COEUR d’ALENE, Idaho — On Saturday, March 22 the Kootenai County Republican Central Committee hosted a legislative town hall in which eight of the twelve state legislators from the county participated.
Over 300 people attended the event, including a boisterous group of activists who repeatedly interrupted the elected officials as they shared updates about the 2025 session.
Outbursts from the audience started almost immediately when a woman shouted “felon” at Pastor John Padula of Candlelight Church as he walked to the podium to give the invocation.
“Yes, I am a felon,” Padula acknowledged, thanking the heckler before telling the audience that he has been “redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ” and then offered a simple and moving prayer.
Disruptions from the activists began in earnest when Rep. Jordan Redman, a father of six, spoke about reforms to Medicaid expansion which he asserts need guardrails to preserve the program before it consumes the budget. This year, the requested Medicaid budget came in at $1.36 billion. Redman said the needed reforms do not affect pregnant women, children, or the disabled.
The heckling and angry comments continued when Sen. Ben Toews, a father of five, was discussing the legislator’s DOGE-esque efforts to get DEI out of higher education and eliminate a state program that costs $30 million annually.
Toews has sponsored a bill that would recognize traditional family values from Mother’s Day to Father’s Day and told the audience that we need to recognize the attack that families are under and begin to celebrate what is “good, true, and beautiful.”
The disruptions from the aggressive activists eventually culminated in the removal of Democrat Teresa Borrenpohl after she became verbally unruly while Rep. Tony Wisniewski began speaking about the Medical Ethics Defense Act. Borrenpohl has run as a Democrat against Wisniewski more than once.
Borrenpohl refused to leave at the request of both the event host and Sheriff Bob Norris. After resisting the efforts of the security team hired by the KCRCC to escort her off the premises, Borrenpohl was physically removed and handed off to officers from the Coeur d’Alene Police Department (CPD). While she scuffled with security officers, she is alleged to have bitten one of them. According to Norris, Borrenpohl was cited for battery and trespass by CPD before being released.
Kootenai County resident Ken Scott was seated close to Borrenpohl and recorded the action on his phone. He referred to the left-leaning activists as “unhinged lunatics.”
Scott told Kootenai Journal that he was happy to hear the state legislators were following President Trump’s agenda. “Always good to have a town hall and hear from our local legislators,” he said. “I liked hearing they are working to get rid of DEI and finding ways to cut out fraud, waste, and abuse. Glad to hear more about HB40 which includes many tax cuts to include no longer taxing military retirement. Thank you Legislators!”
“There was an announcement at the beginning of the event to maintain decorum and keep the forum peaceful,” Sheriff Norris told Kootenai Journal. “After many, many requests for individuals to stop their outbursts, several were asked to leave.”
People came with the intent to disrupt.
Sheriff Bob Norris
At least two other individuals were escorted out of the event.
KCRCC Chairman Brent Regan told Kootenai Journal that Lear Asset Management, a professional licensed and bonded security agency, provided services for the town hall. Furthermore, Sheriff Norris was in attendance due to a threat against Rep. Jordan Redman. “As of 4:00 p.m. today [February 22] the perpetrator of the threat was barricaded in his car and a SWAT team was in route,” stated Regan.
Norris confirmed the incident Regan mentioned, which occurred within the jurisdiction of the Coeur d’Alene Police Department. No updates or notices have been released by the time of publication.
The KCRCC posted a “breaking news” notice and an “update” to its Facebook page. In the second post, the group shared a video of Borrenpohl allegedly biting the hand of a security officer and wrote, “UPDATE: Teresa Borrenpohl has been arrested for trespass and battery after biting a security guard during her removal from the KCRCC townhall. Here’s the video of the incident. More to come, including news of a bomb threat from a fellow Leftist.”
“I’m sad that I had to see people acting out in such a way,” shared Hayden resident Gene Yotsuuye. “I came to hear what our legislators had to say. I may not agree with everything they support—by attending I can find out what those issues are. There is a method, a time and place, to get your concerns conveyed. And our legislators allowed that time after the main meeting.”
What I saw today was childish.
Gene Yotsuuye
Sen. Carl Bjerke was heckled about education funding before cheers drowned out the protesters when he said he cannot support drag shows and DEI in Idaho’s colleges. He described the intense work that goes into the budgeting process and told the crowd he fights hard for local education funding, which includes working closely with North Idaho College.
Bjerke made reference to the misinformation coming from SaveNIC, the left-leaning nonprofit that placed a “call to action” for people to show up at the event. He said “it’s simply not true” that the legislators from North Idaho do not fully fund education. Kootenai Journal has previously reported on SaveNIC and its Biden-voting founder Christa Hazel.
“I was planning to listen to our legislators and ask questions,” stated Linda Mitchell, one of the many seniors in the audience. “I was not expecting a large group of liberals to show up and create total chaos with signs, shouting, and disruptions.”
A business woman from Coeur d’Alene said that groups of people yelled out whenever they heard something they didn’t like. “It was obviously organized and meant to disrupt.”
“We attended to catch up on what’s been going on during this legislative session,” shared Corrina. “It was disappointing to witness adults acting so angry and inappropriate like entitled children.”
I commend the job our legislators are doing and the amount of professionalism they held during all the disruptions.
Corrina, Coeur d’Alene resident
“Despite the outbursts and incident, the town hall was very informative,” stated Mike Waggoner, former chair of the North Idaho College Board of Trustees. “Our legislators are working very hard to represent our community while in Bosie. There are over 500 bills being produced!”
Sen. Phil Hart has authored or co-authored over 50 bills this session, Rep. Ron Mendive wants to double the homeowner exemption, and Rep. Vito Barbieri said that Trump needs to kill the Lava Ridge Wind Project permanently instead of the three month moratorium.
