Traditional Republicans missed the opportunity of the century

By Rep. Lauren Necochea, D-Boise
Reader Contributor

Democracy thrives when every voice is heard and leaders gain broad support from an engaged electorate. With closed Republican primaries shutting out Independents, Idaho operates far from this ideal. Since the Idaho GOP closed its primary in 2012, the Legislature has grown increasingly extreme, favoring fringe agendas over public needs.

Concerned citizens brought the Open Primaries Initiative, or Proposition 1, to pull politics back toward the median voter’s views. It would have opened primaries and created instant-runoff elections, in which voters can rank candidates in order of preference. It’s like telling a server at the deli you want the chicken noodle soup; but, if that’s out, your second choice is minestrone and so on. 

Naturally, far-right extremists benefiting from the status quo went into conniptions. Because the far-right controls the Idaho Republican Party apparatus, they used it to run a campaign against it.

Rep. Lauren Necochea. File photo.

What’s confounding is that the leaders who stood to gain the most from Proposition 1 — traditional Republican legislators — did not throw their support behind it.

Proposition 1 would have rescued these legislators from their abusive relationship with their own party. Many GOP legislators vote for bad bills because they are scared of friendly fire: misleading attacks during primary elections and tribunals and sanctions from far-right party bosses. One county party tried to prevent a sitting legislator from running with the Republican label.

Proposition 1 would have broken this excruciating pattern. And while Sen. Linda Wright Hartgen, R-Twin Falls, wrote an excellent op-ed in support, her voice was lost in the sea of those who came out against it or stayed silent. Most traditional Republican officials were too afraid of the short-term discomfort of bucking their party, even if it meant easier elections for them and fewer terrible policies for Idahoans. 

What can be done now that far-right tactics defeated Proposition 1? Idahoans will need to be louder than the GOP party bosses.

Voters will need to call, email and testify when Republican lawmakers try to repeal Medicaid expansion and take health care away from 84,000 Idahoans, leaving them in the coverage gap.

Voters must come out against GOP proposals to divert precious dollars to private, religious and for-profit ventures, while neighborhood schools struggle to stay open, maintain athletics and retain teachers. 

Idaho businesses and families must be emphatic about protecting LAUNCH scholarships that propel the next generation to in-demand careers.

And voters must demand repeal of the dangerous abortion bans before more labor-and-delivery wards close and more women suffer long-term health impacts like infertility and even death.

Idaho’s Democratic legislators stand with public opinion on these critical issues. But Republican lawmakers will require sustained pressure to do the right thing. It’s up to voters to deliver it.

Rep. Lauren Necochea is the House assistant Democratic leader, representing District 19 in Boise on the Environment, Energy and Technology; Resources and Conservation; Revenue and Taxation; and Ways and Means committees.