Supreme Court Defends Citizen Led Initiative Process
Great news! The Idaho Supreme Court over-turned Senate Bill 1110. This law, which was enacted and passed in the 2021 legislative session, was a heinous GOP attempt to effectively abolish citizen-led ballot initiatives in Idaho. Congratulations to Luke Mayville and Reclaim Idaho for their legal victory. As a reminder, every elected Democrat voted against SB 1110.
Now, with this unconstitutional law withdrawn, we must redouble our efforts to enact the Quality Education Act (QEA). “The QEA would generate over $300 million annually for school districts to invest in urgently needed priorities … (ReclaimIdaho.org). It starts with getting enough Idahoans to sign the initiative. You can find all the details at ReclaimIdaho.org. You can also help collect signatures by joining the local team of volunteers. Now that these GOP imposed obstructions are removed, there is a real chance to get this initiative on the ballot in November. Working together, we will change Idaho’s future!
Keep our Schools Open and Safe
With schools reopening to in-person instruction, teachers and children face the increased risk of exposure to COVID-19. Moreover, the political forces opposing common sense mitigation strategies continue to undermine public health policy in schools.
To complicate matters, teachers are also facing a politically motivated effort to undermine their credibility. GOP partisans are leading an anti-education initiative fueled by fears of an academic study called Critical Race Theory. The GOP and its allies are attempting to convince parents that teachers are indoctrinating Idaho students with concepts derived from this intellectual construct. Dr. Linda Clark President of the Idaho State Board of Education recently refuted this effort as nonsense, calling it a tremendous disservice to teachers. She asserted that teachers “take the standards of teaching very seriously, and frankly they have all they can do to teach the skills and help students grow and mature.”
Rather than succumbing to these distractions, we must remain focused on the threats presented by COVID-19. The Centers for Disease Control continues to recommend social distancing and universal masking in schools regardless of a person’s vaccination status. So, keep pressing our school boards to hold to these guidelines. Let us never forget that teachers are not the enemy, the virus is.
Coffee for Cash Fundraiser
If you drink coffee, then we have a deal for you. Donate $25 or more and receive a free bag of coffee from Erro Coffee Roasters. The coffee, branded with a custom KC Dem label, is an incentive for you to donate towards our campaign to hire of a 2021 Field Organizer. This specially branded coffee is available while supplies last! Click here to get started. You can find more details including an image of the coffee label on our Facebook page. If you need more info contact Paula Marano at pmarano48@gmail.com.
IDP Field Organizer Visit
This Thursday, we will receive a visit from Connor Proulx. Connor is the IDP’s Field Organizer for North Idaho. We are excited to meet him. More importantly, we look forward to hiring our own field organizer for Kootenai County. Nonetheless, it will be nice to hear from Connor about his plans for working with us to increase voter turnout and save us from the perils of a GOP monopoly.
SPAN Walk Update
Unfortunately, the Suicide Prevention Action Network Walk, initially scheduled for September 11, has been cancelled due to COVID-19. The Kootenai Democrats remain proud sponsors of this laudable event, and we thank Cathy Kraus for coordinating it.
KCOFGSC Seeking Public Comments
There is a public meeting planned for September 29. The meeting, called by Kootenai County Optional Forms of Government Study Commission, offers the public a chance to comment on the study. If you have thoughts about the commission’s objectives, plan to attend. The study impacts how our county government is organized. Remember, if we do not speak up, certain factions will continue their efforts to undermine good government. The meeting is scheduled for September 29th at 5:30 PM at the County Administration Building. Let’s show them Democrats care about effective county government and the people they serve. You can bet our friends from the GOP will be there.
Have an excellent week everyone and thanks for being a Democrat.
