Oregon Public Broadcasting

Authorities in north Idaho and eastern Washington are denouncing the latest round of racist literature distributed in Coeur d'Alene.

Three men were ticketed for handing out pamphlets that promote the Aryan Nations group.  Correspondent Doug Nadvornick reports.

The men were cited for littering. Tony Stewart from the Kootenai County Task Force on Human Relations in Coeur d'Alene says they had stuffed their flyers, along with rocks, into plastic bags.

Tony Stewart: “They'd drive by in a car and throw it out on the sidewalks and on lawns.”

Stewart says the tickets for littering send a message that racists will be punished for spreading their message on private property.

Though the flyers were distributed in Idaho, Stewart says law enforcement officers from both states will stand together to condemn the literature. The event will be held a mile from the border in Washington.

Tony Stewart: “This is a great way for Washington and Idaho to come together at the line to say, ‘Not in Washington and not in Idaho.'”

The three men who were ticketed have said they'd hoped to boost recruitment after Barack Obama's election as president. But Stewart says there's no evidence of any Aryan resurgence in Idaho.