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Lincoln Day Event Provides Platform for GOP Candidates by Logan Ramsey Post Register, April 11, 2022

Smith claimed that removing the dams would cause grain growers to lose
"millions or billions" of acre feet of water that they use to ship their grain.

The Lincoln Day Luncheon for Idaho Republicans happened on Saturday at the Blackfoot Elks Lodge. Candidates had the opportunity to speak to their fellow party members about their stances in preparation for the primary election.

The candidates who will move forward to the general election will be selected in the vote on May 17 in roughly five weeks.

The candidates were united on a number of voting issues, but also still found room for disagreement on certain issues.

A point of contention between two of the candidates for Idaho's 2nd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives — Mike Simpson, who's held the seat since 1999, and his challenger, Bryan Smith — is over Simpson's proposal to remove dams on the Snake River, which are located in Washington state. Simpson said this proposal would free up 500,000 acre feet of water that Idaho sends to Washington to assist in salmon recovery, which could be used to refill aquifers.

Smith claimed that removing the dams would cause grain growers to lose "millions or billions" of acre feet of water that they use to ship their grain

"This is typical for a 22-year incumbent to focus on 500,000 acre feet at the expense of millions and millions and millions, if not billions, of acre feet of water that would be lost, that farmers are using right now to ship their products to market," Smith said.

One area where all the candidates seemed to be united was immigration, and stopping what they called a "crisis at the border."

Simpson claimed the United States has an open border, and border patrol is arresting but then releasing illegal immigrants somewhere in the country.

"Until you control the border you can't do immigration reform," Simpson said.

Smith claimed to be in favor of legal immigration, and felt the U.S. needs to secure the border and start rebuilding the Trump border wall.

"At the border we have an invasion. We need to secure the walls for the border first," Smith said. "If you have a bathtub that's overfilling, you don't go grab a bucket and try to bail the water out. The first thing you do is shut the water off."

In regards to Idaho's education, Simpson claimed 90% of education is done by the state, and he doesn't want the federal government dictating changes to the state.

"I want to leave education to the local officials," Simpson said.

Smith has declared that he wants to eliminate the U.S. Department of Education, in addition to a number of other federal departments he views as unconstitutional and unnecessary.

Raul Labrador, a former U.S. representative for Idaho's 1st Congressional District for eight years who is running for attorney general, was at the event. He disagrees with legal advice given by the incumbent attorney general, Lawrence Wasden, who is the longest serving in his position in Idaho history. Labrador claims it is not legal for Idaho to remain in a state of emergency for two years, and the declaration should've ended after 60 days, because Idaho code says the declaration can last for 30 days and be extended for another 30 days. After that, he said, the governor had a duty to call the Legislature into session.

"We don't have a king in Idaho, we have a governor and a legislature and a judicial branch," Labrador said.

Wasden acknowledged the parts of the code Labrador referenced, but then said, "... but the statute doesn't say what happens after that. It doesn't say it ends, and it doesn't say it continues. It doesn't say either of those things."

Wasden also said the governor issued new orders, and none lasted longer than 30 days. He also pointed out that the state legislature has met three times since the state of emergency began, and they haven't taken action to end it any of those times.

During Simpson's address to the luncheon attendees, a heckler interrupted his speech.

"Hey Mike, do you claim that you received a Trump endorsement?" the heckler asked, then claiming that the endorsement, on a campaign flier she was holding up, was from the 2020 general election. While Cravens approached her to try to convince her to sit down, Simpson asked if she had the microphone.

"You're now claiming the same endorsement for the 2022 primary election. How can you claim the same endorsement when it was against a Democrat in a general election?" the heckler shouted. Cravens approached her and asked her to sit down, but didn't touch her.

"I'm a voter and I have a right to ask a question!" she responded.

"You don't have the right to ask a question right now because I have the microphone," Simpson said. He then went on to claim that he didn't send the flier out, saying that it was an independent expenditure and they don't tell him what they're doing.

"So you're leading voters astray?" the heckler asked.

"Absolutely not," Simpson replied.

There was a handful of boos throughout the roughly minute-long encounter, but there was also a handful of claps. After the encounter, the heckler sat in her seat peacefully for the rest of the event.

"This election is an important election, and when we get done, we're all Republicans," Simpson said.