Vote for Jordan
Idaho Rep. Cindy Agidius’ first term has been a disappointment. She was elected to represent Benewah and Latah counties two years ago. But last spring, when the going got tough, she found she couldn’t do it.
The issue involved was huge: a bill that would allow the carrying of concealed guns on Idaho college campuses. It was drafted by the National Rifle Association and strongly opposed by the leaders of all eight Idaho public colleges and universities. It passed the Idaho House and the Senate with only one of the 105 members not voting: Agidius.
She said she missed the vote because of a funeral. She said she hadn’t thought the vote would come up that quickly. Although she could have made arrangements for her vote to be counted, she didn’t.
Later she told William Spence of the Lewiston Tribune that she had been very conflicted about the issue. “Had I known the bill was going to come up, I would have made myself sit in a room and decide how to vote.”
Looks like we’ll never know her mind, but one thing we know for sure: her vote would have cost her politically, angering either the Tea Party Republicans in her base (and the NRA) by voting against the bill, or a large part of Moscow’s university community by voting for it.
Instead of representing us on this highly charged issue, she failed to meet her responsibilities as an elected official. That’s reason enough to vote for her worthy challenger, Paulette Jordan. Jordan has all the makings of a fine legislator: commitment, balanced judgment, honesty and political integrity. And she’ll be there for us when the going gets tough.
Dody Dozier
Moscow, ID