BOISE, Idaho (AP) - The Latest on Save Idaho Horse Racing accusing the Coeur d’Alene Tribe of breaking the law to block a ballot initiative (all times local):
3 p.m.
Officials with the Coeur d’Alene Tribe are denying claims they broke state law to stop a proposed ballot initiative that would legalize lucrative betting machines in Idaho
Tyrel Stevenson with the North Idaho Voter Project - a political action committee connected to the tribe - says organizers of the petition are lying and are attacking the tribe’s decision to hire employees to counter claims surrounding the proposed ballot initiative.
On Monday, Save Idaho Horse Racing released a conversation between one of their petition employees and one of the tribe’s employees that showed the petition employee being offered $1,500 to stop collecting signatures.
Stevenson says the conversation shows that Save Idaho Horse Racing is struggling to hold onto employees. Meanwhile, backers of the ballot initiative say it shows the tribe violating state law.
___
1:25 p.m.
Backers of a ballot initiative seeking to legalize lucrative betting machines in Idaho say the Coeur d’Alene Tribe has broken state law while attempting to deter the success of their petition and they have alerted law enforcement officials.
According to Save Idaho Horse Racing on Monday, the tribe has offered at least two petition employees cash to stop collecting signatures. They say this violates state law which makes it a felony for a person to offer a “valuable consideration” in order to prevent circulating a petition or soliciting signatures.
An official with North Idaho Voter Project - which is connected to the Coeur d’Alene Tribe - did not immediately return a request for comment.
Save Idaho Horse Racing had previously accused the tribe of hiring operatives to deter voters from signing the petition.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.