The Idaho Green Party is endorsing Patriot Days of Action, a nationwide week of events sponsored by the Bill of Rights Defense Committee. It will participate in the reading of the Bill of Rights on July 4 at noon at Boise City Hall, organized by Idaho Patriots. While everyone is celebrating their independence, there needs to be a reminder that the fundamental rights of this nation are under serious attack. [7/1/05]

Governor Kempthorne has committed Idaho to participating in the Central American Free Trade Agreement, as well as other "free trade" pacts that threaten Idaho's local economy and threaten democracy worldwide. This can easily be fixed by the governor by asking to remove Idaho from the list, but only until Congress formally passes CAFTA (sometime soon). Send a letter to the governor, and to your mayor or commissioner, asking that this be taken care of immediately. More... [1/10/05]

Members of the Idaho Green Party have officially founded a local chapter in Canyon County. Although Greens have been meeting regularly in Caldwell for two years, bylaws have been adopted and officers for the group have been elected. If you live in or near Canyon County and want to become civically active, attend a meeting or contact the group. [10/26/04]

The Idaho Green Party and other progressive organizations have joined forces to address the FBI's harassment of Muslims since 2001. Download a color or grayscale window poster for all those who stand in support of the Muslim community to post throughout Ramadan or until the FBI surveillance and questioning of Muslims who are not under suspicion for any kind of crime stops. People are invited to show their solidarity with Boise's Muslim and Arab communities in this current October Plan of FBI and police interrogations at a rally on Thursday, October 14 at the Anne Frank Memorial in Boise at 5:30pm. [10/12/04]

Kevin Bayhouse, Secretary of the Idaho Green Party and Spokesperson for the Ada County Green Party, is running for the open ACHD Commissioner seat for Highway District 1. Kevin is the Idaho Green Party's principal transportation researcher, serves on the Valley Ride Community Resource Board, and is a participant in the ACHD Bicycle Advisory Committee. He offers a voice and vision for transportation alternatives (such as bicycling), decisionmaking based on air quality, and a reality-based cost analysis application for impact fees. Vote for Kevin on November 2! Website [09/03/04]

Jon Howard, one of the Idaho Green Party's state coordinators, has declared his candidacy for trustee of the Boise School District. High School Greens Ben Groves and Hannah Young are part of his campaign team, as campaign manager and treasurer, respectively. Jon teaches at Centennial HS and coaches their debate team. His major campaign issues will focus on school nutrition; standardized testing and the No Child Left Behind Act; and the militarization and corporatization of schools. If you live in Boise, vote for Jon on September 7! [07/16/04]

Although Ralph Nader has already declared Green Party's Peter Camejo as his running mate, Idaho Green Party Coordinator Gwen Sanchirico is Nader's Vice Presidential stand-in for Idaho for the duration of the Nader ballot petitioning. Gwen has been a party activist for three years, founded Boise Patriots, produced the IGP benefit CD, and also works with Women of Color Alliance. [06/30/04]

New Green Party Chapter in Kootenai and Shoshone Counties
The Idaho Green Party continues to grow and we welcome the addition of our newest official chapter, the Kootenai-Shoshone Counties Green Party. Any greens in the region are welcome to get involved in the chapter's activities and attend their monthly meetings. For more information visit the Kootenai-Shoshone website. [01/02/04]

Idaho Green Party Adjusts Name Policy

The Idaho Green Party's Coordination Committee voted to change the bylaws to drop "Idaho Greens" as an alternate way to refer to ourselves. From now on, it's the Idaho Green Party (or, in Spanish, Partido Verde de Idaho). We want to remind people that we are a political party and that we are working to change the face of politics. We are the environmental party, but we are so much more than that: there are nine other key values that define our platform. [12/17/03]

Green Takes on USA PATRIOT Act in Emmett
Nicole Duke, an Idaho Green Party member who was appointed to the Emmett Library Board earlier this year, has introduced an anti-PATRIOT Act resolution to her fellow board members in November. Nicole is also urging library staff to place warning signs in the library, as have been already posted in the West Bonner and Boise public libraries as a result of local Green Party activists. The Emmett Library Board meeting has re-scheduled their December meeting to Tuesday, January 20, Emmett Public Library, 275 South Hayes. The board will vote on this resolution and the meeting is open to the public. [read more] [12/10/03]

Greens Endorse Bob Blurton for Boise City Council
Chair of the Idaho Green Party's Peace Committee, Boise Patriots coordinator, and political activist-at-large, Bob has decided to run for local office. Bob's issues run from more democracy in local government, to improve public transportation, to sensible city spending. Bob is running his campaign in the typical Green Party way: issues-based, grassroots, and no corporate contributions. For more information - and to volunteer or make a donation - visit the Blurton for Boise website. [10/02/03]

Boise City Council Considers Anti-PATRIOT Act Resolution
Members of the Idaho Green Party and other groups packed Boise City Hall on 9/16 in support of the Boise Patriots resolution. Idaho Green Party's Gwen Sanchirico, founder of Boise Patriots, presented more than 3,000 signatures of support to the Mayor and spoke to the City Council about the grassroots effort to protect people's constitutional rights. In the meantime, the Boise Public Library has already put up warning signs about the PATRIOT Act, as a response to an effort initiated by Greens. [09/17/03]

The Drive for Official Party Status Is on in Idaho
The Idaho Green Party seeks to attain official party status in Idaho. This allows Green Party candidates to run as "Greens," not just independents. This also would make the Idaho Green Party eligible for public party funding - you know that check-off box on your tax form that asks if you'd like $1 of your taxes to go to a political party? - the Idaho Green Party would get some of that. The Greens would also start having yearly conventions and holding their own primaries. Attaining official party status will bring the Idaho Green Party to a higher level of legitimacy that will make it easier to have an positive impact on local government - not just in terms of running candidates, but also in influencing legislation and policy. The Idaho Green Party needs 10,032 signatures to attain official party status in Idaho. Learn how to help here. [09/12/03]

Idaho Greens Launch Summer Conservation Outings Program
The Idaho Green Party is proud to introduce its 2003 schedule of free conservation outings. Join us for an outdoor experience that includes learning, camaraderie, and fun. Hike with experienced guides while gaining insight into local and regional conservation issues. Click here for schedule of hikes. [06/04/03]

Idaho Green Elected to Office!
Larry Baggett of the Northern Panhandle Greens has been elected to the Lake Pend Oreille School District Trustee (Zone 5). Larry's main campaign issue was to promote public participation in the process at the school board. Click here for local newspaper coverage. [05/22/03]

Just When You Thought It Was Safe to Go Back to the Library
The Idaho Green Party opposes the Patriot Act and its even worse "sequel," Patriot Act II. Earlier this year, the Northern Panhandle Greens convinced their local Library Board to notify patrons that section 215 of the Patriot Act permits the FBI director to seek records from libraries to find out what you're reading and prohibits the library from telling you about it. It was a modest but important defense against the USA Patriot Acts' sweeping violation of constitutional rights. Now the Justice Department is trying to pass Patriot Act II which seeks to eliminate the few citizen protections remaining and strike the sunset provisions of the original - permanently placing our country in a state just short of martial law. For more information on how the Patriot Acts threaten our civil liberties and what you can do to help the Greens fight it, click here.[04/20/03]

Ralph Nader Comes to Idaho

Ralph Nader will be making appearances in Pocatello and Boise. He will present "The American Duopoly" at Idaho State University on April 4th, at the ballroom at the Pond Student Union Building, from 7 pm to 9 pm. For tickets, call 282-3451 ($10/$5 for high school students/free for ISU students).

He will present "The Corporatization of America" at Boise State University on Wednesday, April 16 at 7 pm at the Morrison Center. Tickets are $10 and are available through Select-A-Seat, 426-1494 or through the Morrison Center box office. BSU students may get one free ticket with student ID from the Student Union information desk only. Mr. Nader will attend an IGP fundraiser that evening in Boise - for details, click here. [03/30/03]

Idaho Green Party Kicks Off Military Recruiter Opt-Out Campaign
New federal legislation requires secondary schools to provide military recruiters with a complete list of students and contact information -- unless the students or parents opt out. High school students and their parents can now show their support for a peaceful resolution of the Iraq conflict by having school officials remove their name from the military telemarketing list. Download this form and let the schools know where you stand on the militarization of our schools.

More High Schools Go Green
The Idaho Green Party is rapidly gathering a network of High School Green Party Groups. Boise High and Timberline High ushered in the new year with groups that hit the ground running. They've written and distributed some highly educational peace pamphlets in the local schools, are organizing and participating in peace rallies, attend "Volunteer Saturdays" nearly every week and are generally making themselves indispensable on several Green committees. Check out the student-run highschools.idahogreenparty.org web page.

The two new groups builds on the success of the Kimberly High School Greens, started by Lynzsea Sky Williams in 2001, who worked hard with her fellow students to get recycling in their school and entered a Green float in their Homecoming Day parade. Most recently, Moscow High School is starting yet another Green Party chapter and the inside scoop is that several more are in the works. (02/12/03)

• Senate Bill S1332: Interference with agricultural research
• Senate Bill SB1409: Alfalfa seed prohibition of GM seed sales
• House Bill: H0630 Wildlife - Taking
• Senate Bill 1330 Custody of Children
• Senate Bill: SB 1348 Terrorism
• Senate Bill: SB 1344 Murder - embryos/fetuses
• Senate Bill: SB1367 Extended Criminal Penalty - Pregnant victims
• House Joint Memorial: HJM014 Basque Homeland
• House Joint Memorial: HJM017 School Prayer
• House Joint Resolution: HJR 042 - Geographical Names - Resolution to Remove "Squaw"    (02/2002)