JFAC has voted 14-6 to pay $100,000 to reimburse the attorneys for the Idaho Republican Party for the party's closed-primary lawsuit against the state, since the state lost the case. The plaintiff's attorney fees and costs were set at $143,900, but they agreed, after negotiations, to accept $100,000. It'll go to the Idaho Secretary of State, whom the party sued, to pay the GOP lawyers. "So it's passed through the Secretary of State to compensate the Republican Party for the lawsuit, their attorneys," said Rep. Wendy Jaquet, D-Ketchum. "This is kind of a darned if you do, darned if you don't, because you're taking money from the general fund for this." She said, "I think you just have to plug your nose and vote for this," to which Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, responded, "I think you're right."

Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, said, "Four years ago we did try to avoid this lawsuit, and we were unfortunately unable to do that in this body, so we're just going to have to kinda pay the price." In the 14-6 vote, the six "no" votes came from Sens. Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint; Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle; Nicole LeFavour, D-Boise; and Diane Bilyeu, D-Pocatello; and Reps. Shirley Ringo, D-Moscow, and Jaquet.

---

---