The House State Affairs Committee has approved SB 1066 to establish a new, earlier presidential primary election on the second Tuesday of March, ahead of Idaho's May primary election, at a cost to taxpayers of $2 million. Rep. Lynn Luker, R-Boise, joined the committee’s four Democrats in voting against the bill, which already has passed the Senate. “I am torn on this bill for a couple of reasons,” Luker said, after several people testified that they felt excluded from the presidential primary election process because they weren’t able to attend GOP caucuses in the last election. “I understand the need to be inclusive in terms of having everyone have an opportunity to vote.” But, he said, “It’s public funds. … I just can’t support the public expenditure part of this”/Betsy Russell, Eye on Boise. More here.

Question: Should taxpayers have to foot the bill so the state GOP can have some say in the presidential election?