Issue: Partisan fur flies over rejected leadership bill/Betsy Russell, Eye On Boise

More Info: The bill in question was a proposal to require party registration and closed primaries in Idaho, something the Idaho Republican Party voted at its convention this year to support. But the House State Affairs Committee voted 9-8 on Monday against introducing the bill, with members saying Idaho has an independent streak that forced party registration would violate. Surveys show a third of Idahoans say they’re independents – and under the bill, independents couldn’t vote in primaries at all.

DFO: Again, we see the arrogance of Republican leadership in a state that's overwhelmingly Repub/Independent Conservative. In this instance, however, the R's are taking care of themselves rather than Idahoans who, I believe, prefer to remain independent re: party affiliation. This is no more than a paranoid move to stop Democrats from crossing over in tight races to vote for the lesser of two Republicans. There's nothing about current party leaders that inspires.

Question: Would you prefer closed Idaho primaries?

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