Resolution for Censure of Idaho Legislative District 26B Representative Jack Nelsen

WHEREAS becoming a member of the Republican Party is an exercise of the associational rights guaranteed by the First Amendment, which protects the freedom to join political parties, express political beliefs, and collectively determine and promote shared principles;

WHEREAS the Platform of the Idaho Republican Party aligns with the Platform of the national Republican Party and the Constitution of the United States;

WHEREAS the Blaine County Republican Central Committee supports and implements platforms that have been adopted by both the national and Idaho Republican parties;

WHEREAS it is improper to allow those who have no loyalty or allegiance to the national or Idaho Republican parties to represent the Republican Party;

WHEREAS Article XX of the Idaho Republican Party’s Rules states that the Party is a private organization dedicated to the promotion of certain political ideals, primarily by supporting candidates who pledge to support the United States and Idaho Constitutions and the Idaho Republican Party Platform;

WHEREAS Article XX of the Idaho Republican Party’s Rules states that without enforcement, the expressed principles of the Party are nothing more than ideals and philosophy;

WHEREAS Article XIII of the Idaho Republican Party’s Rules states that candidates who do not sign the “Integrity in Affiliation” form do not have the right to be endorsed by the Idaho Republican Party;

WHEREAS Jack Nelsen represents Legislative District 26B in the Idaho House of Representatives;

WHEREAS Representative Nelsen has not signed the Idaho Republican Party’s “Integrity in Affiliation” form in accordance with Idaho Republican Party Rules;

WHEREAS according to an interview with Bill Colley that was published on newsradio1310.com on March 2, 2025, Representative Nelsen reportedly said “he doesn’t consider himself a Republican or a Democrat;”

WHEREAS the national Republican Party Platform supports Universal School Choice, the Idaho Republican Party Platform supports the adoption of a change to Idaho’s public school funding formula that includes school choice, President Donald J. Trump supports school choice and stated his complete and total support for House Bill 93 which was introduced during the 2025 Idaho Legislative Session, the Idaho House Republican Caucus made school choice one of its top five priorities for the 2025 Idaho Legislative Session through the introduction of House Bill 93, and Governor Brad Little signed House Bill 93 into law after it passed the Idaho House of Representatives and Senate with support from a majority of Republican legislators;

WHEREAS Representative Nelsen opposed school choice by voting No on House Bill 93, a position contrary to the national and Idaho Republican Party Platforms, as well as the stance of President Donald J. Trump and the Idaho House Republican Caucus;

WHEREAS at the 2025 Winter Meeting of the Idaho Republican Party, Resolution 2025-7 was adopted which supports legislation to create a fixed penalty for possession of less than 3 ounces of marijuana in Idaho;

WHEREAS House Bill 7 which was introduced during the 2025 Idaho Legislative Session introduces a mandatory minimum fine of $300 for first-time convictions involving possession of three ounces or less of marijuana by individuals aged 18 or older, and the bill passed with strong support from a majority of Idaho’s Republican legislators and was signed into law by Governor Brad Little;

WHEREAS Representative Nelsen opposed marijuana mandatory minimum fines by voting No on House Bill 7, a vote that was contrary to Idaho Republican Party Resolution 2025-7 and the position of the majority of Idaho’s Republican legislators;

WHEREAS at the 2020 Idaho Republican Party State Convention, Resolution 2020-P27 was adopted which opposed government-mandated measures such as contact tracing, mask mandates, and restrictions on civil liberties related to COVID-19 or similar diseases;

WHEREAS House Bill 32 which was introduced during the 2025 Idaho Legislative Session aims to prevent the State of Idaho, its political subdivisions, or any state officers from mandating the use of face masks, face shields, or other face coverings as a means to prevent or slow the spread of a contagious or infectious disease, and the bill passed with strong support from a majority of Idaho’s Republican legislators and was signed into law by Governor Brad Little;

WHEREAS Representative Nelsen opposed the prohibition of mask mandates by voting No on House Bill 32, a vote that was contrary to Idaho Republican Party Resolution 2020-P27 and the position of the majority of Idaho’s Republican legislators;

WHEREAS the Idaho Republican Party Platform supports the right of all persons and legal entities to have the right of conscience and be protected under Idaho law if they conscientiously object to participate in practices that conflict with their moral or religious beliefs;

WHEREAS House Bill 59 which was introduced during the 2025 Idaho Legislative Session aims to protect the right of conscience for health care providers, institutions, and payers, allowing them to decline participation in or payment for medical procedures, treatments, or services that conflict with their ethical, moral, or religious beliefs;

WHEREAS Representative Nelsen opposed protecting right of conscience by voting No on House Bill 59, a vote that was contrary to the Idaho Republican Party Platform and the position of the majority of Idaho House Republican Caucus members;

WHEREAS at the 2025 Winter Meeting of the Idaho Republican Party, Resolution 2025-1 was adopted which supports limiting the display of flags by any public entity to the American Flag, the Idaho State Flag, the official flag of any government entity, official flags of the military branches and units of the United States military, the POW/MIA flag, and official flags of Indian Tribes;

WHEREAS House Bill 96 which was introduced during the 2025 Idaho Legislative Session would allow government entities to only display certain types of flags;

WHEREAS Representative Nelsen opposed limiting the display of flags by government entities by voting No on House Bill 96, a vote that was contrary to Idaho Republican Party Resolution 2025-1 and the position of the majority of Idaho House Republican Caucus members;

WHEREAS at the 2025 Winter Meeting of the Idaho Republican Party, Resolution 2025-12 was adopted which recognizes Pride Movement events as being Marxist and sexual in nature, denounces the use of public resources for such events, and affirms that Republican elected officials ought not to use their offices to allow public resources to be appropriated for events that are sexual in nature where children may be present;

WHEREAS House Bill 230 which was introduced during the 2025 Idaho Legislative Session would create a duty of care for hosts, organizers, and performers of indecent sexual exhibitions to take reasonable steps to restrict the access of minors, using the same indecency standard utilized by the federal government to determine whether content is appropriate for daytime television;

WHEREAS Representative Nelsen opposed protecting minors from indecent sexual exhibitions by voting No on House Bill 230, a vote that was contrary to Idaho Republican Party Resolution 2025-12 and the position of the majority of Idaho House Republican Caucus members;

WHEREAS the Idaho Republican Party Platform states that the Party believes parental rights are paramount and that parents have the God given right to direct their child’s education, including the right to decide what their children are learning and the right to inspect any educational materials used in the education of their child;

WHEREAS House Bill 239 which was introduced during the 2025 Idaho Legislative Session requires an affirmative action from parents or guardians to opt in to all sexually explicit material, provides a definition of human sexuality, provides direction as to the notification of parents before instruction is given along with a brief description of the content of the instruction, and provides direction should a child receive instruction without the permission of the parent;

WHEREAS Representative Nelsen opposed parental rights by voting No on House Bill 239, a vote that was contrary to the Idaho Republican Party Platform and the position of the majority of Idaho House Republican Caucus members;

WHEREAS the Idaho Republican Party Platform states that the Party believes biological gender to be an essential characteristic of a child’s identity and purpose; calls upon parents, responsible citizens, and officers of government to promote measures that respect and protect the biological gender of children; and strongly opposes any person, entity, or policy that attempts to confuse minors regarding their biological gender;

WHEREAS House Bill 352 which was introduced during the 2025 Idaho Legislative Session amends Idaho’s “Parental Rights in Education” to require public schools to adopt policies and procedures that prohibit classroom education on sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through 12th grade;

WHEREAS Representative Nelsen opposed parental rights by voting No on House Bill 352, a vote that was contrary to the Idaho Republican Party Platform and the position of the majority of Idaho House Republican Caucus members;

WHEREAS occasional disagreements on individual bills by legislators do not necessarily indicate disloyalty to the Party, a persistent pattern of voting against the Idaho Republican Party Platform undermines the Party’s principles and infringes upon the First Amendment associational rights of Republican Party members;

WHEREAS the Idaho Republican Party’s Rules empower central committees to question a Republican elected official’s conduct and censure by motion to uphold Party integrity and voter confidence.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Blaine County Republican Central Committee CENSURES Representative Jack Nelsen for casting votes on legislation that are contrary to the principles and policies of the national and Idaho Republican parties, thereby failing to uphold the values and commitments expected of Republican Party representatives; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this resolution be transmitted to the Legislative District 26 Republican Central Committee, urging the committee to give fair consideration to these alleged violations of the national and Idaho Republican Party platforms and to provide Representative Jack Nelsen with a meaningful opportunity to be heard in response to these concerns.

Approved March 12, 2025