A long list of human rights leaders, including two former Idaho governors, three former directors of the  Idaho Human Rights Commission, and more, have sent an "open letter" to the Idaho Legislature opposing Gov. Butch Otter's proposal to phase out all state funding for the Idaho Human Rights Commission over the next four years. "We implore the members of the Idaho Legislature to resist any initiative to reduce the effectiveness of the Commission, to diminish its already scarce resources and to send the most unwelcome and damaging message that Idaho has ceased to place human rights at the absolute forefront of the state’s priorities," the letter says. "We need not remind Idaho state government that it was not that many years ago that Idaho’s image and reputation was unfairly sullied by the presence in our midst of messengers of hate and ministers of discord."

"Idahoans were united then – and must be united now – in rejecting any assault on human rights.  We came together in the past to send a powerful and righteous message that Idaho would not tolerate discrimination and would not give comfort to those who deny basic human dignity to all her citizens." You can read the full letter here.

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