Board trims UI’s law school plans

Fri., Aug. 22, 2008

The State Board of Education on Thursday scaled back a plan by the University of Idaho to bring a law school branch to Boise in two years.

Ultimately, the university would need an extra $6 million a year to fully operate a Boise branch of the law school with about 250 students, a plan board members said they weren’t ready to approve.

Instead, the board voted to allow the law school to offer a full program in Boise only to third-year law students, beginning in 2010. The board also voted to ask the Legislature for the $1 million the university will initially need to expand legal education at a Boise branch.

BOISE

Republicans try to oust Rammell

The Idaho Republican Party this week joined 10 people trying to boot independent U.S. Senate candidate Rex Rammell off the November ballot.

They claim in a lawsuit filed this month that some signatures Rammell submitted last March to qualify were forged and that he’s inappropriately identifying himself with the Republican Party to win over voters.

Rammell, a former eastern Idaho elk rancher, accused GOP rival Lt. Gov. Jim Risch of being behind the attempt to purge him from the ballot for fear of losing voters.

“He’s getting dirty,” Rammell said Thursday.

Risch said he knew nothing of the suit before it was filed.

OLYMPIA

Gregoire leaving for delegate duty

Bracing for the final round of a tough re-election contest, Gov. Chris Gregoire has a little party business to take care of first: She’s heading to the Democratic National Convention as a delegate for Barack Obama.

Republican challenger Dino Rossi, however, won’t be on hand to see John McCain collect the GOP presidential nomination early next month in St. Paul, Minn.

“There’s no votes in Minnesota,” spokeswoman Jill Strait said Thursday. “We felt his time would be better spent on the ground here in Washington state.”

Gregoire was a relatively early endorser of the Illinois senator and appeared onstage with him in a packed Seattle NBA arena during Obama’s February caucus swing through Washington.

Obama’s wife, Michelle, has raised money for Gregoire, and Obama has appeared in a pro-Gregoire radio ad and mailer.

RUPERT, Idaho

Teacher won’t face charges

A judge has dismissed a misdemeanor charge of flag desecration against a former Minico High School teacher stemming from turmoil over celebration of a Mexican holiday last spring.

Fifth District Judge Mick Hodges dismissed the charge Wednesday.

Dan Luker, who taught English as a second language, resigned after stomping on a U.S. flag in a school administrator’s office May 5.

Some students had brought Mexican flags to school in celebration of Cinco de Mayo. A third of the school’s students are Hispanic.

One student said he had his Mexican flag taken and put in the garbage by gym instructor Clint Straatman, who later also resigned. Luker said he was responding to Straatman’s action and to what he said was the administration’s indifference to mistreatment of Hispanic students.

School district officials disagreed, and Luker was charged with flag desecration, which carries a maximum sentence of 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

From wire reports

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