Idaho Republicans may abandon caucus system
The Republican Presidential Caucus in Idaho may be a thing of the past. Party leaders voted to go back to a primary instead, if the Legislature approves an early primary in March. That news came in a meeting between state GOP chairman Stephen Yates and Bonneville County commissioners.
Yates told commissioners the central committee passed the resolution at a recent meeting. Yates said there was some criticism of the caucus system in the party that an early primary would address.
“The ability of active members of the military to participate in the selection of their commander-in-chief in a primary process – that was a poignant point made in multiple debates and discussions about this,” Yates said. “There are people who like the caucuses because it shows civic participation. People get out and people have very positive experiences, but that experience was different across the state.”
The Legislature would have to approve a March presidential primary. The Senate State Affairs Committee has voted to print it and introduce it in the next week or two, according to Yates.
Republican leaders say they feel a primary will save the party the high cost of running all those caucuses, and if it’s in March, it would hopefully attract presidential candidates to the state, which doesn’t happen much when it is held in May.
Yates asked for the meeting with commissioners as a sort of fact finding mission on various issues. They also discussed medicaid expansion.
The federal government is offering to expand medicaid to pay for medical bills for those who are indigent. Currently, Bonneville County spends about $1 million dollars a year on those expenses.
Commissioner Lee Staker wants the medicaid expansion in order to give a million dollars tax relief to property owners.
“My position is property taxes are not fair,” Staker said. “They hurt the farmers, they hurt the business man, the elderly and anyone who pays property tax dollars. It’s not a fare tax as far as I’m concerned for indigent medical expenses.”
Many Republicans are philosophically opposed to accepting medicaid expansion because they feel it’s expansion of the federal government in Idaho.
