The House has voted 50-19 in favor legislation for a new $2 million presidential primary election on the second Tuesday of March, over objections from Democrats, and a handful of Republicans, who said the political parties – not the state – should pay for that. “This bill is nothing but a cost shift from the general fund to supporting a political party,” declared House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston. Rep. Vito Barbieri, R-Dalton Gardens, was among those speaking out in favor of the measure, SB 1066. “The role of government is to make sure that elections are done uniformly and safely,” he told the House.

Rep. Patrick McDonald, R-Boise, speaking in favor of the bill, said, “We want the people of Idaho, we want their vote to count. …  By the time May comes around, it’s over, we know who the candidate’s going to be. In March we have some say, we have some direction.”

Rep. Ron Nate, R-Rexburg, an Idaho GOP official, said the parties should pay, not the state. He joined four other Republicans, Reps. Luker, Miller, Loertscher and Scott, and all 14 of the House Democrats in voting against the bill, but it passed. The measure, which earlier passed the Senate on a 23-11 vote, now goes to Gov. Butch Otter. Under the bill, the new presidential primary in March would be in addition to Idaho’s existing May primary election, for any parties that wanted to participate.