Centrists, progressives and even Democrats are being advised to regard the May 17 GOP primary election as an existential event: Be there or beware.
“The only way this state is going to rid itself of these far-right radicals is to get more people into that Republican Party,” said former Boise State University President Bob Kustra.
Likewise, the Idaho 97 Project, a progressive group, is mobilizing behind taking back Idaho’s elections: “We do this by acknowledging that the May 17 GOP primary is the election that counts if you want a say in the future of Idaho.”
That puts a lot of focus on the contest Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin is waging against fellow Republican Gov. Brad Little. Some of their differences are stark. Little would never close ranks with white nationalists and militia members like McGeachin does frequently.
But some of those centrists being courted to vote in the GOP primary have got to be asking themselves what difference it would make if Little got a second term or if McGeachin takes the oath of office next January.
Case in point: Little just signed away the reproductive rights of Idaho women.
Should it survive a constitutional challenge — and given the makeup of the U.S. Supreme Court, it just might — this bill, which kicks in at about six weeks of pregnancy, mirrors its Texas counterpart by incentivizing courtroom vigilantism. Any relative of the fetus — including the family of a rapist — can sue a health care provider who performed an abortion and collect $20,000.
The exception for victims of rape or incest — which requires the filing of a police report — rings hollow, considering how few women seek out law enforcement, especially when the perpetrator is a companion, relative or a known associate.
Concerns that rape or incest victims would be harmed further were enough to justify then-Gov. Cecil Andrus’ veto of what was then the most extreme anti-abortion rights bill in the country 32 years ago.
Little raised the same issues — then caved in to his right wing:
“I also have significant concerns with the unintended consequences this legislation will have on victims of sexual assault. I appreciate the exception provided for victims of rape and incest, but the challenges and delays inherent in obtaining the requisite police report render the exception meaningless for many. I am particularly concerned for those vulnerable women and children who lack the capacity or familial support to report incest and sexual assault. Ultimately, this legislation risks retraumatizing victims by affording monetary incentives to wrongdoers and family members of rapists.”
Likewise, Little last year signed away the one tool provided to independents, moderates and progressives to bypass a recalcitrant Legislature by passing their own laws through the initiative process.
Little again tried to split the difference:
“Not every state in our country provides these important rights and I urge the Legislature to ensure those rights remain accessible to the people.”
Besides, he said, the courts will take care of it: — “Whether Senate Bill 1110 amounts to an impermissible restriction in violation of our constitution is highly fact dependent and, ultimately, a question for the Idaho judiciary to decide.”
He was right: The Idaho Supreme Court struck it down unanimously.
And voters outside the GOP mainstream did not appreciate the Legislature’s attempt in 2021 to whitewash American history in the public schools — by passing a bill aimed at the mirage of critical race theory and liberal “indoctrination.”
Even though he defended the local educators, school board members and the State Board of Education who set curriculum and policies, Little signed it.
“We must be focused on facts and data, not anecdotes and innuendo,” Little wrote. “The process that produced this legislation over the past few weeks sends the wrong message to Idaho teachers, parents and students. It has been nothing short of a distraction from meeting our constitutional and moral obligations to public education in Idaho. It is time to get back on track.”
No doubt McGeachin would have willingly dismantled your reproductive rights, the initiative and historical accuracy in the classroom.
But if all you get out of Little is an apology, what does it matter? — M.T.
