Gop Lawmakers Out Of Line In Wanting Closed Meetings

A “Hot Potato” goes to the sneaky Idaho Republicans (pardon the redundancy) who drafted Senate Bill 1178. It would allow a political party caucus of “a standing, special or select committee” to hold closed meetings. In other words, supermajority Idaho Republicans could debate sensitive issues and orchestrate votes privately - the public be damned. This bill goes against the spirit of Idaho’s Open Meetings Law and the GOP’s “Contract with America.” That contract calls for Congress to live under the same laws as other Americans do. Idaho’s city councils and county commissioners have no exemption from the Open Meetings Law. The Legislature shouldn’t have one either.

NIC registration policy deserves Spud II

Some students are more special than others at North Idaho College - for example, athletes, nurse wannabes and technology students. Under a 3-year-old policy, they’re allowed to register early for classes. Administrators contend those groups have special scheduling needs and deserve a break. But the have-nots argue: “What makes them more important than me?” Good question.

Hey, if you want to sell booze, just say so

The Idaho Dispensary has more excuses for keeping its 44 liquor stores open on holidays than Baskin-Robbins has flavors. Spokesman Bill Applegate offered this lame one for Presidents Day: “Our commitment to serving the temperate customer (as opposed to the non-temperate?) extends to the holidays that aren’t fully recognized by customers or the retail world.” (You got that right, bucko; I had to work.) Applegate had better excuses for snubbing Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday: 1. Patrons expect service to reflect normal retail business schedules; 2. We try to provide the highest level of customer service possible; and (drum roll, please) 3. We keep the stores open on five of the state’s nine holidays. I can’t wait for Applegate’s Memorial Day excuse.

Mission impossible: recalling Superintendent Fox

Those who want to recall state Superintendent of Schools Anne Fox are tilting at windmills. They’ll never collect 125,161 valid signatures to put this one on the ballot, let alone find the 227,257 votes to recall her. Ron Rankin, a signature gatherer extraordinaire, couldn’t attract 32,000 signatures for his 1994 One Percent Initiative. But don’t worry. Be happy. Fox’s tenure ends in about 1,415 days.

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