Pride in the Park
The annual celebration of the LGBTQ+ community is this Saturday. The event runs from 10 AM to 3 PM in front of the Coeur d’Alene City Park bandstand. Once again, the Kootenai Democrats will host a booth throughout the day. I hope you stop by to show your support. Last year over 2500 folks turned out for Pride in the Park. This year, let us set a goal of exceeding that number.
To ensure safety, the North Idaho Pride Alliance is working with Coeur d’Alene Police. Together they have put safety protocols in place. So come down and enjoy the fun. Let us show our LGBTQ+ friends that we will not tolerate a repeat of last year’s threats of violence.
More details are available at the NIPrideAlliance website.
2023 Fourth of July American Heroes Parade
The summer season traditionally kicks off with the Fourth of July Parade on Sherman Avenue. Help show the community our Democrat Spirit by joining in as we march along the parade route. Kathy Judson’s cute miniature donkeys will lead the way. In addition, Paula Marano’s fancy Mercedes convertible “Sporty Blue” will be bringing up the rear. Let us know you plan to march by submitting your RSVP.
KC Dems Huckleberry Blue Summer BBQ
Plans are coming together for our summer gathering at Stella’s on the Hill. This venue offers stunning views of Lake Coeur d’Alene. So, save the date of July 29th and plan to attend. I want to thank Dan Studer, along with Jan Studer and Kati Mans, for making this event a reality. Once details firm up, I will share the specifics.
Restore Open Primaries
Open primary elections allow every voter to participate. Therefore, they are critical for allowing voters to select primary candidates regardless of their political party affiliation. Currently, the Idaho Republican Party uses a closed primary to exclude non-aligned voters from participating. Given the GOP’s political power in Idaho, elections are frequently decided in the primaries between moderate and extreme conservative candidates. The Republican’s closed primary assures that the most ideologically extreme candidate wins by excluding non-aligned voters.
Restoring open primaries is imperative. Teresa Borrenpohl, a true public servant and one of my most admired mentors, confirmed this fact. And that is why Reclaim Idaho has joined with Idahoans for Open Primaries to enact this election reform. You can find details of their planned voter initiative on their websites.
This initiative will take time and require mountains of work that only a broad coalition can accomplish. Consequently, I will soon propose to our Central Committee that we formally endorse this effort. This endorsement will allow us to support it with a commitment of time and money. Please let me know your thoughts on this. I welcome your comments.
Have a fantastic week everyone.
