> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.rangemedia.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# Idaho's Uncivil War
- URL: https://www.rangemedia.co/podcasts/idahos-uncivil-war/
- Published: 2021-06-22T19:00:43.000Z
- Updated: 2021-06-22T19:00:43.000Z
- Description: In early April, we brought you the strange story of the blood feud between North Idaho College’s administration and its board of trustees.
- Author: RANGE
- Tags: Podcast, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-02-19 03:03

In early April, we brought you the strange story of the blood feud between North Idaho College’s administration and its board of trustees. NIC is a public junior college and its board had always been elected by the people of Kootenai County, but to hear locals talk about it, those races were never *partisan*. That changed last year and the resulting saga was by turns silly, absurd, chilling and at times, even a little scary.

If you would have asked me then, I would have probably said that would be the weirdest local news story of the year. Boy was I wrong.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/35/e7/35e7a6d5-1d7d-405c-9ee3-dce92dfd190f/content/images/rangemedia-co/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/bbe4d749-72e4-4951-ad89-af36faf8098c_2100x1500.jpg)

Since then, most of Idaho seems to be caught in one preposterous political news cycle after another. Here’s a taste of the stories that have come since:

- The Kootenai County library board race ended in [veiled accusations of Satanism](https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2021/may/08/censorship-satanic-agendas-kootenai-county-library/?ref=rangemedia.co)
- A state representative [repeatedly doxxed](https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/idaho-advocates-rep-priscila-giddings-held-accountable-doxxing-jane-doe/277-ae05ad3a-0e7b-4798-b9cc-9f2cbd2d39e6?ref=rangemedia.co) a teenage rape victim. (Anti-extremism groups called for her resignation; she responded by [announcing a run for Lieutenant Governor](https://www.kivitv.com/news/political/inside-the-statehouse/rep-priscilla-giddings-announces-run-for-lieutenant-governor?ref=rangemedia.co))
- Current Lieutenant Governor Janice McGeachin created an anti-indoctrination taskforce to “[to protect our young people from the scourge of critical race theory, socialism, communism, and Marxism.](https://www.ktvb.com/article/news/local/208/idaho-lt-gov-mcgeachin-forms-taskforce-protect-students-scourge-critical-race-theory-socialism-communism-and-marxism/277-bf53d7b1-8a2b-4f60-baf0-6d36a6f77288?ref=rangemedia.co)"
- A group of legislators led by McGeachin later held the state budget hostage until the legislature agreed to [ban teaching Critical Race Theory in public schools](https://www.npr.org/2021/05/01/992761507/idaho-governor-signs-bill-to-ban-critical-race-theory-in-schools?ref=rangemedia.co), including colleges — despite [failing to define just what Critical Race Theory is](https://www.idahostatejournal.com/opinion/columns/idaho-pursues-that-most-elusive-adversary-critical-race-theory/article%5F53fc2fa4-5a04-5ed8-b746-2af122851fd1.html?ref=rangemedia.co).
- Five rural Oregon counties [voted to secede from the Beaver state and join Idaho](https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/21/us/oregon-idaho-secession.html?ref=rangemedia.co).
- Ammon Bundy, the amateur rancher and [professional](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bundy%5Fstandoff?ref=rangemedia.co) [stand-off-haver](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation%5Fof%5Fthe%5FMalheur%5FNational%5FWildlife%5FRefuge?ref=rangemedia.co), announces a [run for Governor](https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article252131633.html?ref=rangemedia.co) … despite being [banned from the Idaho Statehouse](https://www.idahostatesman.com/news/politics-government/article250530114.html?ref=rangemedia.co).

That’s just scratching the surface, honestly.

And while it’s not immediately obvious the through-line connecting these stories, our guest this week, Zach Hagadone of the Sandpoint Reader, argues they’re isolated skirmishes in a multi-way civil war for the soul of the Idaho Republican Party.

It’s a big topic, with both regional and national implications — as many as 24 states have followed or are considering [following Idaho’s lead on Critical Race Theory](https://www.edweek.org/policy-politics/map-where-critical-race-theory-is-under-attack/2021/06?ref=rangemedia.co) as well — so this is going to be another one of our patented two-part deep dives.

Buckle up, it’s a wild ride.