Will the open primaries initiative turn Idaho into a blue state? Hardly | Opinion

Open primaries

One of the major concerns of opponents to open primaries/Proposition 1 is that it was created to turn Idaho from a red state to a blue state. All you need to do to know this will not happen is take a look at the party affiliations posted on the VoteIdaho website by our Secretary of State, Phil McGrane. According to the site, there are a little over one million registered voters in Idaho. Of these, nearly 700,000 are registered as Republicans (nearly 70%). Only 126,000 are registered as Democrats (12.6%) and 264,000 are registered as Unaffiliated voters. I’m not a math whiz, but even if every single Dem voted in the primary, they could not possibly swing the election to a Democratic victory. So even if Idaho approves Proposition 1, Idaho will still be a red state. It just means that more voters will get to decide who represents us in government. Isn’t that what a Democracy is supposed to be about? Help us give more people a voice in our great state, vote yes on Prop 1.

Dana Stiegemeier, Rathdrum

Tribalism

Those whose political achievements include restricting gun laws, supporting the NRA/gun manufacturers, legislating the right to keep and bear assault-type weapons, are individually and collectively responsible for America’s gun violence even though not pulling the triggers themselves. The Second Amendment hasn’t changed and doesn’t need protection. Human beings need protection from irresponsible politicians who in the name of protecting the Second Amendment have restricted gun laws, paving the way for irresponsible gun owners to slaughter fellow citizens at work, school, church, commuting, entertainment venues, etc. It has been primarily the Republican Party platform whose goal it has been to “protect the Second Amendment” rather than to protect people’s lives.

Remember when global, regional and local temperature stayed within historical norms? The Republican Party platform was written to promote the short-term economic interest of the petroleum industry and political tribalism dictates that those claiming to be a Republican have to toe the line of climate change denialism. We are just now starting to experience the drastic changes coming by having to relocate away from areas where climate change is making continued living conditions unbearable and/or unaffordable.

Open primaries will combat political tribalism. Political tribalism’s loss is society’s gain.

Tom Newton, Caldwell

Treatment of women, children

So vice presidential candidate JD Vance and Idaho’s Senator Tammy Nichols think women should have more children. That’s rich, coming from the party that has done all it can to make childbearing less attractive. Some examples:

• Nixon vetoed a national child care bill in the 1970s.

• Reagan pulled Republican support for the Equal Rights Amendment from the1980 platform.

• Republicans have repeatedly rejected the Paycheck Fairness Act, which would ensure that women and men are paid the same for doing the same job.

• Republicans refuse to increase the minimum wage. Sixty-nine percent of minimum wage workers are women working to feed their families.

• Idaho Republicans show their love for children by providing less funding for education than any other state in the nation.

• Republican legislators turned down $6 million federal funds to feed hungry children.

• Legislators showed their concern for motherhood in 2023 by abolishing the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, which studied the reasons women died in childbirth.

• They legislated a near total ban on abortion even for women whose lives were in danger, thereby driving many doctors out of state.

So yes, Idaho women, have more children by all means. But you’ll be on your own. Good luck!

Mary Mosley, Meridian

Power shutoff

Regarding the recent public safety power shutoff by Idaho Power, I hope that this first-of-its-kind was a good learning lesson for Idaho Power, because they have a lot of work to do. In Warm Springs Mesa, where I live, our power was off for 6 hours. It was turned off after a brief period of high wind and light rain. I went to the app and was informed it would be off for 4 to 24 hours. There was no updates on how long it would be. These late afternoon Summer storms seem somewhat frequent and occur when temperatures are very hot most often. Are we to expect regular shut-offs in the hottest part of the year that may last 24 hours? We had a 20 hour shut-off in the Mesa two days before this due to a transformer failure. Scott McIntosh’s editorial hit the nail on the head: Idaho Power is making their issues our problem.

Grant H Haller, Boise

Project 2025

Project 2025, extreme ideas that even our Republican leaders say they don’t support. But when have our state Republicans ever gone against the Republican Party? The party doesn’t allow dissent; they will be primaried and replaced or they will do as the party suggests. If implemented, the proposals would ensure that the party in power stays in power. I don’t want a government like that. China, Russia and Iran have elections, but if the party in power never loses, what good is your vote? Project 2025 has also included ideas from the Christian Right. They propose taking away individual rights and freedoms, the government will make those decisions for us. I do not want religious or private organizations making our laws. Our representatives should be protecting our rights and freedoms from those organizations. The government in a well-run democracy has to be dignified and respectful to every citizen. We cannot allow some of us to have fewer rights or freedoms.

Allen L. Wenger, Boise

Ranked choice voting

I’m puzzled. I’ve read letters to the editor, guest opinions, and other reports that open primaries and ranked choice voting will turn Idaho Democratic. The Secretary of State’s Office reports that 12.5% of Idaho voters are registered Democrats, while over 60% are registered Republicans. Even if every Democrat and independent got together and all voted for the same Democrat, they still wouldn’t have a majority, and ranked choice voting requires a candidate to get a majority of the votes in order to be elected.

What are they worried about?

Rick Simon, Boise