Several advocacy groups in Idaho this week are condemning Republican members of the state\u2019s House Business Committee for allowing public testimony from a man who appeared before the committee in brownface and has previously engaged in racist and antisemitic demonstrations throughout the state.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The man, far-right demonstrator David Pettinger, was initially stopped from testifying before the committee in broken Spanish while wearing brownface makeup and clothing appearing to stereotype Latinos, with handcuffs dangling from his wrist. He appeared at Monday\u2019s hearing as the committee was evaluating HB 704, a bill that would require businesses in the state to verify employees\u2019 legal status and work authorization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shortly after Pettinger began speaking \u2014 calling the committee\u2019s vice chair \u201cEl Jefe\u201d and referring to other members of the committee as \u201camigos\u201d \u2014 Democratic Rep. Steve Berch called for a point of order, telling Pettinger, \u201cThis is not performance theater here\u201d and asking for \u201cstraight testimony.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The committee\u2019s vice chair, GOP Rep. Josh Wheeler, then allowed Pettinger to continue, asking for \u201cstraight testimony\u201d and threatening to move on to the next speaker if Pettinger did not comply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pettinger, in Spanish, said \u201cyes\u201d and asked if he could continue speaking in the language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The committee then entered a closed, or \u201cat ease,\u201d session, where cameras monitoring the hearing were cut off. After several minutes, the hearing continued and lawmakers allowed Pettinger to continue testifying while wearing brownface and his costume, though they asked him to continue in English only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pettinger spoke for about a minute in the public hearing, ending his time by telling the lawmakers, \u201cThis bill is a good bill. I was looking forward to giving you some entertainment. And I think you would have enjoyed that testimony substantially more. But considering that I don\u2019t want to end up in these handcuffs again from your friends in the Idaho State Patrol in the back, I\u2019ll just leave it at that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In an interview, Berch, the Democratic state legislator who first objected to Pettinger\u2019s testimony, told NBC News that he was supportive of the committee\u2019s decision to enter an at-ease session to discuss how to handle Pettinger\u2019s testimony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Berch said he had to leave the at-ease session for a personal matter, and when he returned he was surprised to see Pettinger testifying in costume and brownface, albeit in English.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt would not be the decision that I endorsed,\u201d Berch told NBC News. \u201cI would have insisted that he should be removed from the committee room and asked to remove his brownface and costume.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Reached for comment by NBC News on Thursday, Wheeler pointed to comments he made Wednesday to the Idaho Statesman when asked whether lawmakers in the at-ease session discussed whether to ask Pettinger to remove his brownface.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat would have been good, frankly,\u201d said Wheeler, who was first elected in 2022. \u201cIf I had more time, and the presence of mind, I would have preferred that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Berch added that the situation was complicated because it was Wheeler\u2019s first time serving as acting chair of the committee. The committee\u2019s chair, GOP state Rep. Jordan Redman, was prohibited from serving in that capacity because the committee was evaluating a bill he sponsored.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe had a unique situation here,\u201d Berch said, adding that Wheeler, a two-term state representative, \u201chad never been a chair before and had never been in a situation like this before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Wheeler, Berch said, has been publicly criticized since Tuesday\u2019s incident for laughing at Pettinger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI know he had been kind of criticized for laughing,\u201d Berch said. \u201cHe has since said that it was nervous laughter, and I believe him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pettinger has a history of racist and antisemitic demonstrations in Idaho.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Last year, Pettinger wore brownface in a video portraying former GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who is now running for governor of Ohio. In 2021, he was arrested at the Idaho statehouse on an unrelated warrant after he testified wearing a large, yellow Star of David badge. He also appeared at protests against public health orders in the state during the Covid-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Pettinger did not immediately respond to a request for comment submitted through his website.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Berch said that Pettinger and his often offensive forms of demonstration are \u201cpretty well known\u201d to state legislators, but that Wheeler \u201cis relatively new and I don\u2019t know that he was necessarily aware of Pettinger\u201d before Monday\u2019s incident.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Still, Berch said he was grateful that Wheeler recognized that Pettinger\u2019s testimony was out of place and allowed him to call a point of order.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe all have an opportunity to weigh in if we think it\u2019s outside the bounds of appropriate decorum. I\u2019m thankful that the committee chair and other members felt that we should decide that we should step aside and figure that out as opposed to letting [Pettinger] to continue without restraint,\u201d Berch said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Leaders from the state\u2019s ACLU chapter, the regional Planned Parenthood organization and the Idaho Queer Caucus later condemned Pettinger\u2019s testimony as racist and said that by allowing his testimony to continue, the committee\u2019s leaders violated the committee\u2019s rules for testimony, which say that \u201cdemonstrations, applause, clapping, and signage are prohibited during a committee meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe committee\u2019s decision to allow a demonstrative and openly racist display in direct violation of the statehouse\u2019s own rules represents a profound failure of leadership and accountability,\u201d Planned Parenthood Alliance Advocates regional political director Mistie DelliCarpini-Tolman said in a statement, adding later: \u201cElected leaders are sworn to represent all constituents, no matter their race, culture, or background. What happened in this committee was flat-out racist and unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a separate statement, Ruby Mendez-Mota, the interim advocacy director of the ACLU of Idaho, said, \u201cWe remind lawmakers that they represent all of their constituents, even those with dark skin, even those who don\u2019t speak English as a first language, even those they disagree with; and we remind them it is their duty to hold themselves accountable to a high standard, or we will do it for you. What this committee did here is support racist behavior, and it\u2019s absolutely unacceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nikson Mathews, chair of the Idaho Queer Caucus, a statewide network of LGBTQ+ leaders, organizers and community members, in a separate statement called the committee\u2019s decision to allow Pettinger to testify a \u201cblatant act of racism.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mathews testified against HB 704 before the House Business Committee, minutes after Pettinger appeared. After making their comments regarding the bill, Mathews objected to Pettinger\u2019s testimony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI have to say what happened today is unacceptable. That man should have been removed from this room. There are people who are watching this,\u201d Mathews said, before Wheeler cut them off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMr. Mathews, that\u2019s enough. I\u2019m going to ask you to please take your seat,\u201d Wheeler said. \u201cWe handled that in the way we best saw fit. Thank you for your time. Thanks for being here.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n