Rep. Patterson To Step Down

District 15 Republican leaders decided after a three-hour meeting to ask Representative Mark Patterson to resign from office. Patterson has faced criticism after his concealed weapons permit was revoked for a decades-old guilty plea in a rape case. Most of the meeting was behind closed doors, and when the members reached a decision, the state party's legal counsel, Jason Risch, came out to read the resolution.

"That in the current climate, this committee has no confidence in Representative Patterson's ability to represent the people of District 15 and the state of Idaho in the Idaho House of Representatives. This committee requests that Representative Patterson tender his resignation.

"Further, this committee requests Senator Martin and any others who have relevant information on Representative Patterson's conduct to immediately turn that information over to the House ethics committee chairman."

Patterson announce Wednsday morning he will turn his resignation in to Gov. Butch Otter this week.