Issues

When I was first elected to the Legislature in 2008, I pledged to work in a bipartisan way for the people of District 16, and I believe I have done that by forging strong alliances across party lines. Although needed legislation still fails and bad legislations still passes, there have been important victories. I think we all know that extreme partisanship is harming our state and country, and I will continue to make every effort to overcome it.

Here is a snapshot of legislation I sponsored, co-sponsored and/or carried last session:

Senate Bill 1035 � Allows certain minors to be given blended juvenile and adult sentences to be served in the joint custody of the State Board of Correction and Department of Juvenile Corrections.

Senate Bill 1054 � With certain limitations, allows the use of out-of-state powers of attorney and similar documents when new residents and travelers are not mentally competent to sign replacement Idaho documents.

Senate Bill 1067 (regular session) and House Bill 1 (special session) � Enhances international enforcement of child support obligations, while preserving state sovereignty and American principles of fairness and due process of law.

Senate Bill 1097 � Eliminates special state audits of the Boise School District and their cost.

Senate Bill 1170 � In addition to existing requirements, assures that those becoming Idaho judges are US citizens, that they are ethical, and permits military legal experience to count towards state legal experience requirements.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 107 � Promotes profitable management of endowment lands through land exchanges.

State Agency Hearings Approval of a legislative staff study to ensure fair state agency hearings.

Taxes Preventing double taxation of income (House Bill 13), requiring public notice of rules hiking taxes (House Bill 34), broadening the deductibility of retirement benefits (House Bill 36), exempting glasses and contacts from sales tax (House Bill 75), and expanding disability based circuit breaker property tax exemptions (House Bill 208).

I continue to fight for a fully modern and adequately funded education system for our children. Although there were some significant improvements this last session, there is still much to accomplish. The K-12 education budget grew by 7.4% (8.2% counting dedicated and federal funds) to $1.8 Billion. Nonetheless, there�s been no allowance for student population growth and inflation, and we�re still behind the 2009 budget in real dollars. 

A new teacher career ladder sets minimum pay requirements, which school districts can exceed if they can afford it. New teacher minimum pay goes from $31,750 to $44,375 per year. However, mandated pay for experienced teachers was not improved and remains inadequate to solve teacher retention problems. 

Other aspects of K-12 education remain seriously underfunded creating larger class sizes, shorter school weeks in many districts, outdated textbooks and continual requests to voters for special and override property tax levies.

Top quality higher education and professional-technical training systems are essential to good paying jobs, stronger businesses and a growing economy. Tuition and fees have dramatically increased leading to high student debt. Too many of our citizens do not start, or finish, college, and thousands of high skill, high paying jobs can�t be filled because post-secondary education and training is inadequate. We need to use post-secondary dollars more wisely and appropriate more money to assure that our citizens have the education and skills they need to succeed.

Following the first ever hearing on the Add the Words bill, it was defeated on a party line (4-13) vote in a House committee. Over 200 people spoke at the multi-day hearing, with supporters providing passionate and hard hitting testimony about its need. Every Idahoan should have the same right to fairness, opportunity and equality before the laws of our state. As one of the lead co-sponsors of the legislation, I continue to fight for its passage.

House Bill 265, was the latest in a doomed effort of some western states to takeover of federal lands, even though it is legally impossible, would cost Idaho millions of dollars it doesn�t have, and force a sell off and lock up of those lands. The bill passed the House, but died in the Senate.

Over my objections, the politicians calling the shots in the Legislature insisted on preserving the unwarranted privilege of allowing elected officials to carry concealed weapons without having to get a permit and undergo a criminal background check like all other Idahoans.

I vigorously fought House Bill 311, the effort of House majority leaders to raise taxes on middle and lower income Idahoans while giving a tax cut to those at the top. Although the House passed the bill, it failed in the Senate. Politicians running the Legislature shouldn�t try to give tax cuts to those at the top at the expense of working people who have seen their finances decline, and who need adequately funded education and workforce training programs.

House Bill 312 was a give away to special interests who want heavier and heavier trucks on our roads, forcing us to build stronger roads and bridges at the expense of passenger vehicle owners. The bill raises over $94 Million in new transportation funds to be used exclusively for road and bridge maintenance and replacement. It increases passenger vehicle registration fees by $21.00, or 43% to 87% depending on the vehicle. Commercial vehicle registration fees increased by $25.00, or less than � of 1% on big trucks, even though these trucks result in far more damage and repair costs for our roads than do passenger vehicles. The bill also imposes a surcharge on electric ($140.00) and hybrid ($75.00) vehicles over and above the increased registration fees, increases fuel taxes by 7 cents per gallon and, for the first time, takes up to $55 Million from our schools and other general government operations for road repairs. 

Although the Transportation Department agrees I-84 will be in gridlock within 10 years unless the Treasure Valley has a much more robust public transportation system, the bill did virtually nothing on this issue. I opposed this bill because of the reduction in money available for education, the unfair registration fee increases on passenger vehicles, the exorbitant surcharges on electric and hybrid vehicles, and the failure to do anything meaningful for public transportation.

Senate Bill 1067 (regular session) and House Bill 1 (special session) enhance the international enforcement of child support obligations while preserving state sovereignty and American principles of fairness and due process of law. The original bill passed the Senate on a unanimous vote, but was killed in a House committee over supposed state sovereignty concerns. When the full House failed to pull the bill out of committee, a special session became necessary. Fortunately, the demands of the public for its passage were heard at the special session and it passed.