Idaho GOP Executive Board Liveblog

Chairwoman Moon has adjourned the meeting.

KCRCC Brent Regan shared an update on the caucus. Over half a million Idahoans are registered Republicans and will be invited to take part in the caucus on March 2. The committee voted to not send caucus postcards to anyone outside of the lower 48.

After some additional points of order and information, the committee voted 9-3 to deny the appeal and sustain Chairwoman Moon’s decision regarding the Bingham County GOP’s election of a new chairman last summer.

Maria Nate moves to call the question. Daniel Silver seconds. Only Trent Clark votes against ending debate.

Region VII Chair Doug Ricks arrived after the counsel presentations. Fuller objected, saying that he shouldn’t be able to vote after missing the arguments. Parliamentarian Cornel Rasor said there was no method to keep him from voting, so Fuller grudgingly accepted.

Steve Bender points out that you can only suspend Robert’s Rules during a meeting, you can’t suspend county or state party rules, which is what Bingham did.

Chaney’s rebuttal was very short. Smith is now making his final statement. Smith points out that rather than allowing Dorothy Moon to call another meeting to satisfy the rules, which would likely have ended up the same anyway, the Bingham GOP chose to sue her instead.

Greg Chaney is back to respond to Smith’s statement. He attempted to allow Matt Thompson, the new chair of Bingham County, to speak, but 2nd Vice Chair Fuller objected.

Bryan Smith is presenting the case on behalf of the state party, including a video from the Bingham GOP meeting in question. The issue at hand is that the county chairman tendered his resignation, effective on a certain date, but then conducted the meeting to elect his own replacement prior to that date.

Former state representative Greg Chaney, serving as counsel for Bingham County GOP, presented that committee’s argument.

Roll call vote on the motion to remove Silver as chair of this procedure. Bryan Smith recused and gave his proxy to Mark Fuller. Trent Clark asked about the propriety of a present member giving away his vote; the parliamentarian said it is fine. Motion passed 9-4, 2nd Vice Chair Fuller took over the meeting.

It will take a 2/3 majority of the board to remove Silver as chair of the judicial review process. He says that he was not planning to vote unless there was a tie anyway. Bryan Smith said that he has given his proxy to another member of the committee due to his own involvement in the case as counsel for the state party.

Silver explains that the Bingham GOP representative reached out to him unsolicited to ask for information regarding the rules, and that at the time there was no appeal and no litigation. He accuses Fuller of twisting the words.

2nd Vice Chair Fuller moved to disqualify 1st Vice Chair Silver due to his communication with the Bingham GOP regarding litigation. Secretary Maria Nate took over as chair for the duration of debate over Fuller’s motion.

Chairwoman Moon turned the meeting over to 1st Vice Chair Silver to hear the appeal from the Bingham County GOP regarding the way in which they elected new leadership last year. 2nd Vice Chair Mark Fuller made a point of order regarding Silver’s ability to chair the meeting due to his involvement in litigation by the Bingham GOP against the state party.

Further discussion about dues and delegates. According to Idaho GOP rules, region chairs are responsible for urging their counties to pay their state party dues. Chairwoman Moon said that the state party is always willing to come to Lincoln Day dinners to help raise money. Trent Clark shared that Lincoln County has Glenn Beck coming to keynote their dinner.

Discussion about how to enforce the rule regarding state party dues. Currently, counties that don’t pay their dues, and don’t have a waiver due to lack of funds, will have their state convention delegations reduced. Trent Clark had an interesting question – what if a newly-elected county committee wants to pay their dues after their predecessors did not? Will they be penalized? Steve Bender replied that the rule was written to prevent county committee leaders from weaponizing the rule by withholding dues and then paying for their own handpicked delegates.

Finance Chair Vicki Keen is absent due to illness, while the Young Republicans and Republican Women representatives are not present.

College Republicans President Farhana Hibbert shared how her organization is continuing to register voters and build the Republican grassroots.

State Committeeman Bryan Smith shared that while “open primaries” are generally popular, “ranked choice voting” is not, and that’s why the initiative backers are using the rhetoric they are. He urged everyone to share the truth about how they’re trying to change our elections.

Region I Chair Bjorn Handeen said that he would be putting together a committee to improve the Idaho GOP platform at the upcoming state convention in Coeur d’Alene this summer.

The rest of the region chairs shared updates from their areas. Everyone is raising money and preparing for the March caucus.

Region VI Vice Chair Trent Clark shared that the Caribou County GOP decided not to pay their state party dues, and that an explanation would be forthcoming.

Region IV Chair Mark Johnson shares an update regarding the issues Ada County has faced in the past few months. (Read about that drama here.)

The Idaho GOP divides the state into seven regions, each organized under a chair who is elected by representatives from county and legislative district committees. Each region chair sits on the state executive board.

State Committeewoman Cindy Siddoway gave an update from the Republican National Convention. The RNC is promoting the idea of banking your votes with early and mail-in voting as well as additional outreach to minorities.

Treasurer Steve Bender reported that all but six county committees have paid their state party dues. He also explained how financial sharing between the state party and county committees for caucus expenditures will work. He explained some amendments to the budget as well.

1st Vice Chair Daniel Silver urged everyone to work hard to make the caucus a success and to continue fighting against the ranked choice voting / blanket primary initiative.

Idaho GOP Executive Director Kiira Turnbow gave an update on finances and party organization.

Chairwoman Moon updated the board on the upcoming March presidential caucus.

Region VI Vice Chair Trent Clark, sitting in for Chairman Terrell Tovey, requested that some notes he submitted regarding alleged parliamentary irregularities at the last meeting be included with the minutes. The motion to amend was defeated and the minutes adopted.

Region IV Chairman Mark Johnson gave the invocation and Secretary Maria Nate led the Pledge of Allegiance.

Idaho GOP Chairwoman Dorothy Moon prepares to open the meeting: