[Vision2020] Idaho Republicans believe in (most) laws

[Ron Force]

 Immigration plank dies at convention

Posted: June 30, 2018 3:03 p.m.
By BRYAN CLARK
bclark at postregister.com

POCATELLO — A proposed amendment to the Idaho Republican Party’s platform
calling for harsher penalties for agricultural businesses that employ
undocumented immigrants died a second death Saturday.

One day earlier, in the party’s platform committee, the proposed amendment
was defeated by opposition from delegates aligned with agriculture, a
significant base for the party. It was initially decided that it had died
and would not be included in the report that was voted on by the full
convention. But after another count, it was found that there were enough
votes to trigger a minority report — a second report to the convention that
the full body could vote on apart from the more widely agreed amendments.

The proposal was amended to focus on all businesses employing such workers
rather than only those in the agricultural sector.

Bjorn Handeen, chairman of the party’s Region 1 in north Idaho, issued a
harsh attack against any employers that cannot run profitable businesses
without undocumented immigrants.

“If your business model depends on illegal practices, I call that organized
crime,” Handeen said.

But a number of delegates, including outgoing Sen. Jeff Siddoway, said the
resolution was an unwarranted attack on business owners and farmers.

“I understand the concern about hiring illegals,” Siddoway said. “And I
understand the concern that we aren’t a nation of laws, and that we need to
uphold them. But there’s a pragmatic part to this. We’re going to have
crops rotting in the field. We’re going to have livestock not being tended.”

Despite the effort by immigration critics to revive the measure, it died by
a wide margin.

And an excerpt from the Spokesman-Review:

The platform had already defined marriage between a man and a woman, but it
now also reads: “We recognize that the definition of marriage and its
administration is not subject to federal authority and that Idaho is
authorized to nullify any federal congressional act, federal mandate or
court opinion that is contrary to traditional marriage.”

Delegates also accepted a slate of new resolutions that include directing
the Idaho Republican Party to oppose a Medicaid expansion ballot initiative
expected to be on the Idaho ballot in November.

Others resolutions ask the Idaho Legislature to make city election partisan
in order to hinder Democratic candidates from winning local races, working
to eliminate a state standardized test known as the Idaho Standards
Achievement Test, and eliminating the color blue from the party logo.


Ron Force
Moscow Idaho USA
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