Nicole LeFavour explained

Nicole LeFavour
Office:Member of the Idaho Senate
from District 19
Term Start:December 1, 2008
Term End:December 1, 2012
Preceded:Mike Burkett
Succeeded:Cherie Buckner-Webb
Office2:Member of the Idaho House of Representatives
from District 19 Seat B
Term Start2:December 1, 2004
Term End2:December 1, 2008
Preceded2:Ken Robison
Succeeded2:Brian Cronin
Birth Date:8 February 1964
Birth Place:Colorado
Profession:Public school teacher
Residence:Boise, Idaho
Alma Mater:University of California, Berkeley
University of Montana-Missoula
San Francisco State University
Party:Democratic

Nicole LeFavour (born February 8, 1964) is an American politician and educator from Idaho who served as an Idaho State Senator from 2008 to 2012. LeFavour had previously served in the Idaho House of Representatives from 2004 to 2008.

Early life, education, and early career

Nicole LeFavour was born in Colorado to Pat and Bruce LeFavour. They grew up in Central Idaho in Custer County, near the Frank Church Wilderness where they later worked. LeFavour received a bachelor's degree in cognitive science from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master's of Fine Arts in writing from the University of Montana-Missoula. In 2010, LeFavour completed Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government as a David Bohnett LGBTQ Victory Institute Leadership Fellow. They moved to Boise in 1990.

LeFavour taught at the University of Montana from 19891990. They worked for the Snake River Alliance from 19921994. In 1996, LeFavour taught at the Fort Boise School. A news reporter for the Boise Weekly from 19971998, LeFavour was a board member for the Ada County Human Rights Task Force from 19992002. They were also a board member of the Choices in Community Giving from 20002002 and the Western States Center from 20022005. LeFavour worked for the Idaho Center on Budget & Tax Policy from 20002004.

LeFavour owned a small business, LeFavour Graphic Design, from 2000 to 2005, and has taught writing at The Cabin Literary Center for more than a decade and at the Writers at Harriman program for the past four years. In 2004, they were a lobbyist for the Idaho Community Action Network. In 2007, LeFavour was a delegate for the Idaho Human Rights Education Center's 2007 European Human Rights Mission.[1]

Idaho House of Representatives (2004-2008)

Elections

In 2004, incumbent Democrat State Representative Ken Robison of Idaho's 19B House District decided to retire. LeFavour decided to run in the 19th district, which was placed in parts of the city of Boise. They won the three-way Democratic primary with 2,163 votes (54.55%)[2] and won the general election with 13,350 votes (67.2%).[3] In 2006, LeFavour ran unopposed and won re-election to a second term with 14,217 votes.[4]

Tenure

In 2006, LeFavour criticized the passage of Idaho Amendment 2, which made it unconstitutional for Idaho to recognize or perform same-sex marriages or civil unions.[5]

They heavily criticized many of the state's budgets which in their view cut taxes and spending too much, thus eliminating thousands of jobs. In 2007, LeFavour was named "Idaho Business Review Women of the Year".[6]

They fought to reduce prison population by improving the state's substance abuse and mental health programs. In 2008, LeFavour was named "Legislator of the Year" by the Idaho State Planning Council on Mental Health.[7]

Committee assignments

Idaho Senate (20082012)

Elections

LeFavour announced in March 2008 they would retire from the Idaho House to run for the 19th Senate District, seeking the seat being vacated by retiring Democratic State Senator F. Michael Burkett. In the general election, LeFavour defeated Chuck Meissner with 15,163 votes (71.3%).[8] In 2010, LeFavour was re-elected to a second term with 10,246 votes (68.8%).[9]

Tenure

LeFavour was extremely active in Idaho's Add The Words campaign. LeFavour proposed amending Idaho's Human Rights Act to cover discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity.[10] In 2012 the Add the Words bill ultimately did not make it out of committee.[11] [12]

Twice elected to the Legislative Council by their peers,[13] LeFavour was an advocate for increased spending in Idaho schools and access to mental health/substance abuse treatment programs.[14] [15]

Committee assignments

LeFavour's past committee assignments were:[16]

2012 congressional election

See main article: United States House of Representatives elections in Idaho, 2012. In February 2012, LeFavour announced that they would not be seeking re-election to the state legislature,[18] but announced their candidacy for the United States Congress in Idaho's 2nd District the following month.[19] They challenged seven-term Republican U.S. Congressman Mike Simpson,[20] whom they debated twice[21] [22] [23] and criticized as being only superficially moderate, citing his vote against discrimination protections for women in the workplace.[24] Had LeFavour been elected, they would have been the second openly lesbian member of the U.S. Congress,[25] but polled 34.8% of the vote.[26] This was in and of itself the strongest showing of any Democratic candidate against Mike Simpson as an incumbent: Craig Williams got 25.9% of the vote in 2000,[27] Edward Kinghorn 29.0% in 2002,[28] Lin Witworth 29.3% in 2004,[29] Jim D. Hansen 34.43% in 2006,[30] Deborah Holmes 31% in 2008,[31] and Mike Crawford 24.4% in 2010.[32] LeFavour noted after the election on the campaign's Facebook page that, as a candidate, they had received the most votes in eastern Idaho of any Democrat who had run against Simpson as an incumbent, and that "last but not least, we've put to rest the question of whether Idahoans will actually vote for a gay person."[33]

Continuing advocacy

After their service as a public representative, LeFavour has remained active in LGBT affairs.[34] They were one of 44 activists arrested[35] [36] on February 3, 2014, at the Statehouse on suspicion of misdemeanor trespassing, having blocked the Idaho Senate's entrances for more than two hours in a silent protest[37] two months in the planning [38] on behalf of the Add The Words campaign, an act of civil disobedience[39] which they had organized.[40] [41] Three of those arrested were juveniles, and LeFavour was, unexpectedly,[42] the last person to be arrested after the Idaho Senate voted to suspend its rule which allows former members to be on the Senate floor.[43]

By the end of February, following other protests, 122 arrests had been conducted (with some protestors being arrested for than once, and all of whom are being represented pro bono[44]), and negotiations between LGBT-rights advocates and religiously conservative legislators had tentatively begun.[45] By early March, LeFavour had been arrested four times in five weeks,[46] and in mid-March, was discovered in an act of political theater during a direct action protest after having literally hid in a closet in the Idaho Senate lounge for hours.[47] Ultimately LeFavour has been arrested ten times;[48] at a court hearing in late July 2014 LeFavour took a plea deal and was sentenced to seventy hours of community service and fined $70 plus additional court costs.[49]

Awards

Personal life

LeFavour's partner more than a decade, Carol Growhoski, was in the later years of LeFavour's service in the legislature invited to participate in the "Legisladies,"[51] a social organization of female legislative spouses.[52] (The two had married in Idaho's Custer County in July 2017, and had previously been civil unioned in Vermont in 2006). LeFavour was the first ever openly gay member of the Idaho Legislature;[18] their election campaigns have won the backing of the Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund. They made a personal "It Gets Better" video,[53] in which they noted,[14]

When I first walked into this building [the Idaho Statehouse] fifteen years ago to talk to lawmakers about what it was like to be a gay person in Idaho, many didn't think they had ever met anyone gay; sadly, some were cruel... Today, I serve in the Senate next to some of the same people and some have changed... Together, with time, you and I and this world we live in, will work together to make sure it gets better.
LeFavour is featured in the documentaries Breaking Through (2013) [54] and Add the Words (2014).[55]

In April 2013 they were denied unemployment benefits, inasmuch as elected officials are not eligible.[56]

LeFavour's papers have been collected in Boise State University's Special Collections archives.[57] Audio and video interviews are collected at Boise State University,[58] the Idaho State Historical Society,[59] and the Outwords Archive.[60]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Senator Nicole LeFavour's Biography . Project Vote Smart. May 16, 2012.
  2. Web site: May 25, 2004 Primary Election Results . Ysursa, Ben . Ben Ysursa . . . June 6, 2012.
  3. Web site: November 2, 2004 General Election Results . Ysursa, Ben . Secretary of State of Idaho . Boise, Idaho . June 6, 2012 . May 1, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120501062423/http://www.sos.idaho.gov/ELECT/RESULTS/2004/general/tot_leg.htm . dead .
  4. Web site: November 7, 2006 General Election Results . Ysursa, Ben . Secretary of State of Idaho . Boise, Idaho . June 6, 2012 . May 1, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120501064151/http://www.sos.idaho.gov/elect/RESULTS/2006/general/tot_leg.htm . dead .
  5. Web site: A Statement From Rep. Nicole LeFavour . March 1, 2006 . . May 16, 2012.
  6. Web site: A great event . February 23, 2007. Idaho Business Review . February 24, 2012.
  7. Web site: Legislative Branch. 2011-06-20. Office of the Secretary of State of Idaho. 2017-01-15.
  8. Web site: November 4, 2008 General Election Results . Ysursa, Ben . Secretary of State of Idaho . Boise, Idaho . June 6, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120616143914/http://www.sos.idaho.gov/elect/RESULTS/2008/General/tot_leg.htm . June 16, 2012 . dead .
  9. Web site: November 2, 2010 General Election Results . Ysursa, Ben . Secretary of State of Idaho . Boise, Idaho . June 6, 2012 . May 1, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120501063900/http://www.sos.idaho.gov/elect/RESULTS/2010/General/tot_leg.htm . dead .
  10. Web site: Nicole LeFavour does campaign legwork in 2nd District Congressional race . Miller, John . May 16, 2013 . Idaho Statesman . June 6, 2012.
  11. Web site: Popkey, Dan . February 10, 2012 . Senate Republicans quickly kill Idaho 'Add the Words' gay rights bill . dead . https://archive.today/20120715160153/http://voices.idahostatesman.com/2012/02/10/idahopolitics/big_crowd_prompts_room_change_idaho_add_words_gay_rights_bill . July 15, 2012 . February 24, 2012 . Idaho Statesman.
  12. News: Yardley . William . 2 March 2012 . Idaho Senator to Push Gay Rights Bill From Outside . The New York Times .
  13. Web site: Legislative Council . 2012 . Idaho Legislature . February 24, 2012.
  14. Web site: LeFavour will be missed in Idaho Senate | Idaho Press-Tribune Opinion . Idahopress.com . 2012-02-28 . 2017-06-05.
  15. Web site: Archived copy . 2013-04-12 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120501171557/http://legislature.idaho.gov/legislation/2006/H0675.html . 2012-05-01 .
  16. Web site: Senate Committees . 2012 . Idaho Legislature . February 24, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130818123255/http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/senate/committees.cfm . August 18, 2013 .
  17. Web site: JFAC Members . 2012 . Idaho Legislature . February 24, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120217121443/http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/budget/JFAC/jfacmembers.cfm . February 17, 2012 . dead .
  18. Web site: Senator Nicole LeFavour announces she will not be seeking re-election . Brandt, Jaclyn . February 24, 2012 . . . February 24, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120227043236/http://www.kivitv.com/news/local/140304603.html . February 27, 2012 .
  19. Web site: LeFavour sets sights on D.C. . March 9, 2012 . . March 12, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304052426/http://www.nwcn.com/home/?fId=142164543&fPath=%2Fnews%2Flocal&fDomain=10227 . March 4, 2016 . dead .
  20. Web site: After election setbacks in 2010, Idaho Democrats are again ready for a fight . Newbold, Taylor . March 28, 2012 . Boise Weekly . May 16, 2012 . October 6, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151006180000/http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/under-dogged-a-look-at-idaho-dems/Content?oid=2624692 . dead .
  21. Web site: VIDEO: 2nd Congressional district debate - Simpson and LeFavour, part… . www.ktvb.com . 3 February 2022 . https://archive.today/20130127110103/http://www.ktvb.com/video/featured-videos/VIDEO-2nd-Congressional-district-debate---Simpson-and-LeFavour-part-1-175687061.html . 27 January 2013 . dead.
  22. Web site: VIDEO: 2nd Congressional district debate - Simpson and LeFavour, part 2 | KTVB.COM Boise . 2012-10-29 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20121026125454/http://www.ktvb.com/news/election/news/VIDEO-2nd-Congressional-district-debate---Simpson-and-LeFavour-part-2-175687521.html . 2012-10-26 .
  23. Web site: The Idaho Debates 2012 (Idaho Public Television). www.idahoptv.org. 2012-10-29. 2012-10-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20121018002412/http://idahoptv.org/elections/2012/index.cfm. dead.
  24. Web site: Nicole LeFavour - Candidate for U.S. President, Republican Nomination - Election 2012 . Projects.wsj.com . 2017-06-05.
  25. https://www.buzzfeed.com/chrisgeidner/record-number-of-out-gay-candidates-run-for-congre "Record Number Of Out Gay Candidates Run For Congress In 2012"
  26. Web site: UNOFFICIAL County Votes - Election Night Reporting. www.sos.idaho.gov. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150220191630/http://www.sos.idaho.gov/ELECT/results/ENR/statewide_total.html. 2015-02-20.
  27. Web site: 2000 General Results Federal. www.sos.idaho.gov.
  28. Web site: 2002 General Results statewide. www.sos.idaho.gov.
  29. Web site: 2004 General Results statewide. www.sos.idaho.gov.
  30. Web site: 2006 General Results statewide. www.sos.idaho.gov.
  31. Web site: 2008 General Results statewide. www.sos.idaho.gov.
  32. Web site: 2010 General Results statewide. www.sos.idaho.gov.
  33. Web site: What to Celebrate. www.facebook.com.
  34. Web site: BOISE, Idaho: 'Add the Words' activists eye service-denial bill | Sta… . www.idahostatesman.com . 3 February 2022 . https://archive.today/20140131210704/http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/01/29/2998139/bill-to-bolster-professionals.html . 31 January 2014 . dead.
  35. Web site: State police cite 44 for trespassing after 'Add the Words' protest bl… . www.idahostatesman.com . 3 February 2022 . https://archive.today/20140204001411/http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/02/03/3006687/add-the-words-protestors-blocking.html . 4 February 2014 . dead.
  36. Web site: The Wrong Side of History. George. Prentice. Boise Weekly. 2017-06-05. 2016-08-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20160829081109/http://www.boiseweekly.com/boise/the-wrong-side-of-history/Content?oid=3059672. dead.
  37. Web site: 43 Gay Rights Activists Arrested In Idaho. On Top Magazine.
  38. Web site: 2 months' planning, 3 hours, all for 4 words | Idaho Legislature | Id… . www.idahostatesman.com . 3 February 2022 . https://archive.today/20140205033713/http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/02/04/3007746/2-months-planning-3-hours-all.html . 5 February 2014 . dead.
  39. Web site: State police arrest Add the Words activists for blocking Senate | KBOI . Kboi2.com . 2017-06-05.
  40. Web site: Sorry, we can't seem to find the page you're looking for.. https://archive.today/20140203213721/http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/gay-rights-activists-arrested-in-idaho-senate/2014/02/03/7f880624-8d01-11e3-99e7-de22c4311986_story.html. dead. 3 February 2014. 3 February 2014. washingtonpost.com.
  41. Web site: Dozens of gay rights activists arrested in Idaho . Usatoday.com . 2014-02-03 . 2017-06-05.
  42. Web site: Popkey: Add the Words protest marred by focus on former senator | Ida… . www.idahostatesman.com . 3 February 2022 . https://archive.today/20140205033708/http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/02/04/3008121/popkey-dignified-and-resolute.html . 5 February 2014 . dead.
  43. Web site: Police arrest 'Add the Words' protesters who blocked Senate chambers | KTVB.COM Boise . 2014-03-02 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140302054850/http://www.ktvb.com/news/capitol-watch/Add-the-words-protesters-block-Senate-chambers-243343261.html . 2014-03-02 .
  44. Web site: Idaho's arrested 'Add the Words' activists added lawyers . Gayly.com . 2014-02-05 . 2017-06-05.
  45. Web site: Add the Words talks in infancy | Idaho Legislature | Idahostatesman.c… . www.idahostatesman.com . 3 February 2022 . https://archive.today/20140228232114/http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/02/28/3053911/add-the-words-talks-in-infancy.html . 28 February 2014 . dead.
  46. Web site: Former Idaho senator arrested four times in past five weeks | KTVB.CO… . 2014-03-05 . dead . https://archive.today/20140308024135/http://www.ktvb.com/home/Former-senator-arrested-for-trespassing-at-statehouse-249005591.html . 2014-03-08 .
  47. Web site: Former Idaho senator asked to leave Statehouse closet | The Spokesman-Review . Spokesman.com . 2014-03-18 . 2017-06-05.
  48. Web site: Faces of Pride: Nicole LeFavour . Richardson . Carla . USA Today . 2018-09-19.
  49. Web site: Gay, gender rights protesters get their day in court | Idaho Legislat… . www.idahostatesman.com . 3 February 2022 . https://archive.today/20140726130657/http://www.idahostatesman.com/2014/07/22/3290375/gay-gender-rights-protesters-get.html . 26 July 2014 . dead.
  50. News: Our Congressional Candidates - Idaho Democratic Party. Idaho Democratic Party. en-US. 2017-01-16.
  51. Web site: Idaho LegisLadies . Idaholegisladies.blogspot.com . 2010-03-15 . 2017-06-05.
  52. Web site: Notes From The Floor: Once a Senator. notesfromthefloor.typepad.com.
  53. Web site: LeFavour posts It Gets Better video, calls for changes to bullying law . November 30, 2010 . Idaho Reporter . . June 6, 2012 . It does get better in the world when you realize the strengths you have inside yourself that you didn't know you had. . https://web.archive.org/web/20101231074929/http://www.idahoreporter.com/2010/lefavour-posts-it-gets-better-video-calls-for-changes-to-bullying-law/ . December 31, 2010 . dead .
  54. Web site: BREAKING THROUGH. BREAKING THROUGH.
  55. Web site: Add the Words (2014) . Anonymous . Anonymous . IMDB . 2018-09-19.
  56. Web site: LeFavour denied unemployment benefits | Idaho Government and Politics . Magicvalley.com . 2013-05-01 . 2017-06-05.
  57. https://archiveswest.orbiscascade.org/ark:80444/xv42028/ Archives West
  58. https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/idlgbtq_oral_histories/10/ Scholar Works, Boise State University
  59. https://researchworks.oclc.org/archivegrid/collection/data/301689408/ Research Works, Idaho State Historical Society
  60. https://theoutwordsarchive.org/interview/cole-lefavour/ The Outwords Archive

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