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In the past few weeks, I had
the pleasure of visiting with many student groups including some in the 4H
Program who were in Boise for their annual conference and with some on the
Madison High Debate Team (See the pictures below, with Kayla Kimpel, Matthew
Adams and Matthew Roderick—all from Madison High School). I also enjoyed visiting with students on the
Mayor’s Youth Council for Rigby. They
spent several days in Boise, learning about state government, first hand, with
Mayor Jason Richardson by their side (sorry I don’t have pictures). Finally, I had a wonderful time teaching and
learning from students in the Foreign Leaders Exchange Program, here from
Ukraine, Moldova, and Kyrgyzstan (see picture above). They are here for the school year and are
learning how our Constitutional Republic works.
As far as my work in the
Capitol goes, week 7 is keeping me busy with preparing for a hearing tomorrow on
House Bill H516, building support for House Joint Resolution HJR1, and staying on top of other bills that are working their way
through the House.
Keeping Wage Laws to a
Minimum
Last week the House debated and finally passed bill H463. The bill prohibits local and city governments
from passing minimum wage laws higher than the federal mandate. We have seen some cities across the country
(like Seattle) recently raise their minimum wages only to see businesses flee
and prices to rise. Last summer, here in
Idaho, the city of McCall voted on a referendum to raise their minimum wage to
$10.25 per hour. Fortunately, the McCall
referendum failed. This prompted the
legislature to consider the matter this session. The bill is important because it restrains
local government from trampling on the rights of workers and businesses to
freely establish working contracts that are voluntary and acceptable to both
parties.
Here are the 13 main points
I covered in my speech on the House Floor:
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Raising the minimum wage causes
unemployment
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Empirical evidence demonstrates
negative effects of minimum wage laws
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Minimum wage causes higher prices
on goods and lower fringe benefits for workers
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Idaho has more negative impacts
than other states (more minimum wage workers)
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Minimum wage is arbitrary
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Minimum wage tells some workers
they are not worth hiring
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Minimum wage disproportionately
hurts minorities, low-skilled, and poor workers
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Minimum wage destroys early work
experience opportunities for the young
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Minimum wage laws are an attack
on personal liberty
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Minimum wage has a racist history
(specifically used against minorities)
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Minimum wage is a disincentive to
hire – it’s like a tax on hiring new employees
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“Local control” is most local
with the worker and employer doing the deciding
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State government restrains local
governments from trampling on the rights of citizens in many areas (limits on
taxes, eminent domain, annexation, etc.)
You can also listen to my entire floor debate in favor of the bill
(a.k.a. my opposition to minimum wage hikes) here: Idaho
House audio 2/19/16.
Ultrasound Information Law, H516
In one of its landmark decisions
regarding abortion and abortion procedures, Gonzales
v. Carhart, the U.S. Supreme Court wrote:
“Whether
to have an abortion requires a difficult and painful moral decision, which some
women come to regret. …The State has an interest in ensuring so grave a choice
is well informed. It is self-evident that a mother who comes to regret her
choice to abort must struggle with grief more anguished and sorrow more
profound when she learns, only after the event, what she once did not know.
Gonzalez v. Carhart, (2007).”
If passed, H516 will require abortion
doctors to provide women with relevant and important information before
an abortion, so women might avoid the profound grief and sorrow mentioned by
the court—which comes from learning truth after it’s too late. If a
woman is to have any real choice regarding abortion, she must be allowed access
to all relevant facts about her unborn child, and her condition. The availability to have a free ultrasound will enhance her
right to make a truly informed decision.
The legislation requires the following
take place at least twenty-four (24) hours prior to an abortion:
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An abortion provider must give information to
a woman about where and how she can obtain a free ultrasound.
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An abortion provider must inform the woman
about ultrasound imaging and heart-tone monitoring of her unborn child
available to her.
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It requires that no fee for an abortion shall be collected prior to providing this
information to the woman.
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It requires the Dept. of Health & Welfare
to compile a list of all health care providers, facilities and clinics offering
to perform ultrasounds free of charge.
These printed materials would also include a statement informing the patient she
has a right to view an ultrasound image and to hear the heart-tone monitoring
of her unborn child. These printed materials are to be made available to the
abortion providers by the Dept. of Health and Welfare.
This is a simple, but very important
bill. Truly informed consent requires
accurate and complete information. This
bill would ensure that women know that such information is available to
them.
“Your Name is Safe in My Home”
Recently in my church Sunday School class we had a discussion
about continuous improvement in our lives.
One of my good friends mentioned a church talk that he had recently read
titled, “Your
Name is Safe in Our Home,” by Elder Cree L. Kofford of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is a
wonderful message and just a good piece of the puzzle for living a happy life.
I thought so much of the lesson; I made it part of our family home
evening meeting the next day. We
resolved, as a family, to make sure that all of our friends’ and acquaintances’
names are safe in the Nate household. We
try to follow the rule and we encourage each other to keep the rule as
well. It has added to the happiness we
already enjoyed in our home. We make it
a point to speak nicely of others, and to not disparage others. We find opportunities to say nice things
about each other, our friends, and all whom we meet.
In the legislature, people have strong feelings, some issues are
very divisive, and emotions sometimes run high.
It is easy to fall into a spiral of criticizing and disparaging others
in day-to-day conversations. Nothing
good comes of such behavior though. So,
in keeping with my family’s resolution to keep others’ names “safe in our home,”
I am also putting the practice to work in all areas of my life, including in my
work in the Capitol. Of course I haven’t
perfected the practice yet, but I am working hard to only speak nicely of
others, and not to criticize or unfairly characterize others. I can attest that it is rewarding and
enjoyable to simply, “be nice.”
I appreciate all of my colleagues and others whom I work with here
in Boise. We sometimes disagree, that is
part of the work we do; however, they are all good people trying to do what is
best for Idaho—just like me. And I hope
they all come to know through their experiences with me that their names are “safe
in my home.”
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HJR 1 – A
resolution to amend the Idaho Constitution to protect education assistance to
Idaho students. Specifically it makes it
so scholarship and grants to students who may wish to use them at any school,
including church-affiliated schools, are permissible and constitutional. This
bill is in the House State Affairs Committee.
If you think the bill should be heard and voted on, you can express your
views to the State Affairs Committee at hstaf@house.idaho.gov.
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H422
and H423 –
Along with Rep. Scott (District 1), these two bills to address a confusion in
Idaho law concerning the carrying of concealed weapons without a permit. The bills would make it so Idahoans could
carry concealed weapons without a permit anywhere in Idaho that is not
prohibited by state or federal law (like schools, etc.). These
bills are in the Ways and Means Committee awaiting a hearing date. You may contact the Ways and Means Committee
at hway@house.idaho.gov .
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H420 – A
bill to repeal the state’s requirement that all Idaho school districts must
administer the SBAC (Common Core) test to their students. It leaves the option open, however, if
districts choose the SBAC themselves.
Also, students would not be required to take the SBAC for graduation. This
bill is in the Ways and Means Committee awaiting a hearing date. You may contact the Ways and Means Committee
at hway@house.idaho.gov .
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H421 – A
bill to repeal the State Health Insurance Exchange. The state health insurance exchange has been
an expensive and frustrating endeavor.
It has cost over $70 million to set up, it binds Idaho to all the
federal rules, leaving no room for Idaho solutions. And, it has lead to a virtual monopoly in
health insurance “choices” for Idaho citizens—only a few insurance companies
have been permitted space on the exchange.
All the while, Idahoans’ health insurance premiums and deductibles have
skyrocketed. This bill is in the Ways and Means Committee awaiting a hearing
date. You may contact the Ways and Means
Committee at hway@house.idaho.gov .
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H506 – A
bill to restrict and limit the dollar value of gifts given to legislators by
lobbyists and other special interest groups.
This bill has been introduced
into the House Judiciary and Rules Committee, and will have a full hearing in
the next week.
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H516 – A
bill requiring abortion providers to give information to women about where and
how they can get a free ultrasound prior to an abortion. This
bill is scheduled for a hearing in the House State Affairs Committee on
Thursday, February 25th at 8:30am.
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(No number
yet) – A bill to ban “dismemberment abortions.” These abortions are horrific, late-term
abortions that Planned Parenthood and other providers conduct—sometimes for the
purpose of harvesting the unborn baby’s organs.
This bill will likely be introduced
into the Senate State Affairs Committee in the coming weeks.
As
always my goals are to best represent District 34’s views and interests, keep
my oath to protect and defend the U.S. and State Constitutions, restrain
government influence, keep taxes low, and support legislation that is
constitutional, economical, and moral. I
always appreciate feedback from voters and citizens. As you probably know, citizen input is very
important and influential. When you and
others contact legislators, they have the power and incentives to protect
rights and keep their oaths. Together,
we can keep Idaho great and free.
You
and your friends can contact your legislators to make your views known by
emailing or calling them. To find your
representatives’ and senators’ contact information you can go here, http://legislature.idaho.gov/about/idmap2.pdf and here to get the addresses and phone
numbers for them: http://legislature.idaho.gov/house/membership.cfm http://legislature.idaho.gov/senate/membership.cfm
You can watch or listen to all the action of the legislative
session live at http://legislature.idaho.gov/. This is also the site where you can research
bills, find out when/where hearings are being held, and see how your
legislators have been voting on bills on your behalf. It is a good resource for holding your
legislators accountable.
If you know someone who
would like to receive this newsletter, please have them go to the following
link and sign up:http://legislature.idaho.gov/lso/gdsubscribe.html
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