Press: H/T For Nesse’s Activism

Hand it to Anne Nesse: She puts her energy where others’ low wages are. Two years ago, Nesse led the charge to raise Idaho’s minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.80, phased in over four years. That ambitious statewide initiative fizzled. Given almost 11 months to collect at least 53,751 valid signatures from registered voters, Nesse and her Raise Idaho volunteers mustered only 8,157 signatures, failing to even get the item on the November 2014 ballot. Nesse didn’t give up. Last year she ran unsuccessfully against Kathy Sims for a seat in the Idaho House of Representatives, ostensibly to open fire on the minimum wage from a legislative vantage point. When that effort failed, Nesse simply narrowed her focus: She decided she’d do her best to boost the minimum wage within Coeur d’Alene’s city limits. That didn’t work out either/ Coeur d’Alene Press Editorial Board . More here .

DFO: I remember all those years that the late Ron Rankin beat his head against the wall to win approval for the 1% initiative. His goal was to limit property taxes. After his death, then Gov. Jim Risch called a special session of the Legislature, which voted to move school M&O off the property tax. That reined in property taxes. But hurt schools. Ultimately, Rankin’s persistence won the day. So don’t count Nesse out yet.