Raul Labrador
Republican state lawmaker Raul Labrador says if elected to Congress, he would not support U.S. Representative Mike Simpson’s plan to create a new central Idaho wilderness.
The rift over whether Idaho should get a new federally protected wilderness cropped up Thursday at a debate between Labrador and Idaho’s other congressman, Democratic U.S. Representative Walt Minnick.
Minnick supports Simpson’s plan create a 331,616-acre wilderness in the Boulder and White Cloud mountains. Simpson is still trying to revive the proposal, amid opposition from Governor Butch Otter.
Minnick says Simpson’s bill represents a “half-a-loaf” consensus solution that would be good for Idaho.
Labrador commended Simpson, who has stumped for him, for bringing various groups to the table but said: “Sometimes when you have half-a-loaf, it’s just a half-baked solution.” (AP)
