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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Eye On Boise

Bonneville GOP opposes new community college for fear of refugee resettlement, ‘weird stuff’

Here’s a news item from the Associated Press: IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (AP) — Republican officials in eastern Idaho say they oppose a plan to build a community college because it might lead to a new refugee resettlement center in the region. The Post Register (http://bit.ly/2oS93qT ) reports the Bonneville County Republican Central Committee approved a resolution last week that called the project unnecessary and contrary to the GOP platform. The committee's opposition comes at a time when Bonneville County residents are slated to decide if they want to fund a new community college this May. GOP official Larry Lyon says the College of Southern Idaho in Twin Falls helped pave the way to launch a federally-funded refugee resettlement center, which has attracted growing criticism from far-right and anti-immigration groups. Lyon added it's unclear what "weird stuff" the college might do if it's built. Currently, Idaho has refugee resettlement centers in Boise and Twin Falls.



Betsy Z. Russell
Betsy Z. Russell joined The Spokesman-Review in 1991. She currently is a reporter in the Boise Bureau covering Idaho state government and politics, and other news from Idaho's state capital.

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