GOP candidates aspire to Palin comparison
BOISE – Former Idaho Democratic congressional candidate Larry Grant was quoted by CQ Politics recently describing GOP 1st Congressional District hopeful Vaughn Ward as “a Sarah Palin Republican” and rival Raul Labrador as “a Bill Sali Republican,” and adding, “The moderate Republicans … won’t run because they know they can’t beat the ultraconservatives in the primary.”
The two GOP rivals have lately been engaged in something of a contest in which each has tried to portray himself as more “conservative” than the other guy. CQ Politics was following up on an earlier Grant comment – repeated on several blogs – that Grant might jump into the race as a Republican, but Grant told the publication that was a joke, designed to make a point that “the moderate Republicans in this state have no place to go in their primary.”
Board member resigns
Former House Resources Committee Chairman Cameron Wheeler, R-Ririe, now a state Fish and Game commissioner, resigned from the board of The Common Interest when founder Keith Allred told him he was running for governor as a Democrat.
“Common Interest was nonpartisan, and that was the beauty of it,” Wheeler said. “So when Keith put a D in front of his name, honestly, I’m appointed by Butch Otter to the Fish and Game Commission, so it put me in a tough spot. So I figured the only thing to do that was honorable was to resign, and Keith understood that; he was very comfortable with it.”
Wheeler said he’s still a fan of The Common Interest idea, which sought to get citizens more involved in their government to promote common interests, as opposed to special interests. “I thought his concept was good and it made a lot of sense to me,” he said. “I always believed there was solutions to public policy and there’s better ways of doing it.”
As for Allred, Wheeler said, “He’s a sharp, intelligent person, and I’m sure this is a well-thought-out decision.” He added, “I think he had some influence. I think he did some good things. I wouldn’t have been on the board if I didn’t believe in his concepts and in Keith himself.”
Tougher law planned
Sen. Joyce Broadsword, R-Sagle, is working on legislation to increase the maximum penalty for felony injury to a child from 10 years to 20 years, after a shocking child abuse case in St. Maries left a little girl without feet and with other injuries, but her mother’s boyfriend, convicted of felony injury to a child, got a 10-year sentence.
“The judge didn’t really have a lot of discretion to put him in jail for longer,” Broadsword said. She’s working with the Idaho Prosecutors Association, which had been studying increasing the maximum penalty for the offense. “That penalty has been in place for a long time and it’s not commensurate with other similar penalties,” Broadsword said. “We want to make sure that the penalty for harming a child fits what happened.”
Idaho libraries get grant application help
Idaho’s Commission for Libraries has been selected by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as one of 13 state library agencies that the foundation will help apply for federal broadband stimulus grants, with the aim of bringing high-speed Internet access for the public to all of Idaho’s 140 public libraries. The foundation will give the state library commission help and technical assistance in applying for the grant, and if they’re successful, it’ll provide the required matching funds.
Though most of Idaho’s libraries offer Internet access, about 40 percent are below minimum standards for bandwidth, said Idaho libraries spokeswoman Teresa Lipus.
State Librarian Ann Joslin said, “This is an unprecedented opportunity for the public libraries in Idaho lacking broadband access that is affordable, sustainable and scalable to meet future needs.” As part of the effort, the foundation will train Idaho librarians on how to apply for federal “E-Rate” funding for ongoing broadband connection costs.
“A successful grant proposal by the commission means more citizens will be able to get online at their public library to look for a job, find work force resources and access government information,” Gov. Butch Otter said. “This is a meaningful and cost-effective way to provide needed services to the people of Idaho.”
Cenarrusa releases memoir
Pete Cenarrusa, Idaho’s longest-serving elected official, is turning 92 and has released his memoirs, “Bizkaia to Boise: The Memoirs of Pete T. Cenarrusa.” The longtime Idaho secretary of state and former lawmaker and speaker of the House held a book signing in Boise last week at which three former Associated Press reporters who covered his career, Quane Kenyon, Mark Warbis and Bob Fick, were among those sharing memories.
In 2003, Cenarrusa and his wife, Freda, helped establish the Basque Studies Program at Boise State University, and he recently donated his papers to BSU’s Albertsons Library. The library is currently showcasing an exhibit on Cenarrusa.