A night to remember always SHS Grad Night 2023 seeking donations

By Abby Leisy Reader Contributor

The Sandpoint High School 2023 Senior Class parents have begun organizing a tremendous Grad Night Party for our graduating seniors. Once again, however, Grad Night is in danger of not happening. The event is not a district-sponsored event. That means all prizes, gifts, games and the event itself are paid for via donations.

In the past we have relied on businesses to donate goods that we could package together and hand out to each student who stays until the end. Business in Sandpoint is not what it used to be, and we can no longer rely just on businesses to supply these gifts. We have found that it is better to ask for cash donations so we can buy prizes for each student and include things they need most.

Some of the prizes students have asked for include towels, microwaves, mini-fridg- runoff or ranked choice voting.

Idaho lawmakers tried to preempt ranked choice voting

A supermajority in the Idaho Legislature already passed a law, House Bill 179, during the 2023 legislative session that prohibits ranked choice voting or instant runoff voting in local, statewide and federal elections.

If the ballot initiative is approved, it would repeal House Bill 179. That could set off a showdown with the Republican-controlled Idaho Legislature in the courts or in the Idaho Statehouse.

Idahoans for Open Primaries coalition members submitted the first 20 signatures and the full text of the proposed ballot initiative to the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office on May 2.

Next, officials from the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office and Idaho Attorney General’s Office will review the initiative, and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office may recommend revisions or alterations, which Idahoans For Open Primaries organizers can either accept or reject.

Once the review process is complete and the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office presents official ballot titles for the initiative, members of Idahoans for Open Primaries can begin gathering signatures for the initiative. Organizers backing the open primary es, hangers, phone chargers, gas cards, Amazon gift cards, bedding and more. To make sure this event happens, we are asking for help from anyone who is willing and wants to see Grad Night traditions continue.

As a 2000 Sandpoint High School graduate, Grad Night was one of my most memorable high school memories. I remember walking into the fairgrounds and it had been transformed into a casino. There were tents set up with poker tables, craps, ring toss and darts. At each station was one of my classmates’ parents running the booth. One thing I remember was all the parents were wearing poker visors. They wanted to make it the best night for us, including dressing up.

Everyone had fun that night and it didn’t matter what group you were part of. You went from table to table, playing and hanging out with everyone. There was a huge dance party and limbo contest. At the end initiative said they expect that to happen in June, and are beginning to plan signature gathering kickoff events in every region of the state for this summer.

What is a ballot initiative and what does it take to qualify for an election in Idaho?

A ballot initiative is a form of direct democracy in which the people propose a new law independently from the Idaho Legislature. In a 2021 ruling, the Idaho Supreme Court ruled that the initiative and referendum process are “fundamental rights, reserved to the people of Idaho.”

Before an initiative can appear on the ballot for the voters of Idaho to decide on, it first must qualify for the election. In order to qualify, organizers of a ballot initiative must gather the signatures of at least 6% of registered voters statewide, and the signatures of at least 6% of voters in at least 18 of Idaho’s 35 legislative districts.

That means Idahoans for Open Primaries organizers will need to gather signatures from at least 62,895 voters statewide by May 1, 2024, and will need to meet the 6% requirement in at least 18 legislative districts, in order to qualify for the November 2024 election, which is also the presidential election.

If the open primary ballot initiative receives enough signatures to qualify for the November 2024 election, it would take a simple majority — more than 50% — of of the event everyone left the fairgrounds and we went to the City Beach. We sat in the sand with our blankets and talked about high school and our goals for after school. We watched the sunrise and knew that nothing was going to be the same, but at least we had this one last night together.

Now that I have my own son graduating from Sandpoint, I want him and his classmates to have this same experience. Time has changed what this event looks like now. We hardly have any parents willing to help, lack of donations and carnival games might not be enough to entertain kids until 6 a.m. We have shortened the time, and this year the event will end at 2 a.m. We hope this will encourage students to stay the whole event and have a chance to win some of the big prizes.

The two highest-risk nights for high school students are prom and graduation. Since 1974, Sandpoint High School parents have been organizing a Grad Night Party to provide a celebration that is safe, sober and memorable. Our Grad Night Party sends a clear message to all graduates that we care about them and their safety. Grad Night is a commitment by parents, Sandpoint High voters to approve a change to Idaho’s law.

Organizers with Reclaim Idaho will help with the signature gathering effort. The nonpartisan, nonprofit organization has mobilized more than 1,000 volunteers across the state to gather signatures and push for approval of two recent Idaho ballot initiatives: the successful 2018 Medicaid expansion, which 60.6% of Idaho voters approved, and the Quality Education Act in 2022, which Reclaim Idaho pulled from the ballot after the Idaho Legislature took action that would have repealed and replaced the Quality Education Act.

Some political observers and Democratic legislators have credited that campaign by Reclaim Idaho with pushing the Idaho Legislature to increase education funding by an amount nearly identical to what was proposed for the ballot initiative.

Will the Idaho Legislature oppose or be able to repeal the open primary initiative?

The open primary ballot initiative is designed to repeal the 2023 law that bans instant runoff or ranked choice voting. But the Idaho Legislature could turn around and pass another law that immediately repeals the open primary initiative — going against the will of voters.

It’s almost certain some Republican lawmakers will try to push back.

School and the community to provide a great, once-in-a-lifetime experience.

If you would like to make a donation to Grad Night 2023, please send venmo payments to @GradnightSHS-23. For donations by mail, send to: Abby Leisy; PO Box 26; Kootenai, ID 83840.

Parents are also selling raffle tickets around town on Saturdays at Super One and North 40 Outfitters. There are some great prizes available, including a truckload of gravel from Peak Sand and Gravel, a Dover Bay basket with a night stay and dinner for five, Seattle Mariners tickets and a Sandpoint basket with meats from Woods.

The best part is you get to choose where you want your tickets entered. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20.

To purchase you can venmo @Abby-Leisy and state what basket you want to enter. You will receive a comment confirmation with a picture of your tickets filled out. Please leave your phone number in the comments.

Thank you for supporting the Grad Night Party 2023.

The 2023 law prohibiting ranked choice voting or instant runoff elections passed nearly along party lines (56-12 in the Idaho House and 28-7 in the Idaho Senate). Only three Republicans — Reps. Dustin Manwaring, R-Pocatello, Rick Cheatum, R-Pocatello, and Jack Nelsen, R-Jerome — joined the Democrats in opposing the law.

When he presented House Bill 179 to the Idaho Legislature’s House State Affairs Committee on March 2, Rep. Dale Hawkins, R-Fernwood, said his bill was designed to prevent bringing ranked choice voting into Idaho and to preserve the existing system in Idaho.

“This is a voting system that is being spread around the country I would say a little like a virus,” Hawkins told legislators. “It’s destabilizing people’s normal voting abilities and it’s, according to the people in some of these states, very harmful. But everywhere it goes, it seems to do a little bit of confusion to the voter,” Hawkins said.

“I still think that our system of election here in Idaho is one vote, one man and I am seeking to preserve that,” Hawkins added.

This story was produced by Boise-based nonprofit news outlet the Idaho Capital Sun, which is part of the States Newsroom nationwide reporting project. For more information, visit idahocapitalsun.com