Idaho
Moon reelected Idaho GOP Chair, party now opposes funding higher education
COEUR d’ALENE — Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon was reelected to a second two-year term Saturday in Coeur d’Alene, during the final day of the Idaho GOP’s convention.
“We are not the fringe, folks,” Moon told a crowd of more than 800 people in the Schuler Performing Arts Center on the North Idaho College campus, to thunderous applause.
Moon received 376 votes from delegates who came from across Idaho, defeating former legislator and Coeur d’Alene resident Mary Souza, who captured 228 votes.
In a speech to delegates, Moon described herself as “the real deal,” as well as a hard worker and a person who follows through on her promises.
“We have not moved from where we’ve always stood,” she said. “Some people have. I’m an old horse and I cannot be taught new tricks. I know where I stand, and I think all of you know where you stand. We have been fighting so hard.”
After the election results were announced, Moon called for unity among Idaho Republicans, particularly in “the fight on ranked-choice voting.”
“We want to keep Idaho red, and I know we will,” she said. “We’re going to save our state, and we’re going to make this a great place to raise our kids.”
Party unity was a common refrain throughout the convention and formed the platform for Souza’s campaign for party chair. She urged Idaho Republicans to focus on their similarities, rather than their differences.
“We have an opportunity now to pull together,” she told delegates in a speech. “We can accept each other for who we are and what we believe.”
In a break with the practice of past conventions, reporters were not permitted to observe any of the committee meetings and were not allowed inside the general session at North Idaho College until Saturday afternoon, shortly before the nominations for party leadership positions.
Delegates approved a change to the Idaho Republican Party platform that may significantly impact how Republican legislators approach funding for higher education in Idaho.
“We strongly support professional technical and continuing education programs that provide career readiness and college preparation, but we do not support using taxpayer funding for programs beyond high school,” the party platform now reads in part.
NIC Trustee Todd Banducci, who attended the convention as a delegate, stood in support of the change. He declined to answer questions about his vote.
Mike Waggoner, a college trustee who attended the convention as a guest, did not indicate whether he supports the platform change.
“I don’t know exactly how that’s going to affect us,” Waggoner said. “Beyond that, I don’t have a comment.”
NIC’s operating budget for fiscal year 2024 included a $14.9 million allocation from the state general fund, $17.8 million in property tax revenue and $200,000 in state liquor tax allocation. Those revenue sources made up about 61% of NIC’s $53 million budget.
Coeur d’Alene City Councilman and alternate delegate Dan Gookin didn’t mince words on what he believes the platform change means for Idaho’s higher education institutions, including North Idaho College.
“They just voted to gut higher education,” he said.
Now that opposition for higher education funding is part of the Idaho GOP’s platform, Gookin said, Republican elected officials who vote in favor of such funding risk being punished by county Republican central committees.
The party rules empower central committees to censure Republicans for “substantive violations of party platform,” as well as remove party support and forbid the use of Republican Party identifiers for five years.
Delegates also voted to expand the party’s “Right to Life” article to include assisted suicide, euthanasia and embryo destruction.
“We oppose all actions which intentionally end an innocent human life, including abortion, the destruction of human embryos, euthanasia and assisted suicide,” the platform now reads in part.
The party also added to the platform a call for “excuse-only absentee ballots.”
North Idaho College trustee Todd Banducci attended the Idaho GOP Convention as a delegate.
The city of Boise is facing a potential lawsuit brought by the parents of a girl injured by shattered glass at this year’s Idaho Potato Drop held on New Years Eve.
The Idaho Statesman obtained a copy of the tort claim filed earlier this month, which is a precursor to a possible civil lawsuit.
Richard and Daryl Ratto filed the tort claim against the city and multiple other entities, according to the newspaper, after a shard of glass slashed their daughter’s face at the late-night celebration, which required surgery.
As Boise State Public Radio previously reported, police reports from that night said they couldn’t definitively conclude that concussive blasts from fireworks shattered windows on the AT&T building and the Idaho Capitol, which fell on spectators.
The Rattos are demanding $10 million from multiple public entities, saying they’ve known for years that Potato Drop organizers have diverted from plans submitted to city officials to obtain permits for the event.
Body cam footage from that night shows Dylan Cline, the event’s CEO, high fiving his pyrotechnics contractor and saying, “F— yeah…” after being told of the broken windows by police.
City officials have 90 days to respond to the tort claim before the Rattos could file a lawsuit.
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Meridian, Idaho (CBS2) — High Desert Harley-Davidson is hosting its 16th annual Idaho Patriot Thunder Ride on Sunday, June 28th. It’s a summer tradition that brings hundreds of riders together to raise money for Idaho’s military families while also tipping a helmet to America’s upcoming 250th birthday.
“Idaho Patriot Thunder ride is a big ride for us every year. We’ve been doing it now for 16 years — first year was back in 2010 when we started this whole ride,” said Mark Dukes, General Manager of High Desert Harley-Davidson.
Registration begins at 7am on Sunday at High Desert Harley Davidson, kickstands are set to go up at 10 a.m., with hundreds of riders escorted by law enforcement down to Carl Miller Park in Mountain Home. After the ride, riders will head back to the dealership, where the event continues with food trucks, live bands, a bike wash and raffles, including a Harley-Davidson bike giveaway.
Organizers say the fundraising is straightforward: Every dollar raised goes directly to two military nonprofits, with donations split evenly between Operation Warm Heart and the Idaho Guard and Reserve Family Support Fund.
“100% of the proceeds go to Idaho Guard and Reserve Family Support Fund and Operation Warm Heart, and we’ve been doing this for years,” Dukes said.
Dukes said the money helps cover needs that can pop up unexpectedly for service members and their loved ones.
“If somebody were to get injured or get hurt for deployment, if they need food or shelter, airline tickets, toys for their families — it’s all about taking care of military people that take care of us so well,” he said.
This year also comes with extra flair: High Desert Harley-Davidson built two custom bikes — one Indian and one Harley-Davidson — both honoring America’s 250th anniversary. Dukes said the bikes will feature Idaho Patriot Thunder badging, 250th anniversary details and American flags, and they’ll be ridden at the front of the pack before being put up for sale after the ride.
“We have one Indian motorcycle and one Harley-Davidson. They’re gonna have Idaho Patriot Thunder badging, 250th anniversary, American flags — they’re gonna be custom done. Both Bruce and myself are gonna ride those bikes in the front, and when we get back from the Patriot Thunder ride, we’re gonna put those up for sale,” Dukes said.
Over the past 16 years, the event has raised up to $75,000 each year. Registration is open now through High Desert Harley-Davidson’s website, with organizers encouraging community members to get involved whether they ride or not.
POCATELLO, Idaho — A wildfire sparked in Bannock County Sunday afternoon has burned 200 acres and is threatening structures, according to fire officials.
The fire is burning in an area between Pocatello and Inkom known as the Portneuf Gap, according to a news release from the Bureau of Land Management. The BLM is managing firefighting operations for the Gap Fire.
The release says some structures are threatened in “a small area west of Inkom” but did not say how many. Bannock County spokeswoman Emma Iannacone said an evacuation order for residents on Canyon Road was in place for a short time but was lifted about 7 p.m.
Evacuations have been ordered in the area, but a precise location was not immediately available.
Investigators have not determined the cause of the fire, though the BLM said it is burning through grass and brush. The agency did not have an estimated time of containment as of 5:15 p.m.
Several agencies, including U.S. Wildland Fire Service Great Basin Unit 3 -Idaho Falls and the U.S. Forest Service, are assisting with the effort to get control of the blaze. Watch Duty reported that the Forest Service is contributing its Helicopter Bucket Crew to the fight.
The wildfire was first reported at about 1:45 p.m. near the 6000 Block of W. Old Highway 91, fire officials said.
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