January 30, 2012 in Idaho

Idaho GOPers don’t want Obama appointing new fed judge

Betsy Z. Russell The Spokesman-Review

Tags:2012 Idaho Legislature

BOISE - The Idaho House has passed HJM 4, a non-binding memorial calling on Congress to add a third federal judge in Idaho, but only by a 47-21 vote and after objections from House Republicans to allowing a Democratic president to appoint another federal judge.

Idaho’s had just two federal district judges since 1954, said the measure’s sponsor, Rep. Grant Burgoyne, D-Boise, and the federal caseload has increased so dramatically that there are now big delays in processing civil cases, since criminal cases are given priority.

As a result, some Idaho cases are even being taken to other jurisdictions, said Burgoyne, an attorney. “Micron Technology recently found itself in Texas with respect to an intellectual property case, which it fortunately won,” he said.

Burgoyne said it’s his opinion, and that of the state’s business community and Idaho’s bar association, “that Idaho juries and Idaho judges should be deciding case affecting Idaho people.” Plus, he said, other states including Alaska, Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota already have three federal judges and have smaller populations than Idaho.

Rep. Linden Bateman, R-Idaho Falls, told the House he believes the “federal judiciary has served as a handmaiden” to overstepping the U.S. Constitution. He said he’d be willing to support the memorial, but only after a new president is elected and replaces Democratic President Barack Obama.

“I hardly think he would appoint a new federal judge who would reflect the values of the citizens of Idaho,” Bateman declared. “I’ll be glad to support this memorial if we get a new president.”

House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, objected, and Speaker Lawerence Denney asked Bateman to keep his remarks from getting personal.

Burgoyne told the House, “I bring this memorial with absolutely no partisan motive. We have the very finest of judges serving as our federal district judges and as our federal magistrates here in the state of Idaho, they are Idahoans, they have been appointed by presidents of both parties. I cannot distinguish between them when it comes to who appointed them, and I doubt that anybody else can.”

Rep. JoAn Wood, R-Rigby, requested a roll-call vote, which is unusual for non-binding memorials, which usually pass on voice votes. Twenty-one House Republicans - more than a third of the 57 Republicans in the Idaho House - voted against the measure, though it still passed.

Among the 18 North Idaho lawmakers in districts 1 through 6, five voted against the memorial: Reps. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens; Phil Hart, R-Athol; Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries; Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene; and Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d’Alene.

22 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

dataxman on January 30 at 2:25 p.m.
Thank goodness the GOP can hold up any appointment until Romney is sworn-in in 2013
johnclarke on January 30 at 2:42 p.m.
I got nothing.
misjustice on January 30 at 2:45 p.m.
WHAT? They got federal judges in Ideeho? Who’d have known?
; )
Loudin on January 30 at 3:49 p.m.
I remember reading that Idahoot got federal judges sometime around 1996…when fighting ceased in the former Yugoslavia and Idahoot broke away from the former republic. IIRC, the first two appointees were the Hon(s) Borat Sagdiyev & Azamat Bagatov.
This said, and knowing Idahootian temperament, I would think it would serve them best if Iadhootians did away w/elected representation and adopted a “strong man/strong daddy” leader. Maybe someone like Marshal Tito Barbieri? Or perhaps tax whiz Slobodan Hart?
Loudin
mikeln on January 30 at 5:24 p.m.
Just another atempt to make it a one way street for the greedy. I don’t know any of the judgements made by these judges but I would think they err on the side of money.
misjustice on January 30 at 5:43 p.m.
I would guess it’s your avatar photo, LIRWL…not your comment.
But I’m just guessin’…
; )
DCLacey on January 30 at 5:55 p.m.
Dataxman: I really can’t formulate a patriotic, democratic reason as to why you think it is grand that one group can or should hold majority control over things when in the minority or out of the white house. The only possibility is that the 1950’s suit you all so well because of the warm fuzzies you get thinking about the the McCarthy era of boogman communists all of the block. Republicans justify everything on the potential of fearful outcomes whether empirical or not.
If you really think this is Democracy in action then apparently China, Iran, Russia, Cuba all must be dear to your heart because this is exactly what they do in those countries. Majority does not rule, but minority fear and threat does.
This story is just another example of why Idaho politics is a laughing stalk. By the way ask yourself this which way does the traffic flow in the moring on the Idaho/Washington border. It ain’t toward the right to work state of Idaho!
michaelm on January 30 at 5:56 p.m.
Sigh.
Shadedmuse: Please keep it civil. Just because you hold a different philosophy with other posters here is no reason to so vehemently insult them. You needn’t wonder why I deleted your comment, nor why I’ll start deleting future ones.
LIRWL: I can’t speak for the moderator who deleted your comment, but I won’t second-guess them, either. We’re all anarchists here. ;-)
dataxman on January 30 at 6:26 p.m.
DC - wasn’t alive in the 1950’s so don’t get much of a warm fuzzy from that era. As for this somehow being new or unique - not even close. It was done when Bush was in office and the Dem’s took control of the Senate and will be done next time a President is from a different party than the Senate majority.
mdriftmeyer on January 30 at 7:29 p.m.
Leave it to a local Republican not to grasp that a State GOP House has zero authority in keeping a Federal Judge from being appointed.
mrd on January 30 at 7:42 p.m.
I doubt if Romney will win and why does the Idaho GOP’s think they have the power to tell the Federal Government what to do. The one party system in Idaho is a joke.
pmbrown49 on January 30 at 9:37 p.m.
I just thought they hung people in Idaho.
jane on January 30 at 9:42 p.m.
The fear of a colored person appointing a judge in Idaho!! The outrage! Or the irony?
MrBloggy on January 30 at 10:04 p.m.
“If it isn’t consistent with The Book of Judges from the Holy Bible, then Idaho has no use for it! Appoint your judges in hell, sinners and unbelievers!”
— Reps. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens; Phil Hart, R-Athol; Dick Harwood, R-St. Maries; Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene; and Kathy Sims, R-Coeur d’Alene.
michaelm on January 30 at 10:32 p.m.
liberal_in_right_wing_land, you were doing OK until that last line. If I’m gonna delete her non-topic attacks on you, I’m gonna do the same to yours.
Please keep it civil, everybody. There are plenty of red-meat websites out there that would welcome attacks on your opponents. I’m hoping we can keep the S-R more courteous than that.
Dazzeetrader11 on January 30 at 10:47 p.m.
No attacks Michael. The Avatar belongs somewhere else but here. Really LOOK at it.
meadman on January 30 at 11:06 p.m.
on a national level, the GOP is sadly pathetic as a respectable political party with adults in charge – in Idaho they are even worse!! Don’t know whether to laugh or be outraged by their delusional thinking……. If there are any clear-thinking, logical, honest, and responsible GOP folks in Idaho, they must really be ashamed of their party (and probably tell people they are “conservative independents”.)
michaelm on January 30 at 11:12 p.m.
Dazzee, yes your posting included a personal attack on liberal_in_right_wing_land. As for his selection of avatar, my own opinion notwithstanding, it’s an insult to a political party. While I would hope for better, it’s not a personal attack.
Would it be too much to ask if both of you refrained from saying anything to each other? No more of this “He/She hit me first!” stuff? You can both still bash Democratic/Republican principles as you will, as long as you knock off the “t-b” stuff (and yes, I’m looking at you, shadedmuse).
Dazzeetrader11 on January 30 at 11:36 p.m.
NO Libby…th eone above makes me look reasonable. You see, I really don’t care how you live life. It’s only the avatar….Ms J pointed it out. What’s to argue with?
nslopeofw on January 31 at 12:21 a.m.
Those who believe Romney wont win have to ask themselves who the independents are going to vote for, when 75% of them have already said they will not vote for Obama. My guess is they will vote for whomever is against Obama. And, if that is Romney, then that is who will be the next president.
Obama may win all the liberal votes, and the republican candidate might win all the conservative votes, but the independent votes are the ones who decide elections.
Anyone thinking Obama has a chance of winning has only been reading left news and blogs. Those that have been reading both sides, as well as what few middle of the road sources there are, understand that Obama will be a 1 termer.
greenlibertarian on January 31 at 2:25 a.m.
michaelm on January 30 at 5:56 p.m.
[yadda-yadda]
We’re all anarchists here. ;-)
I knew I liked ya’ll for some reason.
Looks like a gravatar war is starting. How grown-up.
Oh, well, you know what they say when you want to get 3,000 American soldiers killed for no good reason?
“Bring it on.”
WHS on January 31 at 2:32 p.m.
Hmm nslope, I would have to wonder where you are looking. Because I know many an independent folk and even many a Republican that won’t vote for Romney (or Gingrich or Santorum). In fact, my business has me dealing with rural America and the ag industry… Right now, the majority of these folks will be voting for President Obama (or not at all). See, they know where their bread is buttered and can easily see that if the Repubs have their way, their very livelyhood will be affected. Whereas, the Democrats and Obama in particular are fighting to support the American farmer… And it is very obvious to all but the dumbest of them. In fact, when I engage them in public conversation, most will just smile, nod and not say much, but get them aside and it’s a different story.
Now! If the GOP could field even a reasonable candidate, they might just have pulled it off. However, don’t see it… Right now, it’s the Democrats to lose. Low voter turn-out will be the biggest challenge to President Obama… Not the current GOP.
WHS