Idaho
Idaho Republican State Convention kicks off Thursday in Coeur d’Alene • Idaho Capital Sun
Hundreds of Republican delegates from across the state will gather in Coeur d’Alene beginning Thursday to elect a party chairperson and vote on the Idaho Republican Party’s platform, rules and resolutions.
The Idaho Republican State Convention is scheduled to run Thursday through Sunday at the Coeur d’Alene Resort and North Idaho College.
The state convention is held every two years and is where delegates elected by Republican county central committees gather to elect the party’s leadership and approve rules, resolutions and a party platform that will guide the party moving forward.
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“Our biennial convention will be where we do the work of the party and celebrate our conservative values with fellow Republicans from all across the Great State of Idaho,” Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon wrote in a letter to Idaho Republicans that is included in the convention program.
While delegates have the power to approve party rules and resolutions, they do not have the power to pass laws. Only the Idaho Legislature and citizens, using the ballot initiative process, can pass laws.
The state convention also serves as a major fundraiser for the Idaho Republican Party. In addition to delegates, alternates and guests selected by the county central committees will also attend.
On Friday night Kari Lake, a former television news anchor who is running for the United States Senate in Arizona, will speak during the Idaho Republican Party’s convention gallery.
At the Idaho GOP convention, news reporters will not be allowed inside business meetings during the convention and will be restricted to a designated area outside of meeting rooms, according to an email Idaho Republican Party officials sent the Idaho Capital Sun on June 7.
Idaho GOP chair candidates Moon and Souza have run against each other before
One of the closely watched agenda items this week will be the election of the Idaho Republican Party’s chair.
Last week, former state Sen. Mary Souza, R-Coeur d’Alene, announced that she is challenging Moon in the race for Idaho Republican Party chair.
Moon is also a former Idaho legislator from Stanley. Moon and Souza ran unsuccessfully in the 2022 Republican primary election for secretary of state, which got heated at times – including during the 2022 Idaho Debates.
In her announcement last week, Souza said she is running to unify the party under a conservative umbrella.
“I am running to restore unity within our party and to reaffirm our dedication to the conservative values that have long defined the Republican spirit,” Souza wrote June 6 in a written statement. “Our party stands at a crossroads, and it is essential that we come together to support the robust agenda set forth by President Donald Trump, to secure our southern border and to protect Idaho from the scourge of drugs like marijuana and fentanyl. The future of our state and our nation depends on our ability to stand united against the threats that challenge our way of life,” Souza continued. “Together, we can achieve great things for Idaho. It’s time to come together, as one unified Republican Party, and secure a brighter future for our state.”
Souza is a former critical care registered nurse who served four terms in the Idaho Senate. Souza finished third in the 2022 Republican primary election for secretary of state, which current Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane won.
Moon is a former public school special education director and gold miner who served three terms in the Idaho House of Representatives. Moon was elected chairwoman of the Idaho Republican Party during the 2022 Republican State Convention in Twin Falls, wresting control of the party away from former chairman and ex public schools chief Tom Luna.
Efforts to reach Moon on Monday were unsuccessful.
This biennial event unites representatives of the Republican grassroots to conduct party business and celebrate the values that bind us together. In a June 6 column Moon also wrote about the importance of unifying the party, writing that the convention itself offers Republicans across the state to unite heading into the Nov. 5 general election.
“Delegates and guests will have the chance to meet like-minded individuals from every corner of our great state and equip themselves with tools to become better voters, activists, and candidates,” Moon wrote. “Attendees will return home energized and ready to fight for faith, family and freedom in their communities.”
Idaho GOP to also vote on ranked choice voting, party affiliation
On top of the party leadership elections, Republican delegates will also vote on a proposed party platform and rules resolutions.
The party platform is a document that reflects the values and beliefs of the Idaho Republican Party.Proposed rules, resolutions and platform planks up for consideration during this week’s convention address an array of topics.
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Some of the proposed rules, resolutions and platforms deal with:
- Adding a plank to the party platform expressing formal opposition to ranked to choice voting, a component of the open primary ballot initiative that supporters hope to qualify for the Nov. 5 general election.
- Various platform planks and resolutions addressing undocumented immigration and calling on the government to “secure” the U.S. southern border with Mexico.
- A platform plank calling on support for Israel.
- A platform plank calling on the state to abolish the income tax.
- A resolution calling for the Idaho Republican Party to encourage the Idaho Legislature to make and pass bills that ban any vote by mail elections and voting center style polling places and reduce absentee voting.
- A proposed resolution calling for the chair of the Idaho Republican Party to file a lawsuit against the state in response to the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office not enforcing party affiliation deadlines that were not part of Idaho law, which the Sun has previously reported on.
- A proposed resolution establishing a committee to consider alternatives to primary elections.
- A resolution directing the chairperson of the Idaho Republican Party to send copies of the updated party platform to Republican candidates for office and have them indicate whether they support the platform, or identify any areas where they disagree.
- A resolution calling for the Idaho Republican Party to encourage the Idaho Legislature to make and pass bills that ban any vote by mail elections and voting center style polling places and reduce absentee voting.
The proposed resolutions, rules and platform changes will first be considered during committee meetings on Thursday that will not be open to new reporters.
The Idaho Democratic Party State Convention runs June 22 and June 23 at the University of Idaho in Moscow.
BOISE, Idaho (Idaho Capital Sun) — Day use access fees at all Idaho state parks will be waived for Idaho residents on July 4 as part of a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, Gov. Brad Little announced Friday, as reported by the Idaho Capital Sun.
“As we prepare to mark 250 years of American independence, there is no better way to celebrate than by getting outside with our loved ones and enjoying the freedoms and natural treasures that define our great nation,” Little said Friday. “Idaho’s state parks showcase the very best of our state, and we are proud to welcome families, friends and visitors to explore them free of charge during this special occasion.”
While day use fees for Idaho residents will be waived, normal camping and reservation fees will apply, officials said.
Idaho has 28 state parks, which offer a variety of recreational and outdoor activities including hiking, horseback riding, skiing, bird watching, rock climbing, fishing, boating, swimming, bicycling and more.
State officials with the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation are in the process of unveiling improvements and enhancements at several state parks, including Lucky Peak State Park outside of Boise, which recently opened a new dog beach and accessible kayak launch on the Boise River.
Other state parks include Bruneau Dunes State Park and Observatory, Harriman State Park, Bear Lake State Park and City of Rocks National Reserve, which is a national reserve and state park that attracts climbers from all over the world to its dramatic granite rock spires.
Little said the July 4 fee waiver is a part of a larger effort to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence being signed in 1776.
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We’re lucky to live in a place as safe as the Treasure Valley. Despite our growth, one of the things that makes our area so special is the way that we look out for one another–for our neighbors! That’s a principle that seems to have held on as Boise has boomed.
Despite low crime rates, there seems to always be one incident or so that makes us scratch our heads.
A recent string of fraud incidents in the Treasure Valley area is one of those.
Nampa Police initially warned the public of this because cases of fraud began to ‘mushroom’. Then, it took an interesting turn–people that HAD their credit cards were being ‘taken to the bank’, so to speak.
In a statement originally released on April 30th by the Nampa Police Department, officials advised the following:
We are not sure how the suspects are gaining access to the victim’s credit cards. There is a growing fraud scheme, “ghost tapping”, that scammers are using to access victims’ credit cards. This is possibly occurring in these instances. “Ghost tapping” uses stolen credit card details in Apple Pay or Google Pay, then remotely relays the tap signal over the internet to a ‘mule’ at a store, allowing them to make high-value purchases that appear completely legitimate. (We’ll share more information on ghost tapping in a later public service announcement that will also suggest ways to protect yourself.) The app used by these criminals obscures the actual credit card number, making it harder for investigators to link a victim to a particular crime. Keep in mind that victims still have their physical credit cards while suspects use the stolen card information to make purchases, which also affects how victims are alerted. So far, local investigators have not been able to identify a common theme among the victims (e.g., a specific bank, a website they visited, a gas pump they used, etc.) in the fraud cases we are investigating.
The investigation spans far and wide.
Authorities say that some suspects are in custody, others are being contacted, and others are still at large.
Now, a week later, the police are back to reaching out to the public–this time, urging people to check their bank accounts.
Nampa Police say that they have caught onto a pattern– there are fraudulent charges at Albertson’s to purchase gift cards, at Costco to purchase Apple products, and at Best Buy, also for Apple products.
Check those bank statements!
Inside The Arrest of 3 Venezuelan Fraudsters
What on earth was happening in Eagle this week?
Gallery Credit: Credit: Mateo, 103.5 KISS FM
It’s Not Hard To See Why This Idaho Police Photoshoot Is Going Viral
The Jerome Police Department is going viral thanks to Twin Falls photographer, Layton Henderson. Once you see the hilarious photos, you’ll see why!
Gallery Credit: Chris Cardenas
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