Idaho

Smaller Idaho GOP committee to play larger role selecting national delegates

Published

2 weeks ago

April 16, 2024

Smaller Idaho GOP committee to play larger role selecting national delegates

Thanks to a series of deadline issues, the responsibility for selecting about 20% of the delegates to the Republican National Convention that normally fell to a broad group of Republicans at the state convention will now be handled by a much smaller executive committee chaired by Idaho Republican Party Chairwoman Dorothy Moon.

The delegates will be sent to the July 15 Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, which is where the Republican Party is expected to officially nominate its candidate for president.

The Idaho Republican Party’s 17-member executive committee, of which Moon is the chair, is scheduled to confirm the delegates during a meeting at 11 a.m. Saturday at Crane Creek Country Club in Boise, according to two Idaho Republican party officials and documents obtained by the Idaho Capital Sun.

In past presidential election cycles, hundreds of Republicans who attended the state convention as state delegates got to vote on selecting the delegates to the national convention.

Part of the issue is that because the Republican Party does not control the White House, its national convention will be held first this year. The issue arises with Rule 16 from the Rules of the Republican Party. That rule states, in part, that no primary election, caucus or convention for selecting delegates to the national convention shall occur “less than 45 days before the national convention is scheduled to begin.”

The Republican National Convention is scheduled to begin July 15, which means the deadline to select delegates is May 31. The problem is the Idaho GOP Convention doesn’t begin until June 13, well after the Republican Party’s deadline to name delegates.

In a written statement to the Idaho Capital Sun, Moon and Brent Regan, the rules committee chairman, said the Idaho Republican Party made new rules to respond to the deadline issue and is following those new rules.

“We have gone through a very deliberate process sanctioned by the RNC,” Moon wrote.

Regan also wrote that Moon will vote only to break a tie on the executive committee and does not have the authority to pick any delegates by herself.

“The chairman does not have the authority or mechanism to select ANY of the delegates,” Regan wrote, capitalizing the word “any” to add emphasis. “A review of party rules will show that whoever claims otherwise is either ignorant or malicious.”

Why does it matter who picks delegates for the national GOP convention?

Idaho gets 32 delegates at the Republican National Convention this year, and being a delegate is a big deal in political circles. National conventions can feature a roaring, party-like atmosphere that is televised nationally, where delegates would typically cheer on a series of high profile speeches from the party’s A-listers and rising stars and then hear directly from the party’s nominees for president and vice president.

“If you like politics, it’s a great place to be and be participating,” said Cindy Siddoway, who represents Idaho on the Republican National Committee and has participated in multiple Republican national conventions.

“It does cost to go, but it is a wonderful opportunity to participate in history,” Siddoway added.

The change in selecting delegates is happening as some longtime Republican officials say Moon and her supporters are purging officials from the Republican Party who do not fall in line and agree with them. For example, during the Idaho Republican Party’s 2023 summer meeting in Challis, the party stripped executive committee voting rights from the Idaho Federation of Republican Women, the Idaho Young Republicans and the Idaho College Republicans. That’s the same executive committee that is being asked to sign off on the new delegates to the Republican National Convention.

Although the Idaho Republican Party’s executive committee is going to consider confirming the list of delegates Saturday, two Republican officials — Region Six vice chair Trent Clark, who is a former chairman of the Idaho Republican Party, and Siddoway, told the Sun on Tuesday they have not yet seen the list of delegates.

“The selection of delegates needs to follow the rules,” Clark said in an interview Tuesday. “For 137 years, we’ve been having our convention to name our delegates, even before we were a state.”

Siddoway said she has always known delegates to be picked at the state convention, which she supported.

“In my knowledge, it has never ever been done this way, but they are trying to meet all of the deadlines,” Siddoway told the Sun.

“I wish we could have done it through a convention the way we normally do,” Siddoway added.

Six other Idaho Republican officials expressed concern about the delegate selection issue in a March 26 letter that was sent to Idaho Republican Party Treasurer Steve Bender and obtained by the Sun.

In the letter, the six Idaho GOP officials said they have a duty to make an inquiry “when a problem exists or a report on its face does not make sense,” citing the Idaho attorney general’s office’s guidance for nonprofit board membership. In their letter, the six officials said the early deadline issue was a topic of a discussion at a January 2023 Republican National Committee meeting held in Dana Point, California, which would have given Moon and Idaho Republican Party officials 18 months to come up with a plan to move up the state primary election and state convention.

“Several states, and the District of Columbia, consulted with the (Republican National Committee) at the Dana Point meeting to resolve early deadline challenges,” the six GOP officials wrote, before switching to all capital letters in the next sentence. “WHY DIDN’T IDAHO?”

The six Idaho Republicans who signed the letter were state committeewoman Marsha Bjornn from Madison County, state committeewoman Shellie Blanchard from Fremont County, Bannock County Chair Char Tovey, Jefferson County Chair Kaye Field, Caribou County youth committee chair Christin Clark and Clark County Chair Connie Barg.

In his written statement Regan, the GOP rules committee chair, said the Idaho Republican Party’s state convention is as early as it practically can be. Part of the reason is because of how political parties are made up. The Republican Party’s county central committees are responsible for sending delegates to the state convention. But the county central committees are made up of locally elected precinct committeemen, who are elected in the primary election every two years. The date of the primary election is May 21 this year, and there was not enough time to allow the new precinct committeeman to take office, organize at the county central committee level, select delegates to the state convention and have the state convention begin before the May 31 deadline to select delegates for the national convention.

“We discussed the 45-day (May 31) deadline for submitting delegates with the RNC, but they were unable to accommodate a delay due to the need to conduct background checks and other security measures,” Regan wrote. “If we miss the deadline we lose all but 12 of our delegates (under) RNC Rule 17a. Clearly, moving the primary and or moving the convention to an earlier date is not practical.”

Why is there an early deadline for naming delegates to the Republican National Convention?

Most of Idaho’s delegates were already picked by former President Donald Trump who Idaho Republican Party officials said won the March 2 Idaho Republican Presidential Caucus.

But the party does get to pick about 20% of the delegates. This year, that includes six delegates that are split between the state’s two congressional districts. Normally, those are the delegates that would be selected by a broad group of Republicans at the state convention, if not for the 45-day deadline.

For example, the 2021 version of the Idaho Republican Party’s rules states that the remaining 20% of delegates are selected by the nominating committee at the Idaho State Republican Convention, where they are voted on on the floor.

Idaho state law also states that at the state party conventions, each political party may “in the year of presidential elections … elect delegates to the national convention in the manner prescribed by national party rules …”

But faced with the deadline issue, the Idaho Republican Party’s state central committee changed its rules for nominating delegates instead of pushing for an earlier primary election and an earlier state convention to meet the 45-day deadline.

The latest version of the Idaho Republican Party’s rules, adopted in January, says that rather than selecting the remaining 20% of delegates at the convention, the nominations committee of the Idaho Republican Party will select the delegates, which “shall be confirmed at a special meeting of the executive committee.” The new rule also states the Idaho Republican Party chairman, who is Moon, will serve as the delegation chairman responsible for sending the list of delegates, alternates and guests to Republican national party headquarters by the deadlines unless the delegation selects a different chairman based on a majority vote.

Source link

Idaho

Idaho Potato Commission hires Northeast/Midwest retail promotions director – Produce Blue Book

Published

5 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Press Room

Idaho Potato Commission hires Northeast/Midwest retail promotions director – Produce Blue Book

Eagle, ID, April 29, 2024 – Watching the Idaho Potato Commission BB #:162339 go the extra mile for retailers inspired produce pro Matt Zapczynski to become IPC’s new retail promotion director Northeast/Midwest.

“I’ve always felt that Idaho Potato Commission is a great support system for retailers,” says Zapczynski, who is based in North Carolina. “Whether you needed a promotion put together, or one of the stores had a grand opening or a renovation to celebrate, IPC was always there to step up and do something special.”

The Philadelphia native says his food industry career started by accident during college in Pennsylvania when he took a part-time deli job at a supermarket because it was close to campus. After college, Zapczynski served in a series of full-time in-store positions at The Giant Co. for 14 years, managing the deli, customer operations, and nonperishable operations.

In 2017, Zapczynski moved to North Carolina to join Merchants Distributors LLC and soon found himself drawn to the produce side of the business. He advanced from produce buyer to director of produce operations during his seven years at the wholesale grocery distributor, expanding his knowledge through the Southeast Produce Council’s STEP-UPP training program and participating in the inaugural class of SEPC’s Next Generation Leadership Academy last year.
“I’ve always been involved in learning programs—I just try to be the best sponge I can,” says Zapczynski. “Produce is something new every day. It’s dominated by the weather, so you could have a great day tomorrow—or a storm could keep you on your toes.”

“Matt is a natural leader who is always looking ahead to prepare for the produce industry’s future,” says Ross Johnson, IPC vice president of retail and international. “His background in both retail and wholesale makes him a perfect fit to help Northeast/Midwest retailers reap the many benefits of selling the Idaho brand. I know everyone is really going to enjoy working with him!”

Zapczynski is an avid outdoorsman who loves to stay active by hiking, kayaking, and playing with his four-year-old daughter, Addysn.

He and his wife, Elizabeth, who works in medical recruiting, are big fans of baked Idaho potatoes, either plain or with extra toppings when they’re feeling indulgent, he says: “They’re a great addition to any kind of meal!”

About The Idaho Potato Commission

Established in 1937, the Idaho Potato Commission (IPC) is a state agency responsible for promoting and protecting the famous “Grown in Idaho®” seal, a federally registered certification mark that assures consumers are purchasing genuine, top-quality Idaho potatoes. Idaho’s growing season of warm days and cool nights, ample mountain-fed irrigation and rich volcanic soil, give Idaho potatoes their unique texture, taste and dependable performance. These ideal growing conditions are what differentiates them from potatoes grown in other states. For more information, visit idahopotato.com.

Source link

Idaho

Idaho Gives starts today. Here’s how to support more than 650 organizations. • Idaho Capital Sun

Published

12 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Press Room

Idaho Gives starts today. Here’s how to support more than 650 organizations. • Idaho Capital Sun

Today marks the start of Idaho Gives, Idaho’s largest online fundraising event for nonprofit organizations.

The event will raise funds for over 650 nonprofits across Idaho focusing on different areas, ranging from animal rescue, education, housing, arts and more. Idaho Gives will last from April 29 to May 2.

Last year, the event raised $3.8 million from nearly 13,000 donors, Kevin Bailey, CEO of the Idaho Nonprofit Center that organizes Idaho Gives, told the Idaho Capital Sun in an interview. The event, in its 12th year, has raised nearly $24 million in previous years.

Bailey hopes Idaho Gives can reach $4 million donations this year.

“Nonprofits are at the heart of every major thing that our cities and towns and rural areas are involved with,” Bailey said.

Many nonprofits say they need more funds to meet a higher demand on a range of services, Bailey said, like addressing wait lists for child care and housing, or even filling up seats in arts facilities, as demand grows amid Idaho’s population growth.

When you walk down the main street of nearly any Idaho city, Bailey says you’ll walk by a theater hosting art performances, a housing nonprofit, a homeless shelter or see trails maintained by nonprofits.

“It’s really on the backs of nonprofits to solve our state’s toughest challenges,” Bailey said. “Not that it should be necessarily. But there’s a lot of pressure and burden and opportunity, frankly, on the backs of nonprofits to kind of create communities where everyone can thrive where people have access to food, to housing, to culture and arts opportunities,” Bailey said.

Advertisement

How to give to Idaho nonprofits during Idaho Gives

Information about all of the nonprofits participating in Idaho Gives this year are available on the Idaho Gives website, idahogives.org. Nonprofit organizations are searchable based on their location and based on the cause they are involved with.

A variety of nonprofit organizations from around Idaho participate in Idaho Gives to support causes such as poverty and homelessness, health and wellness, the environment, arts and culture, education, disaster relief, substance abuse prevention, immigrant services and more.

Some organizations can leverage Idaho Gives donations for other fund sources.

That includes a housing nonprofit NeighborWorks Pocatello, which Bailey said can leverage funds to match federal grants or foundation funds. A donor to the Boise Bicycle Project has also promised a $50,000 matching donation.

The average Idaho Gives donation last year was $168, said Kim Ellsworth, marketing and communications director for the Idaho Nonprofit Center.

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX

Donations to Basque Museum in Boise to fund Ellis Island immigration exhibit

One organization that is participating in Idaho Gives this year is the Boise’s Basque Museum & Cultural Center, located on Basque Block on Grove Street in downtown Boise. Boise’s history of Basque immigration history ties back to the late 1800s, when Basque immigrants came to the area to work as sheepherders.

Idaho Gives donations for the museum would go toward developing a Basque immigration exhibit in the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration, said Annie Gavica, executive director of the Basque Museum & Cultural Center. That New York immigration station is how many Basque immigrants came to the U.S. in the late 1800s and early 1900s, she said.

Idaho Gives donations for the Basque Museum & Cultural Center would go toward developing a Basque immigration exhibit in the Ellis Island National Museum of Immigration. (Courtesy of the Basque Museum & Cultural Center)

The exhibit would likely have a feature on the Basque Block in Boise, and Boise’s basque community and museum, Gavica said.

“But the hope is that it tells kind of the overarching Basque immigration story because there’s Basques beyond just Idaho,” she said. “There’s Basques in Washington and California and Nevada and Oregon. … It’ll tell kind of a larger story through oral histories of Basque immigrants and their families. But then tell very specific stories about things like the Basque museum or the Boise Baskin community.”

The Boise Basque Museum previously organized an exhibit on Ellis Island in 2010, Gavica said.

But for the Basque Museum in Boise, Idaho Gives is more about raising awareness of Basque culture than raising funds, Gavica said. The nonprofit just wrapped up a major fundraising event, she said.

Few Idaho Gives donors to the Basque Museum were already among the almost 1,000 museum members, Gavica said.

Sometimes, when the nonprofit thanks the new Idaho Gives donors, some have become members, she said.

“It’s an opportunity for us to reach an audience that we don’t typically reach, and receive donations that we don’t typically get from them,” she said.

Source link