Reclaim Idaho given petition drive extension
BOISE, Idaho (KIFI/KIDK)-U.S. District Judge Lynn Winmill has ordered a 48-day extension for Reclaim Idaho to gather signatures for its Invest in Idaho Education Initiative. The extension will allow the group to gather signatures online starting July 9.
“This is a big win for all Idahoans who can safely exercise their constitutional rights to bring ballot initiatives and let voters decide on important issues,” said Luke Mayville, Reclaim Idaho Co-Founder. “Today’s decision strikes a good balance between protecting those rights and honoring the initiative process. We look forward to working with the State to get systems in place to make this happen.” Reclaim Idaho had to shut down its petition drive in March because of the COVID-19 outbreak. They had gathered 33,000 signatures at that time.
Last week, Winmill gave the state the option to either certify the initiative or extend the deadline. The state chose to defy the order and chose neither and asked the Judge to stay the order pending a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals review. Winmill denied the stay.
The “Invest in Idaho Education” initiative would generate up to $200 million per year for Idaho K-12 public schools with no additional property taxes, and no additional taxes on anyone making less than $250,000 per year.
You can learn more about the initiative here.
