Shirley Ringo will give Raul Labrador a Real Fight

Daily Kos: Shirley Ringo will give Raul Labrador a Real Fight http://t.co/Y5EdhGRynm
— Boise Idaho News (@boisenews) August 29, 2013

The Common Core is written, but the plan for implementing the Common Core is not.

The Common Core: Teaching K-5 Students to Meet the Reading Standards http://t.co/od0V5xNlQX
— Boise Idaho News (@boisenews) August 15, 2013

Idaho Democratic Party Weekly Update

U.S Rep. Raul Labrador Town Hall In Meridian

Labrador has much to answer for. Here's your chance. Wednesday, Aug. 14, he will hold a Town Hall meeting at Meridian City Hall. Hold him accountable for putting the Tea Party first and Idaho last.

Read more.

Idaho For Sale: Interested Parties Contact idaho GOP

The federal lands task force met Friday to hear testimony regarding how Idaho can "dispose" of public lands. If they can find a way, you be sure they will do it. Let's work very hard to replace these GOP leaders. 
Read more.

Luna-Otter: Business as Usual is Bad for Business

Upon observing how it walks like a duck and acts like a duck and looks a whole lot like a duck, the conclusion is that Tom Luna gave a multi-million dollar contract to a company because they donated heavily to his and Gov. Otter's campaign. ... This just in from Tom Luna, "Um. That's not a duck." Quack Quack.

Read more.

Nez Perce Tribal Members Won't Let Big Oil Roll Them Over

The fact is that there has never been a public hearing that details the conversion of a one-of-a-kind gorgeous stretch of remote, Wild and Scenic highway into an industrial hauling corridor for equipment (nasty chemicals?) headed for the Alberta tar sands. The Nez Perce Tribe has responded with peaceful, dignified, civil disobedience in the face of bullying by Big Oil and being ignored by governement officials.

Read more.

Idaho Lawmaker to Hike 1000 Miles to Draw Attention to Public Lands and Rural Economies

Idaho State Rep. Mat Erpelding is standing up and walking for Idaho public lands and rural economies. Help out this energetic and dedicated public servant by supporting him. Help get the word out on his effort and take a look at the nonprofit cause that he is trying to raise money for. He hits the trail Aug. 18.

Read more.

Facebook Photo of the Week: New Idaho Young Dem President

Meet the new president of Idaho Young Dems, Kathy Griesmyer.

View photo.

 

Events

Visit The Idaho Democratic Party Event Calendar Here

Rep. Erpelding Hike Idaho Centennial Trail

Idaho State Rep. Mat Erpelding will raise money for the Idaho Redside Foundation this August. He will attend to hike the nearly 1,000 mile Idaho Centennial Trail in 40 days. He hopes to raise money for a nonprofit cause. He is also attention to Idaho’s rural economies and the value of our public lands.

Visit the Redside Foundation to pitch in for a great cause!

Did you know that in 2012 the Idaho Outdoor Recreation Industry reported $6.3 billion in sales? That compares to $7.7 billion in sales for Idaho’s crops and livestock. Everyone knows how important agriculture is to Idaho’s rural communities. Few understand that Idaho’s Outdoor Recreation Industry, which is heavily reliant on public lands, has similar impact.

Donate to this worthy cause.

The Idaho’s Redside Foundation is a new organization that supports Idaho’s guiding and outfitting workers. These workers are often Idaho’s only ambassadors to visitors from out of state. Yet, this working population struggles with the ups and downs of seasonal work. Redside offers health care assistance, financial counseling, and much more to these adventurous, brave, and hearty workers.

Read more about this project and how to help the cause below:

This August, Mat Erpelding, an Idaho state representative from District 19, will hike the 950-mile Idaho Centennial Trail. Mat will attempt to shatter the current speed record for this hike as well as raise money and awareness for The Redside Foundation.

Mat believes that Idaho’s rural communities benefit economically and socially from the commercial outdoor recreation industry, and that guiding and outfitting are integral to long-term economic wellbeing in Idaho. Therefore, Mat strongly believes in Redside’s mission to preserve the health and vitality of Idaho’s commercial guiding community.

Donate now to support Mat’s ambitious goal and spread awareness of The Redside Foundation:

A little more about Mat…

Mat Erpelding is a high-altitude climbing guide, an educator, a business owner, and a member of the Idaho House of Representatives. In 1993, Mat moved to Idaho to attend Idaho State University, and now lives in Boise. A vibrant and healthy community with exceptional access to wildlands drew Mat to Boise, and it is why he loves Idaho.

Mat is a co-owner of Experiential Adventures, which he founded in 2004. Experiential Adventures LLC specializes in leadership development, group facilitation, and teaching collaboration using experiential education as its foundation. EA has grown over the years to include clients such as the military, higher education institutions, and corporations seeking to improve their organizational culture.

Until December 2012, Mat was an instructor at the College of Western Idaho Dept. of Physical Education, specializing in training teachers to use experiential education in the classroom. Mat is an adjunct faculty member in the Leadership Studies Minor at Boise State University. Mat has also worked in the Division of Student Affairs at different colleges and universities including Boise State University, California State University, Chico, Evergreen State College, and Texas Tech University. Mat recently co-edited a textbook for outdoor leadership programs called Outdoor Program Administration.

He is the Past President of the Association of Outdoor Recreation and Education (AORE), and in 2006 was awarded the Jim Rennie Leadership Award for outstanding service and dedication to the Association. In 2010, Mat was awarded the Wilderness Education Association’s Instructor of the year for bringing innovative and substantial curriculum improvements to the organization. He ranks among the Idaho Business Review’s “40 Most Accomplished Under 40.”

As a high-altitude mountain guide, Mat has reached the 20,320 ft summit of Denali (Mt. McKinley) in four out of five attempts while helping more than twenty clients reach the top as well. Mat approaches mountaineering much as Willi Unsoeld did as a member of the first American Everest expedition in 1963. Willi said, “The final test for me of the legitimacy of the [mountaineering] experience is ‘How well does your experience of the sacred in nature enable you to cope more effectively with the problems of mankind when you come back to the city?’” Mat’s passion for wilderness has shaped his belief that civic engagement is essential to living in our community.

In addition to being elected to the Idaho House of Representatives in 2012, Mat has served as the Vice Chair of the Ada County Democrats, and was named “Activist of the Year” by the Idaho Democratic Party at the 2012 Frank Church Banquet. Mat understands the challenges faced by Idaho legislators. He worked hard to support the members of both the house and senate by organizing and preparing the 2012 Idaho Jobs and Opportunity Blueprint during the legislative session. He has pledged to devote much of his career to public service to help build sustainable urban and rural communities in Idaho.