The recently formed North-Central Idaho Democratic Coalition, including residents in Nez Perce, Lewis, Clearwater and Idaho counties, has invited Sen. Mike Crapo, Sen. James Risch and Rep. Russ Fulcher to a “Forum with Our Members of Congress” from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 23, in the Williams Conference Center at Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston.

The event is open to the public and will be managed in line with principles and procedures inspired by the organization Braver Angels to ensure civility and respect. The organizers look forward to this event being conducted “The Idaho Way” as an example for the rest of the country.

The two-hour forum will provide an opportunity for our members of Congress to hear first from speakers representing various nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations and then from individual constituents who will share how decisions being made in Washington D.C. are affecting them.

Organizations that want to participate by speaking and/or tabling at the event must call 208-882-0940 by Aug.20 and leave a message with a name and phone number.

If the members of Congress decline the invitation and do not attend, the event will still be held and will be video recorded and sent to them. 

Organizers stress that all participants will be expected to follow Braver Angels guidelines. Co-organizer and Braver Angels Ambassador and Moderator Kathy Dawes said, “It is important for us as citizens, and for our elected officials, to have respectful and civil interactions in person to gain a better understanding of how actions in Congress are affecting our everyday lives.”

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Update – 19 August 2025:

If you’re planning to attend, we encourage you to sign up through this Mobilize link:
https://www.mobilize.us/nezpercedems/event/830695/
That will help the organizers know how many people to plan for.

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The North-Central Idaho Democratic Coalition’s goal is to inform the public and gather information from our rural communities about how governmental actions at the state and national levels are affecting all of us as concerned citizens for our democracy. The group is also planning future forums to bring rural Idahoans together with local experts to share information about topics such as healthcare, public education and agriculture in our rural communities. 

The Aug. 23 Forum will be preceded by a free Braver Angels workshop, also open to the public, titled “Skills for Disagreeing Better” from 10 a.m. to noon in the Williams Conference Center. Participants will learn and practice skills for communicating across differences and finding common ground.

To register for the workshop, go to http://bit.ly/4lCKKWR or scan this QR code:

Braver Angels is a non-partisan volunteer organization that embraces respect, honesty and responsible citizenship by teaching respectful communication skills through workshops and practicing those skills through debates, podcasts and conferences. The driving force that fuels their mission is “Bringing Americans together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic.” (https://braverangels.org/)

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For additional information, please contact Kathy Dawes – kdawes208@gmail.com .

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