In March 2024, the KCRCC passed a “Resolution Rejecting Supremacy.” A similar Resolution was first introduced at a previous meeting by a Precinct Committeeman, but she withdrew it saying the wording was not quite right. At the March meeting, the Chair, after her objections that she did not want to offer it to the body yet, introduced it himself and said the wording came from Heather Scott.
The Chair stated that the Chair of the local Democrat Party had challenged him and the KCRCC to join the Democrats in a Resolution – under a deadline of a few hours. This challenge was a response to the alleged racial taunting event in downtown Coeur d’Alene against a Utah women’s basketball team. At the March meeting, the Chair told the KCRCC that he had told that Democrat he had no power to issue a Resolution himself, but that the body had to approve of it. Our KCRCC Chair told the body that he would send the Resolution after passage to the Democrat Chair early the next day – there was a deadline. Thus, under pressure, the Resolution was pushed through, although it took about an hour and a half, an executive session, and five members left before the vote.
Here is that March Resolution.
I wrote a new Resolution for the April KCRCC meeting, see below. I thought more time would allow a better-crafted Resolution than the “hurry up” process used at the March meeting. (Aside: why should the KCRCC step-and-fetch-it for the Democrats anyway? Why not take time to do it right?)
In the linked proposed April Resolution, the first three Whereas statements came from the Republican Party Platform with words added to clarify the statement. I felt it would be proper to make a statement about Republican Core Values and a rejection of discordant philosophies, and explicitly reject some philosophies that have cropped up among the uneducated and confused in Kootenai County that have proven to be historically destructive over the centuries, such as Monarchism, Groyperism, antisemitism, and others. My Resolution Supporting Israel passed the KCRCC in February, but it took an hour and a half, plus an executive session.
Some have been concerned that these historically destructive philosophies have infected the KCRCC, some of its non-KCRCC subcommittee members, and vendors to the KCRCC. I hope to address some of these concerns by making Bylaws changes, because an organization’s internal operations are controlled by its Bylaws. Bylaws modifications were submitted for the April 2024 KCRCC meeting, see Bylaws Page.
A Resolution would be a good start: Proposed April Resolution.
When I sent the proposed April Resolution to the Chair for inclusion on the agenda, he was concerned about the definitions to certain terms used in it. Wikipedia shows the following explanations:
- Christian Nationalism: Christian nationalism – Wikipedia
- White Nationalism: White nationalism – Wikipedia
- Nazism: Nazism – Wikipedia
- Fascism: Fascism – Wikipedia
- Foundationalism: Foundationalism – Wikipedia
- Antisemitism: Antisemitism – Wikipedia
- Monarchism: Monarchism – Wikipedia
- LGBTQ: LGBT – Wikipedia
- Race Supremacists: White supremacy – Wikipedia, or Black supremacy – Wikipedia, or Supremacism – Wikipedia
- Misogyny: Misogyny – Wikipedia
- Holocaust Denial: Holocaust denial – Wikipedia
- Groyperism: Groypers – Wikipedia
The focus should not be on the definitions above, but the key is that none of these philosophies are tenets of the Idaho Republican Party. As Republicans, we need to guard against infiltration by those who hold such beliefs, because they will lead us in the wrong direction.
I presented the April Resolution to the entire KCRCC by email on April 16, which made it a timely addition to the agenda for the April 23, 2024 meeting. In addition, by sending it to the whole body by email, they could read and consider it prior to the meeting. I hope this clarification of our Republican values by Resolution on April 23, 2024 may be used in the election this May – regardless of the election outcomes.
UPDATE: The KCRCC considered the above proposed Resolution, and halfway through the consideration, Jeff Tyler said he had an amendment. The amendments are here: KCRCC-RESOLUTION-WITH-EDITS-Affirming-Republican-Values–4-23-2024.pdf.
The final Resolution as passed is here: KCRCC-RESOLUTION-Affirming-Republican-Values-PASSED-4-23-2024.pdf. The Committee felt generally that calling out specific -isms was playing into the hands of the “leftists,” but some of those finally excluded were no-brainers in my view that everyone who claims to be Republican should be able to wholly reject.
Author: Art Macomber Precinct Committee Member for Precinct 407, Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.
NOTE: I withdrew from the Precinct 407 race, because I knew my opponent wanted to make an issue about my tenure as counsel for North Idaho College. According to the Idaho professional rules of conduct for attorneys I have a duty of confidentiality to former clients, and so I withdrew from the race to avoid having to fight with one hand tied behind my back — or else break the rules and put my client in jeopardy. Withdrawal Letter to Precinct 407_3-29-24
Date: April 20, 2024; Updated April 29, 2024.
Letter by Art Macmber
Original Article: Link