Reclaim Idaho closes in on signature goal

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff

Reclaim Idaho touts the motto: “Strong public schools. Protected public lands. Health care for working families.”

It appears the grassroots political group founded in Sandpoint is closing in on that third goal, thanks to months of signature collection across the state. Late Tuesday night, co-founder Luke Mayville confirmed that after his group’s latest tally, they believe they’ve surpassed the 56,192 signatures required to put Medicaid expansion on Idaho’s November ballot.

Reclaim Idaho co-founder Garrett Strizich prepares the Medicaidmobile for a signature collection event in December 2017. Photo courtesy Facebook.

But Mayville said they’re not done. Volunteers across the state will continue to collect signatures until the May 1 deadline in order to further ensure meeting the goal. Idaho law requires that 6 percent of registered voters in each of at least 18 legislative districts sign the petition, as well as 6 percent of the registered voters in the state. As of Monday, 16 districts had qualified.

“We are not slowing down,” Mayville said. “We do not just want to meet the signature goal, we want to shatter the goal.”

Mayville said his group wants to make “100-percent sure” that they collect enough valid signatures to qualify Medicaid expansion for the November ballot.

“The health of 62,000 Idahoans is too important to leave anything to chance,” he said.

If you have yet to sign, these Sandpoint locations have Medicaid expansion petitions on site: Family Health Center, Women’s Healthcare, Panhandle Art Glass and All Seasons Garden and Floral. Contact Reclaim Idaho’s Bonner County leader Linda Larson at larson.linda.f@gmail.com with any questions.