Latest news with #IdahoDemocraticParty
New York Post
03-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Idaho AG bans ‘Everyone is Welcome Here' signs at public schools, says the ‘political statement' violates state law
Idaho's attorney general has ruled that the 'Everyone is Welcome Here' signs that stirred up controversy for 'inadvertently' sparking division must be removed from every public school in the state. A legal opinion was released on Friday by Attorney General Raúl Labrador's office that officially banned signs like the one Lewis and Clark Middle School teacher Sarah Inama displayed in her classroom in February. The AG's office found that banners like Inama's, which read 'Everyone is Welcome Here,' violates the state's vague House Bill 41 prohibiting flags or banners alluding to or depicting any political viewpoint in public schools. Advertisement 'These signs are part of an ideological/social movement which started in Twin Cities, Minnesota following the 2016 election of Donald Trump. Since that time, the signs have been used by the Democratic party as a political statement. The Idaho Democratic Party even sells these signs as part of its fundraising efforts,' the office's statement said. 3 A legal opinion released by the Idaho Attorney General's Office determined that the 'Everyone is Welcome Here' banner can't be hung in public schools. KTVB-TV Inama made headlines last winter when the West Ada School District ordered her to remove her 'Everyone is Welcome Here' sign featuring cartoon hands in various skin tones. Advertisement Inama originally took the poster down, but had a change of heart and put it back up over the weekend. The district administration asserted that Inama needed to take it down because the message 'is not something that everybody believes,' she told KTVB. According to emails from the district obtained by the Idaho Statesman, the district took issue with the different skin-toned hands, which apparently violated the state's requirement that all displayed content be 'neutral and conducive to a positive learning environment.' 3 The opinion asserted that the banner was 'part of an ideological/social movement.' Advertisement The Idaho Democratic Party started to sell the merchandise inspired by the posters on March 25 'after hearing from Idahoans who wanted a way to show support for Ms. Inama,' the party's communications director Avery Roberts wrote in an email to The Post. 'Across the state, parents and teachers, regardless of their political affiliations, want children to have a fair shot. They're working hard to build strong public schools where every student feels welcome and has the support they need to succeed,' Roberts wrote. 3 The teacher at the center of the poster controversy has hung up the poster annually since 2017. Lewis and Clark Middle School 'We're not doing this to make money. The signs and stickers barely cover costs. What matters is the message. Taking a stand against discrimination shouldn't be a partisan issue, and we hope leaders in every party see it that way.' Advertisement The office's opinion goes on to note that Inama began displaying the signs in her classroom shortly after Trump's first term in 2017 and accused her of hanging it to 'share her personal, ideological beliefs.' Per the office's opinion, certain types of student artwork could also be prohibited from being hung in schools.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Lauren Necochea reelected as Idaho Democratic Party's chairwoman
In this file photo, Assistant House Minority Leader Rep. Lauren Necochea, D- Boise, at the State Capitol building on Jan. 8, 2024. (Otto Kitsinger for Idaho Capital Sun) Idaho Democratic Party chairwoman Lauren Necochea will retain her leadership role after the party's state central committee reelected her to the position on March 8. Necochea, who served as the former assistant minority leader in the Idaho House, said in a press release from the party that this is a critical moment in history for Idaho and the nation. 'Idahoans are seeing the consequences of Republican leaders fully surrendering to Donald Trump, pushing school vouchers, handing out tax breaks to the wealthy, and catering to the most extreme elements of their party,' she said. 'We warned about Project 2025 — and now even Trump's own voters are realizing the damage. The tide is turning. Democrats are on the front lines fighting to protect public schools, defend fundamental freedoms, and ensure government works for everyday people, not just the powerful few.' The party has established active Democratic Party organizations in all 44 Idaho counties under Necochea's tenure as chairwoman, which began in 2022, the party said the press release. The party has also focused on recruiting a record number of candidates to run in legislative and other races. Idaho Democratic Party doubles legislative candidate numbers in the face of GOP supermajority For instance, the party fielded 87 candidates for the 105 legislative races up for election in 2024. That increase nearly doubled the amount of Democratic candidates running for legislative office in comparison to 2022, according to previous Idaho Capital Sun reporting. 'Necochea spent over a decade leading nonprofit programs on tax policy, health care, and children's issues,' the press release said. 'She played a key role in the Idahoans for Healthcare campaign, successfully expanding Medicaid access for thousands of Idahoans.' The party's state central committee members also voted to elect Hayden Paulsen as treasurer, according to the release. Paulsen also serves on the Pocatello City Council. According to the release, the following party officers will continue serving until their terms expire in 2026: Secretary: Carol Richel (Eagle) First Vice Chair: Evan Koch (Spirit Lake) Second Vice Chair: Elle Casner (Boise) SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
