An unclear call for GOP unity

COEUR d’ALENE — Kootenai County Republican leaders’ call for a meeting to discuss party unity appears to be causing division within the group.

Kootenai County Republican Central Committee members were notified Monday of a special meeting to be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 5, in the Kootenai County Administration Building, near the courthouse on Government Way. The purpose of the meeting, according to the email notification, is to discuss a resolution titled “A Call for Party Unity.”

The email advised that 10 members of the committee requested the meeting, but the resolution on the agenda will not be distributed prior to the meeting.

“Copies of the resolution will be available at the meeting,” the email said. “No proxies will be accepted.”

That has raised the ire of some committee members who would like to review the resolution before the scheduled meeting.

“I keep asking them what the resolution is, but they won’t give it to me in advance,” said Kellie Palm, who sits on the committee. “Then I ask them who wrote the resolution and they won’t tell me that either.”

Palm said she is not surprised by those actions. She said many committee members are acting unethically if not illegally in many other ways.

Palm said she caused a stir recently by questioning the appointment of another committeeman for the Worley area. She said the man they appointed allegedly lives in Post Falls but claims his lake home as his primary residence for the homeowners exemption.

“They didn’t like that when I brought that up,” she said. “They threw a humongous fit about it.”

Palm said she plans to attend the special meeting.

“I really don't want to go, but I will go to see what happens,” she said. “I have no idea what is going to happen when I get there.”

Another committee member, Bjorn Handeen, said he suspects the resolution might have something to do with the formation of Gov. Butch Otter’s new “Otter PAC,” a new super political action committee the governor has formed to financially help candidates who supported him in the past.

Otter’s website for the new PAC states the committee will help certain candidates from state-level races down to precinct committee races, which worries some central committee members who supported Otter’s opponent during his last election.

The Republican Central Committee in Bonneville County just passed a resolution last week denouncing the Otter PAC for going after committeemen, Handeen said.

“I am not too concerned about it because all of these precinct committee races should get a closer look,” Handeen said. “The committee races are important because that is where the common man has a chance to be heard.”

If it is truly a call for unity in the party, Handeen said he would certainly vote for it because has been calling for unity for the past two years.

“I find every opportunity I can to call for party unity,” he said.

Duane Rasmussen, another committeeman, said he is not surprised that committee leadership won’t release the resolution prior to the meeting. Rasmussen has been fighting the leadership and calling for more transparency for the past few years.

“Hiding the resolution before the meeting is probably a violation of the rules,” Rasmussen said, adding he cannot understand why the KCRCC had to call a special meeting to consider a resolution. “We typically don't have a meeting in December because everyone is gone for the holidays. Now we are going to hold one at the beginning of January and a lot of people are still on vacation.”

Many of the committee members believe the timing might be to get the resolution passed so it could be considered at the state committee’s winter meeting on Jan. 8.

Jim Pierce, who used to sit on the county committee, still sits on the state rules committee for the party.

Pierce said even if the county Republicans pass the resolution on Jan. 5, it is not likely to be admitted at the state level this winter. The state rules require a resolution to be submitted 12 days before the state meeting so it can be distributed to members for review 10 days prior to the meeting.

Neil Oliver, chairman of the county committee, did not return phone calls to address the special meeting. Neither did David Johnston, director of the state party.

Becky Young, treasurer for the Otter PAC, did not return calls either.