate also dropped sharply in 2017, by a respective 45 percent and 55 percent from the year before. Thum, the Lands oil and gas manager, said gas and oil wells go through a natural life, and all eventually decline or end production.

"There have been no new wells (in production) in two years," Thum said, accounting for the drop.

The new state law required production records to be public 45 days after production begins, and the same for drilling records after six months. At least one competitor — C.J. McDonald, CEO of Lone Tree Petroleum in Wyoming — hoped the law would give him the data to validate what's underground in Idaho so he can convince investors to back him.

McDonald has bought leases and tried to raise capital to finance drilling plans here. He said the Idaho oil and gas field has far more potential than Alta Mesa has suggested.

A year later, the state has a new website. But McDonald insists it does not have the data he needs, and that Alta Mesa was supposed to provide.

"(The state is) more interested in counting page clicks than providing the data that will encourage people to come to Idaho and spend money," McDonald said.

The commission has asked Alta Mesa to provide the state with records so it can compare them to its own. The company has agreed to turn them over, said Thomas, the Lands division head, though he gave no timetable.

Combined, the lack of a hearing for the Kauffmans, the questions over public information, an uncompleted audit of state lease royalties and a lack of coordination between the commission and the Idaho Tax Commission have left Midvale Republican Rep. Judy Boyle disappointed. The 2017 law she sponsored "has not been fully implemented," she said.

But Jim Classen, a Boise geologist and the lone commission member to serve both before and after the overhaul, praised Thomas and said the state "is making progress."

Boyle said she doubts the Fruitland oil and gas ordinance is legal, saying it appears to overstep state authority. But, she said, Alta Mesa treated residents poorly during leasing and forced pooling talks, "poking Fruitland with a sharp stick."

"So this is the result," Boyle said.

State law says counties and cities cannot pass ordinances "prohibiting the extraction of oil and gas." But it says drillers "may be subject to reasonable local ordinance provisions" to "protect public health, public safety, public order or which prevent harm to public infrastructure or degradation of the value, use and enjoyment of private property."

Shelly Brock, a CAIA board member from Eagle, worked with Fugate on the Fruitland ordinance and has pressed Eagle to pass an even more restrictive version. She became alarmed in 2011 when she saw oil and gas companies leasing mineral rights in Eagle, and seismic exploration nearby.

Brock has been organizing regionally, lobbying at the Capitol and working to elect Eagle council members who would support an oil and gas ordinance protecting health and safety, property values and water quality.

On Monday, Eagle's planning and zoning commission sent a version on to the City Council that Brock said is very good.

"The safety of people and property rights should come first," Brock said. "If the oil companies can then make a profit, so be it."

Miranda Gold is one of three new City Council members elected in November with a mandate from the voters on oil and gas.

"From my perspective, people were wanting to see their local elected officials take a strong stand on behalf of the city," Gold said.

Facebook dust-up draws comments from Idaho's first lady, Freedom Foundation...

Tue, 01 May 2018 06:46:32 -0700

A Facebook dust-up over the weekend drew sharp comments from a Twin Falls lawmaker, Idaho’s first lady, and the Idaho Freedom Foundation, the Times-News reports today. A post from Rep. Stephen Hartgen, R-Twin Falls, in which he criticized the Idaho Freedom Foundation and accused the group of supporting “druggie candidates,” ignited the clash; it also prompted a video response from candidate Rocky Ferrenburg, who is running for Hartgen’s District 24 House seat against Hartgen’s wife, Linda Wright Hartgen, and has openly discussed his prior drug convictions throughout his campaign, writes Times-News reporter Gretel Kauffman.

In his original post Friday, Hartgen noted that Idaho had jumped to No. 2 in the country for future economic outlook in a survey by the American Legislative Exchange Council. “Makes you wonder, with performance like this, why some on the right like the secretive so called Freedom Foundation want to add right-wing laws to the state, such as drug legalization and dismanteling (sic) the states well regarded pension plan,” Hartgen wrote. “Alt-right IFF Breitbart candidates are preaching a drain the swamp platform for Boise, but really, its just an effort to gain power and push Idaho into the fringe-right camp,” he continued.

The post attracted comments from accounts linked to Wayne Hoffman, president of the IFF, Jay S. Waters III, a candidate for the Senate seat in District 24, and Lori Otter, wife of Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter.

“[T]he only reason Idaho jumped to No. 2 is that the governor and the Legislature finally listened to our advice to dramatically cut taxes,” the Hoffman account wrote in response to the post. “You’re welcome. Damn good thing Idaho Freedom Foundation is around to make it happen.”

A Facebook account for Idaho’s first lady replied to the comment from the Hoffman account, writing: “Oh brother Wayne. [A]ren’t you a non profit that is not allowed to lobby policy? … trust me Wayne—there are a lot people looking into your nonprofit designation.” The Times-News’ full story is online here.

3 GOP governor candidates participate in final debate

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 20:19:57 -0700

Here’s a story from the Associated Press:

By Kimberlee Kruesi

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho Republican gubernatorial candidates Raul Labrador, Brad Little and Tommy Ahlquist continued to exchange jabs Monday in an otherwise familiar primary debate that covered education, health care and prison reform.

Little — a three-term lieutenant governor — maintained Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter had successfully led Idaho out of the Great Recession, but he was the best candidate to take Idaho's continued success to the next level.

"Tomorrow is not yesterday," he said. "The question is how we create the best opportunity moving forward. There's a reason everyone is moving to Idaho."

Ahlquist criticized his opponents for maintaining the status quo in Idaho politics. Ahlquist, a former emergency room doctor turned Boise developer, is running for elected office for the first time and has cast himself wanting to become Idaho's next CEO rather than another politician.

"I give a nod to a life of service that we saw with Otter but this election is about the future of Idaho," Ahlquist said. "I just don't believe the status quo is good enough for Idaho."

Labrador bristled under Ahlquist's reproach, countering that he had stood up not only to special interest groups during his political tenure but also his own party while in Congress.

"The cronyism that is happening in Boise is going to end, that's why the special interest groups are running scared," Labrador said.

Labrador went on to accuse Ahlquist of telling "half-truths" in his negative campaign advertising, particularly against the Republican congressman's record.

Ahlquist and Labrador have continually butted heads along the campaign trail, with Ahlqust defending his flood of television ads and mailers as informing voters of his opponent's past.

Little and Ahlquist briefly sparred over the best way to allow cannabidiol, otherwise known as CBD oil, in Idaho. Ahlquist supports legalization, while Little says the product must be carefully regulated and will likely be available "in June" because the FDA will approve it as a drug.

"You're saying CBD is going to lead to legalizing marijuana; that is a pharmaceutical answer, that's an answer from a politician," Ahlquist said.

"There's no quality, there's no quality," Little responded, raising concerns about the risk of allowing unregulated CBD products that may contain THC.

"Don't sit back and do nothing," Ahlquist countered.

Labrador also said he supports legalizing CBD.

He was also the only candidate to say he was against a ballot initiative that seeks to legalize lucrative betting machines known as instant horse racing terminals.

The terminals were briefly legal in Idaho, but lawmakers outlawed them after claiming they were too similar to slot machines.

It's still unclear if the proposal will make it on the November ballot, but supporters say they have submitted enough signatures and are just waiting for county clerks to certify them.

"I'm against gambling," said Labrador, who is Mormon. "It looks like there may have been misleading information out there while selling this idea."

Overall, all three touted the idea of cutting taxes in Idaho to remain competitive and attractive to businesses, but all of the candidates also agreed more attention should be paid to education, health care and prisons.

Only Little admitted that the state might have to find new revenue sources or delay tax cuts in order to improve the state's aging roads and bridges, as well as to prevent possible education cuts.

Ahlquist boasted that he could find and eliminate government waste.

Labrador said he would demand all agencies to find at least 5 percent budget cuts immediately if elected governor.

The race over the gubernatorial position has become one of the most competitive in Idaho since Otter announced he wouldn't run for a fourth term.

Ahlquist wins endorsement from prominent young Trump backers; link to my full story

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 16:56:47 -0700

Tommy Ahlquist, a GOP candidate for governor of Idaho, was endorsed by two prominent millennial Trump supporters today – Charlie Kirk, who was the millennial director of the Trump campaign, and Candace Owens, a conservative commentator and YouTube star who rails against the Black Lives Matter movement; you can read my full story here at spokesman.com.

“We have a disruptor in D.C. – now we need a disruptor in Boise,” Kirk declared, joining Ahlquist and Owens at a press conference in the view-framed 17th floor of the Zions Bank Building, the tallest building in Idaho, and one that Ahlquist built.

Kirk and Owens have been meeting with hip-hop artist Kanye West over the past week, whose pro-Trump tweets have aroused national controversy; Owens claims credit for West endorsing Trump, and last week, West tweeted, “I love the way Candace Owens thinks.”

Ahlquist said he expects the two young conservatives’ activities this week to “break the internet, I am positive.”

Former state Rep. Kathy Sims booted from May ballot; link to my full story

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 14:15:54 -0700

Former state Rep. Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d’Alene, is being removed from the ballot in her bid for a comeback in a Post Falls district, after the Idaho Secretary of State’s office determined that she had just registered in her new district in February; you can read my full story here at spokesman.com. Under the Idaho Constitution, candidates for the Legislature must have been registered in the district where they run for a year prior to the election. The same rule last week tripped up former state Rep. Phil Hart, who represented a Kootenai County district for five terms and was trying for a comeback with a Kellogg address.

Because the ballots already have been printed for Idaho’s May 15 primary election, Sims’ name, like Hart’s, will be blacked out on the ballot.

Medicaid expansion initiative backers say they've met their goal, measure should qualify for Nov. ballot

Mon, 30 Apr 2018 11:51:29 -0700

Backers of the Medicaid expansion initiative announced today that they have more than enough signatures to get the measure on the November ballot in Idaho.

“We are overjoyed by the outcome of this petition drive,” said Luke Mayville of Sandpoint, co-founder of “Reclaim Idaho,” the volunteer group behind the measure. “Month after month, it just kept gaining momentum to the point where now we’re not just meeting the goal, we’re clearing it by thousands of signatures. And that’s an achievement not just for our organization, or for our volunteers, but for those who have been struggling to do something about this health care crisis for the last five years.”

The group must turn in at least 56,192 valid signatures from registered voters by tomorrow at 5 p.m.; it will continue collecting signatures until the signature-gathering deadline of midnight tonight. In addition to meeting the total figure, the group must turn in signatures from at least 6 percent of the registered voters in at least 18 of Idaho’s 35 legislative districts. Mayville said that goal’s been met, too.

The final word won’t come until June 30, which is the deadline for county clerks around the state to verify the signatures. But Mayville said 40,000 already have been verified by county clerks, and volunteers have been extensively trained to make sure voters only signed the petitions with their current addresses as reflected in state voter records.

The last major initiative proposed for the Idaho ballot, on campaign finance reform in 2015, collected far more signatures than needed, but nearly half were invalidated for not matching current addresses – leaving the total about 5,000 signatures short.

No initiative has qualified for the Idaho ballot since state lawmakers in 2013 imposed the requirement to get 6 percent of registered voters’ signatures from each of at least 18 of the state’s 35 legislative districts. Gov. Butch Otter signed that bill into law just five months after Idaho voters overwhelmingly supported three referendum measures to overturn the “Students Come First” school reform laws championed by Otter and then-state schools Superintendent Tom Luna; the 18-legislative-districts rule applies to both initiatives and referenda. The historic referenda votes in 2012 marked the first time Idaho voters had overturned laws passed by the Legislature since the 1930s.

Expanding Medicaid in Idaho under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, as 32 other states have done, would cover the up to 62,000 Idahoans who now fall into a coverage gap – they make too much to qualify for Idaho’s limited Medicaid program, but not enough to qualify to purchase subsidized health insurance through the state’s insurance exchange. If Idaho expanded Medicaid, the federal government would cover 90 percent of the cost, using tax money that Idahoans already are paying.

However, state lawmakers have been resistant to the idea for the past six years, saying they wanted no further involvement with Obamacare after the creation of the state insurance exchange.

Emily Strizich, a co-founder of Reclaim Idaho, said, “This initiative would bring health care coverage to those who need it the most, and it will allow Idahoans to decide what we want in our health care system, no matter what politicians in Boise or Washington, D.C. do. These are moms and dads who work hard in jobs that don’t provide health coverage, and people who are nearing retirement who have lost their jobs. Many have been forced to put off needed care and haven’t been able to see a doctor in years.”

The three leading GOP candidates for governor all oppose Medicaid expansion, but Lt. Gov. Brad Little says if the measure passed, he'd follow the will of the voters. Tommy Ahlquist said today that if it passed, he, too, would follow the voters' will, but that he'd also still work to reform Medicaid, and he'd work to persuade voters between now and November not to pass the ballot measure. Raul Labrador said last week that he’d consider working to overturn the voter-passed initiative, which the Legislature and governor can do; lawmakers did so in 2002 on term limits, overriding a veto from then-Gov. Dirk Kempthorne. “I thought they made a mistake with the term limits initiative, but this one we will have to look at the language,” Labrador said Thursday. “I would look at all the options.”

The two leading Democratic candidates for governor, A.J. Balukoff and Paulette Jordan, both support the initiative, and said during a statewide debate last week that they've signed it and also helped gather signatures for it.

6 GOP candidates spar in Idaho congressional debate

Sun, 29 Apr 2018 22:21:35 -0700

Here’s an article from the Associated Press:

By Kimberlee Kruesi

BOISE, Idaho (AP) — Republican candidates vying for Idaho's open 1st Congressional District on Sunday all promised to support President Donald Trump's agenda during their latest televised debate.

Former lieutenant governor and ex-attorney general David Leroy, former state Sen. Russ Fulcher, Rep. Luke Malek, Rep. Christy Perry and first-time candidates Michael Snyder and Alex Gallegos traded jabs while trying to out-Trump one another. They also discussed policy stances on health care, immigration and balanced budget amendments for federal government spending.

All of the candidates defended the federal tax reform bill signed into law last year by Trump, saying that they were hopeful the cuts would lead to more economic growth and not increase the national debt. All of the candidates defended standing by Trump even though the majority of the candidates hadn't overtly supported or voted for the Republican president during the 2016 election.

"I was raised in a household where you respect women and some of things that he's said about women have really gotten under my skin, but again, I agree with him where he's taking this country," Malek, 36, said.

Snyder, 48, of Bonners Ferry, has attempted to cast himself as the most pro-Trump candidate but said Sunday that he was busy traveling in March of 2016 didn't have a chance to vote for Trump in the primary.

Perry, 49, who described herself as "the girl with all the guns" multiple times, said Idaho voters should choose her because she would bring the perspective as a small business owner of a gun shop.

"We know the average congressman is a 58-year old white male, right?" Perry said. "And what have they given us? Twenty-one trillion dollars in debt. A bankrupt Social Security system and no solutions for a health care system."

Leroy, 70, said Congress needs experience more than anything else.

"We all talk about experience, but with all due respect, the experience that Washington needs right now is not another international businessman or even a girl with a gun," Leroy said. "The experience Washington needs right now is a little grey hair, a lot of good judgment and perhaps a touch of statesmanship."

Leroy, Malek and Fulcher briefly sparred over a Senate panel's recent move to safeguard special counsel Robert Mueller from any attempt to fire him. Fulcher said he hadn't paid attention to the issue because he viewed it as a distraction.

The Mueller legislation approved by the Senate panel was largely seen as symbolic, because Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he won't bring it up for a full Senate vote.

"I'm just a little bit shocked I guess Sen. Fulcher isn't paying attention to what's going on in Congress," Malek said.

"My point once again is that if the branches of government were focused on what they're supposed to be focused on, we wouldn't be running down these rabbit trails," Fulcher said.

Gallegos, 59, said as a retired Army veteran he had the discipline to stand up to Congress.

"We need to change who we elect, we need to elect leaders who have courage and we need leaders with real world experience," he said.

All six said they support better security along the country's southern border and agreed that Congress should reform current immigration policy. They differed, however, on a Constitutional amendment requiring the federal government to follow a balanced budget.

Snyder, Fulcher, Leroy and Perry all supported of the idea, while Malek said he wouldn't actively seek an amendment, but said Congress should pass a responsible budget. Gallegos said addressing the national debt was just as important as national security, but did not take a position on an amendment proposal.

Gallegos and Perry oppose repealing the Affordable Care Act without a replacement plan, while Snyder, Fulcher, Leroy said they favor a repeal of President Barack Obama's signature health care law even with no replacement plan. Malek said he supported the GOP repeal bill that the House Freedom Caucus opposed.

Idaho's 1st Congressional District seat is open because current Rep. Raul Labrador is running for governor.

The district covers the northern half of the state and snakes down to the western part of the Treasure Valley, including parts of Boise.

The GOP primary election is on May 15.