SANDPOINT - Saying their actions were detrimental to the party, the Region 1 Republican Central Committee approved a "no confidence" vote last week against Sens. Shawn Keough of Sandpoint and Joyce Broadsword of Sagle.

"As elected state officials, your actions have demonstrated that you do not understand, care about, or are acting in a manner that is consistent in the best interests of your constituents," Region 1 RCC Chairman John Cross said in the letter of censure. "Instead, (you) have used your political positions to further personal agendas and promote the best interests of the opposing political party in direct opposition to the Republican ideals we hold dearly."

The region encompasses the five northern counties - Benewah, Bonner, Boundary, Kootenai and Shoshone.

While it has no legal effect, the vote sends the message that party officials are unhappy with the pair's actions.

The vote stems from a redistricting proposal submitted earlier this month by Keough, who represents District 1, which encompasses Boundary County and much of Bonner County; and Broadsword, who represents District 2, which includes portions of Bonner, Kootenai, Shoshone and Benewah counties.

The censure was unanimously approved by the committee in a voice vote with Bonner County RCC member Cornel Rasor abstaining. While a press release said there were no votes against the censure, Keough said she was told by those present that there was at least one.

The vote came as a "sad surprise," said Keough, who learned about it informally through phone calls and emails after the vote. It wasn't until Thursday that she and Broadsword received official notice.

"I'm saddened that some of our fellow Republicans need to curtail our freedom of speech and further saddened that they would condemn us for representing our district," she said. "It definitely came as a surprise to us."

The motion, which was brought by Donna Capurso, chair of Boundary County Republican Central Committee, also claims Broadsword and Keough purposely attempted to cause electoral runoffs between conservative legislators in order to further a progressive agenda.

Those actions, Cross continued, are detrimental not only to the party but to their constituents and the rest of the voters in Region 1.

The Region 1 RCC also felt the pair's redistricting plan "was an improper action as it usurped the authority of the Redistricting Commission by interfering with their ability to provide credible, relevant and appropriate information to the public as they see fit," said Capurso in a press release Saturday.

Given that the Redistricting Commission encouraged anyone in the state to submit their ideas, Keough said it's disheartening to be condemned for her efforts to represent her constituents as she and Broadsword were elected to do.

Broadsword agreed, saying she has acted no differently than she did 10 years ago when she emailed, faxed, called and suggested ideas to the Redistricting Commission.

"Why should this time be any different because I'm in office?" she said.

Although anyone can suggest a redistricting proposal, Cross said Keough and Broadsword crossed the line by failing to adhere to Republican principles by attempting to influence the Redistricting Commission by releasing their plan, which was filled with "inaccuracies and manipulative rhetoric," to the public.

The commission, which is comprised of six non-legislative members - three Republicans and three Democrats - works with the public directly through public hearings, email and phone communications and via its website.

Keough and Broadsword said their goal in their plan was to put another idea for splitting Bonner County on the table, one that would keep small cities together so residents could actually go to the polls with their friends and neighbors.

The plan focused on the numbers and was not an effort to pit conservative incumbents against each other as the Region 1 RCC claimed, Broadsword said. "It's rather disingenuous on their part to say that," she said.

Keough said they would have preferred to focus solely on Districts 1 and 2, but followed the advice of a Redistricting Commission member to include Districts 3-5.

"In doing so, we erred by not looking at where the current Republican legislators live," she said in a letter to supporters. "We have apologized to all for that oversight."

Because, as legislators, their work is open to the public and because all plans are available on the Redistricting Commission website, Keough said the pair saw no harm in sending their proposal to the media.

"The media would be talking to us sooner or later, just as they have done to all those who have submitted plans to date," Keough said. "I guess my error was in submitting it to the media directly after I submitted it to the commission. My effort at efficient time management was seen as an undermining of the Region 1 committee."

As word has spread, Keough said she's heard from the broader community of Republicans in the area, who have expressed anger, shock and dismay at the vote.

They also have heard from many who have thanked them for getting involved in the redistricting process, Broadsword said.

"We'll just keep doing our jobs since that is what we were elected to do," she added.