Repealing the ban on militias sends the wrong message to anti-government groups.
Our local law enforcement officials have served Bonner County with professionalism, compassion, and fairness. We are confident that they don't need the "help" of armed civilians or militias.
We, the signatories of this letter, see HB 475 as posing a threat rather than enhancing the safety of people in Idaho. We continue to support our local law enforcement and trust them to keep our community safe.
AN OPEN LETTER REGARDING HB 475, A BILL THAT SEEKS TO REPEAL THE EXPLICIT BAN ON MILITIAS IN THE STATE OF IDAHO.
We continue to support our local law enforcement and trust them to keep our community safe.
Dear Idaho State Senators, and Governor Brad Little,
In October of 2020, the Bonner County Human Rights Task Force (BCHRTF) joined with other community members and signed an Open Letter to our local law enforcement, stating that we trusted them to provide protection in our community and did not need armed militias on our sidewalks, questioning and intimidating anyone. This action was taken after just such incidents occurred—spurred by a spontaneous demonstration by high school students in support of “Black Lives Matter”. The letter urged law enforcement to take a firm stance against groups who would unlawfully seek to intimidate our neighbors and visitors.
On February 23, 2022, HB 475, a bill that seeks to make such unregulated militia action legal is being sent to the Senate for a vote. The Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection wrote a six page letter to the Idaho Legislature advising that the basis for the bill – namely that the current statutes restricting militias are unconstitutional—is erroneous, and citing many examples. The Supreme Court, in a landmark decision in 2008, reiterated that “military organization and drill and parade under arms are subjects under the control of the government… they cannot be claimed as a right independent of law.” Despite this – HB475 is being supported by Governor Brad Little, and the head of the Idaho National Guard.
In 2020, following the publication of the Open Letter to local law enforcement, members of the BCHRTF contacted the Bonner County Sheriff, and the Chiefs of Police in Sandpoint, Ponderay and Priest River regarding our concern about local militias and the need for law enforcement to discourage their actions—for everyone’s safety, including their own. Sheriff Wheeler, in a public statement, warned citizens to “refuse to take the bait by rushing into the streets to make a show of force; it is not necessary.” He stated that he “ advised all who called him to stand down and not to respond to the unsubstantiated threats of violence.” There were no public responses made by the other law enforcement chiefs.
We, the signatories of this letter, see this bill as posing a threat rather than enhancing the safety of people in Idaho. We continue to support our local law enforcement and trust them to keep our community safe. We want you to prevent HB 475 from becoming a law and also put your trust in those that have done the training as police officers to keep our community safe.
Respectfully,
Bonner County Human Rights Task Force Board of Directors
and Your Constituents & Neighbors
(Please see list of signatories directly below)
Signatories of the Open Letter
Sandpoint
Ron Marron
Sandpoint
Lisa A Shecku
Sandpoint
Patricia moser
Hope
Jodi Whalen
Sandpoint
Marty Stitsel
Sandpoint
Jack Filipowski
Hope
Linda Heisel
Sagle ID
Robbin McCrum
Sandpoint
Nancy J Schmidt
Petersen
Elaine
Sandpoint
Donna Deshon
Careywood
Tammy Miller
Sandpoint
Wendy S Blanchard
Sagle
Mary Fitzgerald
Sagle
Jennifer Warnock
Bonners Ferry
Elsie M Hollenbeck
Sagle
William Kissel
Sandpoint
Kevin Naffin
Dover
Julie Reister-Keaton
Sandpoint
Meleah Norton
Sandpoint
Bette Stepek
Hope
Patty McLaughlin
Sandpoint
Meggan Gunter
Sandpoint
Nadine Dilworth
Hope
Mary J Fisher
Bonners Ferry
Terri Dunning
Hope
Susan Howard
Sandpoint
Barry Campbell
Sandpoint
Sandra J. Lamson
Naples
Lani Christiansen
Sagle
Ronald Mamajek
Bonners Ferry
Jennifer Durbin
Sandpoint
Diana R Leake
Sagle
Thomas Hancock
Sandpoint
Brenda Cooper
Sandpoint
Gretchen S Fisher
Sandpoint
Tanner Welch
Sagle
Ted Wert
Sagle
Susan Lee
Sandpoint
Georgia York
Ponderay
Velta Ashbrook
Sandpoint
Virginia A Libbey
Sandpoint
Steve Navarre
Sandpoint
Joline Wolf
Sandpoint
Jean Courville
Sandpoint
Barbara Gauzza
Coeur d'Alene, ID
Kit Mitchell
Sandpoint
Jim Mellen
Priest River
Diana L Veltri
Sandpoint
Benjamin Piper
Sandpoint
Matthew Honsinger
Ponderay
Nancy Britton
Sandpoint
Joe Leonti
Hope
Darlene K Molsen
Sagle
Steve Anderson
Careywood
Katy Fry
SAGLE, ID
Karen Sedillo
Sandpoint
Randi Lui
Sandpoint
Gerald O'Connor
Sandpoint
Margaret Lovenbury
Sandpoint
Terry A Duncan
Sagle
James Michael Corcoran
Sandpoint
Frank Gruden
Sandpoint
Daniel K shook
Sandpoint
Katie Stamps
Sandpoint
Kari A Saccomanno
Sandpoint
Shawna Parry
Dover
Elana Westphal
Sandpoint
Allyson Unzen
Sandpoint
Carol Quintano
Sandpoint
Jacquelynn Henney
Bonners Ferry
Doug Kim-Brown
Sandpoint
Irene Adler
Sandpoint
Christopher Munro
Sandpoint
Michael Rancourt
Sandpoint
Charles Mortensen
Sandpoint
Susan Prez
Sagle
Julie Nye
Sandpoint
Kathleen Eldred
Sandpoint
Lynn Pietz
Sandpoint
Galen Hill
Sagle
Stephanie Jo Malone
Sandpoint
Thomas Prez
Sagle
Rick Price
Sandpoint
Sherry L Ennis
Sandpoint
Don C Holland
Sandpoint
Margaret Arndt
Clark Fork
Margaret Wiggin
Sagle
Denise Zembryki
Sandpoint
cynthia dalsing
Sandpoint
Lynn Piper
Sandpoint
Stephen Dault
Sandpoint
Sylvia Humes
Sandpoint
Mona J. Kim-Brown
Sandpoint
Molly O'Reilly
Sandpoint
Beth Pederson
Sandpoint
Donald Barnett Ballard
Sandpoint
Susan Bates-Harbuck
Sandpoint
Gail Bryan
Sandpoint
Jessica Steidl
Sandpoint
Lindy Swartz
Sandpoint
Bruce Robertson
Sandpoint
Ellen Weissman
Sagle
Dennis Rieger
Sandpoint
Dan Krabacher
Sandpoint
Lynn Piper
Sandpoint
Charlie Parrish
Sandpoint
Nancy Renk
Sagle
Eric Ridgway
Sandpoint
Eileen Esplin
Sandpoint
Eric Berntsen
Kootenai
Chris Waud
Sandpoint
Jane Habermann
Cocolalla
Todd Crossett
Sandpoint
Carrie Clayton
moscow
marilyn beckett
Sandpoint
Yona Soltis
Sandpoint
Beverly Hague
Blanchard
Susan Dueis
Sandpoint
Emily Faulkner
Sagle
Bruce G. Hickman
Sandpoint
Richard Howell
Dover
Daniel Butler
Sandpoint
Cathy Gidley
Sandpoint
Alexis Sulek-Dommes
Sandpoint
Kristina Kingsland
Sandpoint
Adam D. Messing
Hope
Philip Longden
CLARK FORK
Yarrow Welser
Sandpoint
Gary J. Weisz
Sandpoint
Gretchen Steen
Hope, Idaha
Karen Lanphear
Sandpoint
Theresa Wardle
Sandpoint
Megan Fletcher
Clark Fork
Judi Lundak
Sandpoint
Jeff Kaye
Sandpoint
Barbara Montgomery
Sandpoint
John Lawrence
Bonners Ferry
Kris Lonborg
Dover
Susan Gervais
Dover
Susan Shaw
Sandpoint
Sandra L Terry
Dover Idaho
Steven Lazar
Moyie Springs
Doreen Beck
Naples
Stephen D Heisel
Sagle, ID
Denise Zembryki
Bonners Ferry
John O'Connor
Sagle
Steephen Laundrie
Sandpoint
Ranel Hanson
Sandpoint
Karen Lemley
Sagle
Nancy Gilliam
Sandpoint
Jane E. Fritz
Bonners Ferry
Treva Rawlings
Sandpoint
Jacelyn Lawson
Sandpoint
Marian Cox
Sandpoint
Michael Harmelin & Gail Harmelin
Sandpoint
Jane Arndt
Sandpoint
Catharine F. Huisman
Sandpoint
Diane Dennis
Sandpoint
Dave Pietz
Sandpoint
Lynn Courville
Sandpoint, ID
Anne Mitchell
Sandpoint
Linda Sue Elsa
Priest River
Cheryl A Sonntag
Sandpoint
Charles V Humes
Sandpoint
Sandra Bessler
Dover
Bob Presta
Standpoint
Sylvia Eisele
Sandpoint
Kathleen Crouch
Sagle
Jean Gerth
Sandpoint
Kylie A Presta
Hope Idaho
Cynthia Mason
Sandpoint
Terry McGuirk
Sagle
Margie Corcoran
Sandpoint
Dan Krabacher
Sandpoint
Chris Campbell
Sandpoint
John M. Anderson
Sandpoint
Katie Greenland
Sandpoint
Patricia Kliewer Shook
Sandpoint
Coral France
Sandpoint
Christine Owens
Sandpoint
Eli Sevenich
Sagle
Gerri Harvill
Sandpoint
Michael Quintano
Dover
Robert Myers
Sandpoint
Tim H Henney
Sandpoint
Shirley Paulison
Sandpoint
Kathleen Roff
Sandpoint
Edwin D Buzbee
Sandpoint
Teresa Rancourt
Sagle
Paul C Dukes
Sagle
Jan Geren
Sandpoint
Robert Eldred
Sagle
Rea Kreider
Sandpoint
Marilyn Dalby Sabella
Sandpoint
Leesa J Stefano
Sandpoint
Norman Fargo
Sandpoint
Peter & Carol Gilmore
Sandpoint
Stephen and Julie Meyer
Sandpoint
Ronald Marron
Sandpoint
Beth Allen
Sandpoint
Paul R. Graves
Sandpoint
Rebecca Holland
Sandpoint
Marsha Lutz
Sandpoint
Steve and Elizabeth Willey
Sandpoint
Christine M Moon
Sandpoint
Risa Devore
Cocolalla
Todd Crossett
Clark Fork
Doreen Shababy
Sagle
Brad Williams
Sandpoint
Misty Grage
Sandpoint
Randy and Jody Thoreson
Sandpoint
Michael Rancourt
Sagle
Cindy Aase
Sandpoint
Mary Rowe
Sandpoint
Catherine M Perusse
Hope
Kathleen Huntley
Sagle
Jeanette Schandelmeier
Sagle
Nancy Rieger
Sagle
Kirby McKee
Sandpoint
Donna Parrish
Sandpoint
Genevieve Campbell
Ponderay
M. Herron
Sagle
Darla Gregg
Sagle
Desiree L. Aguirre
Sandpoint
Linda Navarre
Kootenai
Austin Waud
Sandpoint
Amy Phillips
Sandpoint
Sharon McCahon
Sandpoint
John Seuell
Clark Fork
Margaret Wiggin
Hope
pat Whalen
Blanchard
Kenneth Dueis
Sandpoint
Rena F Perchynski
Hope
Mark Heisel
Sagle
Tim McCrum
Dover
Debra Butler
Sagle
Sally L. Smith
Sandpoint
Philip Dommes
Sandpoint
Tom Kingsland
Sandpoint
Lynda Roberts
Sandpoint
Chelsea Blanchard
Hope
Cynthia Mason
Sandpoint
Merry Brown-Hayes
Sagle
Richard Morgan
Sandpoint
Tony hayes
Hope. Idaho
Tessie Kramer
Sandpoint
Chris Norton
Post Falls
William Tregoning
Sandpoint
Karla Petermann
Sandpoint
Terry Raikes
Coeur d’Alene
Megan Marie
Bonners Ferry
Lillian lonborg
Sandpoint
Sue Peyser
Bonners Ferry
Valerie K. Thompson
SANDPOINT
Cara Pacific Campbell
Sandpoint
Yona Soltis
Sandpoint
Mary Toland
Bonners Ferry
Denise Thompson
Bonners Ferry
Orrin Everhart & Jo Len Everhart
Bonners Ferry
Barbara Russell
Sagle
Devin Laundrie
Hope
Kathy R Gorup
Sandpoint, Idaho
Michael G Fisher
Sandpoint
Daniel J Haley
Sagle
Betty McQuirk
Hope
Judy Butler
Dover
Marleigh A Kopas
SANDPOINT
Mary S McPherson
Sandpoint
Robert Libbey
Sandpoint
Joan Allen
Sandpoint
Andrew Kennaly
Sandpoint
Christa Vindum
Sandpoint
Nicky Pleass
Sandpoint
Diana Gore
Sandpoint
Bill Mitchell
Hope
Niki Parenteau
Priest River
Rich M Sonntag
Hope
Philip Longden
Sandpoint
Diane Rinck
Sagle
Rev Stanley J Norman
Sagle
Nancy Gerth
Sandpoint
Cathy Chayka
Sandpoint
Thomas Jenkins
Careywood, ID
Thomas M.Sandberg
Bonners Ferry
Christi Kramer
Sandpoint
Michael Allard
Sandpoint
Lynn Bridges
Sagle
Christine Braumiller
Sandpoint
Jill Trick
Sandpoint
Judy Labrie
Sandpoint
Shirley Moore
Sandpoint
Mary Toland
Priest River
Jane Hoover
Sandpoint
Tari L Pardini
Dover
Mark Kubiak
Sagle
Jill Shelley Kahn
Sandpoint
Katelyn Shook
Sagle
Coral Slater
Hope
Ellie Lizotte
Dover
Susan Kubiak
Cocolalla
Sue Kollet
Sandpoint
Stefanie Nostdahl
Sandpoint
Tom Tillisch
Sandpoint
Rachel Settels
Sagle
Kevin Nye
Sandpoint
Judith York
Dover
Diane Brocwkay
Sandpoint
Pam Duquette
Sandpoint
Shelley O'Connor
Sandpoint
Meyla Bianco Johnston
Sandpoint
Lanie Johnson
Hope
Kay Merica
Sandpoint
Jenny Brotherton- Manna
Sandpoint
Sue Graves
Sandpoint
Ann M Giantvalley
Sandpoint
Thomas Zep Lyster
Hope
F. Gene Merica
Sandpoint
Nancy Schmidt
Clark Fork
Mary Franzel
Sandpoint
Nancy Schmidt
Sandpoint
Sandra Piltch
Sandpoint
Patricia Ramsey
Sandpoint
Sandra Gore
Sandpoint
Carol Cunnick Ballard
Sandpoint
John Harbuck
Sandpoint
Teresa Rancourt
Sandpoint
Erin Busby
Sandpoint
Robin Dyck
Sagle
Shannon Johnson
Sandpoint
Erik Daarstad
Coeur d’Alene
Donna Brundage
Sandpoint
Brom Glidden
Sagle
Cheryl McKee
Sandpoint
Jeff Bohnhof
Sandpoint
Tom Renk
Sandpoint
Carol Holmes
Sandpoint
Julie McCallan
Sandpoint
Kam Majer
Sagle
Brenda Hammond
Sandpoint
Krista Eberle
Sandpoint
Tess Howell
Hope
Dan McLaughlin
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This open letter is an initiative of Bonner County Human Rights Task Force, a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting tolerance and supporting human dignity since 1992.
www.bchrtf.org / bchrtaskforce@gmail.com / (208) 290-2732
Copyright 2020, BCHRTF