IEA President Layne McInelly called on Idaho Education Association members and other supporters of public education to wear “Red for Ed” on Tuesday, March 4, in a day of action protesting the signing of House Bill 93 — Idaho’s first public school voucher. Gov. Brad Little signed the legislation into law this week, ignoring an extraordinary outpouring of opposition to the bill from the public. 

McInelly encouraged participants to share photos of themselves wearing their “Red for Ed” shirts on social media and to tag the posts with #redforedidaho. IEA members can also tag Idaho Education Association. 

“No other single piece of legislation in recent memory was met with such a huge outpouring of opposition. And still, the governor chose to sign it,” McInelly said. “IEA members will continue the fight to limit the damage this new law will cause. But supporters of public education must make their voices heard now. I hope every IEA member and every supporter of public schools will wear ‘Red for Ed’ on Tuesday to put Idaho’s policymakers on notice.” 

The Legislature’s House Revenue and Taxation Committee received more than 1,000 emails on HB 93, with 94% of those messages opposing the bill. After final legislative approval of the bill, the Office of the Governor was inundated with calls and emails urging him to veto the bill. His staff set up a special automated hotline to handle the calls, which according to some unverified reports numbered in the tens of thousands. 

The new law also ignores the governor’s own call for voucher legislation to be “fair, responsible, transparent and accountable” in the same ways public schools are accountable to elected officials, parents and taxpayers.