IVA letter to Moscow City Council, March 3, 2008

P.O. Box 44873 ~ Boise, ID 83711 ~ 208-841-2546

March 3, 2008

Dear Madame Mayor and members of the Moscow City Council:

I’m writing to you as the Executive Director of the Idaho Values Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to making Idaho the friendliest place in the world to raise a family.

The “domestic partnerships” policy the city council adopted in December is on your agenda for this evening, and the purpose of this letter is to urge you to rescind this policy.

As you are aware, the Idaho Attorney General’s office has concluded that “an Idaho court would likely find that this policy violates the Idaho Constitution’s Marriage Amendment.”

Consequently, if the policy remains in place despite this legal opinion, the IVA will urge the Attorney General to initiate legal action against the city of Moscow. There can be no higher responsibility for his office than to protect the integrity of the Idaho Constitution.

Further, we have been in a dialogue with a number of Moscow residents who are deeply concerned that the newly adopted policy involves an unconstitutional expenditure of taxpayer funds and are prepared to serve as plaintiffs in a suit against the city.

There are a number of prominent and nationally-regarded law firms with considerable experience in marriage and constitutional litigation. If litigation becomes necessary, we believe that one of these firms can be persuaded to pursue such a case on behalf of concerned Moscow taxpayers.

This means that if the policy remains in place, litigation is a virtual certainty, litigation which will consume taxpayer resources and is litigation which the city of Moscow is likely to lose.

We urge you, on grounds of fiscal responsibility and respect for the rule of law, to rescind this policy this evening.

I plan to be in attendance at this evening’s meeting, and look forward to meeting you.

With regard,

Bryan Fischer

Executive Director, Idaho Values Alliance

(208) 841-2546

PO Box 44873

Boise, ID 83711

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