Sticking Points in the Final Days of the Legislature
At the end of every legislative session in Idaho, you may hear about "going home" issues yet to be settled. A "going home" issue is a legislative imperative which many leaders and legislators agree must be accomplished before adjourning the legislature for its 9-month intersession. In this 2021 legislature there are still a few final "going home" items on our to do list, but they have become sticking points for many members. I plan to stay strong and work hard to make sure all these issues are accomplished before we go home. Here are the key must-do items before calling it good:
- K-12 Education budget approval
- Higher Education budget approval
- Integrity in Education Policy
- Income/Property Tax Reduction
- Balance of Powers Clarity (Legislature and Governor)
The top three items on the list are of utmost importance and they are all tied together. As mentioned in my Legislative Update last week (4/15/21), the education budgets were both rejected by the House Representatives. They were rejected provisionally until we have added legislation to protect Idaho teachers, students, and families from the ideologies being forced on them and required for teaching or learning success. Both the budget bills are back in the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee so that prohibitions on Critical Race Theory and Social Justice ideology advocacy and promotion may be added to the directions of how public funds are to be used in Idaho schools (at all levels). That is what integrity in publicly funded education means. Additionally, protections against these Marxist ideologies being used against teachers or students are being addressed in House Bill H377 which is making its way through the House and will hopefully be headed to the Senate and Governor soon.
Next is tax policy. While the majority of Idahoans and legislators and even the Governor express support for ending the sales tax on groceries, it's been effectively shut down by House leaders. Idaho will remain one of only five states to fully tax groceries (and the third highest tax at that). Instead, our "going home" tax bill to cut income tax rates (from 6.925% down to 6.5%) and provide to each taxpayer a Biden-like, one-time tax rebate (starting at $50 and up to 9% of last years taxes paid) is the one moving forward. House Bill H380 is the new bill and it passed the House today. Side note: Unfortunately, it appears that neither Grocery Tax Repeal or any significant Property Tax relief will be coming out of the legislature this year.
Finally, the legislature has been haggling, debating, and sometimes stalling over the issue of making sure the Governor constrains his power within his Constitutional and statutory bounds. The legislature must restrain the Governor's powers during an emergency. Emergencies are exactly the time when our Constitutional rights are at the most risk. Two bills easily (with more than 2/3 vote) made their way to the Governor's desk last week, S1136 (which says the Governor cannot change Idaho laws during an emergency) and H135 (which protects Idahoans' rights and limits the length of Governor emergency declarations). Both bills were vetoed by the Governor, leaving it to the Senate and House to override the vetoes. Unfortunately, the Senate had 5 senators flip their votes and the override failed on S1136. The House easily passed a veto override on H135 on a 48-19 vote, even though a few flipped their votes too. Please call your senators to make sure they vote to override the veto of H135, and to reconsider their failed override on S1136 by introducing a new bill.
The legislature has been in session for 102 days now (3rd longest session in Idaho history), but I am committed to staying here as long as necessary to make sure we finish the important work we were sent here to do. We must get education right, reduce taxes, and protect all Idahoans' God-given rights (emergency or not). I appreciate the strong support I have received from the good people of District 34 throughout the process.
Second Amendment Bill Update
House and Senate leadership won't allow a hearing on Senator Christy Zito's Small Arms Protection Act H300. Instead, they took Senator Zito's good work and they are now promoting a new small arms protection bill as their own, in a slightly edited version, S1205. The Senate Pro Tem publicly stated that it was Senator Zito's bill, but Senators Lakey and Lodge put their names on the new version and made it so Senator Zito had to ask to include her name on the co-sponsors list. The same thing happened in the House. Rep. Giddings was the floor sponsor for H300; but house leadership put Rep. Boyle's name on the new bill so any positive headlines will show the favored names of leadership as the proponents. This is a disappointing example of how the establishment operates to bolster their own platforms and undermine their conservative adversaries. Senator Lakey will present S1205 on Monday, and it should pass through both chambers quickly. This a rare case when the typical swamp tactics will end up being good for gun owners in the long run. Many thanks to Senator Zito, Greg Pruett with the Idaho 2nd Amendment Alliance, and the thousands of gunowners across Idaho who made this happen!
Weekly Peek: Critical Race Theory in Kids' Books
We need to STOP Senate Bill S1193 in the House!
S1193 is a replacement bill for House Bill, H226 that the House defeated a few weeks ago, and will likely be up for a vote in the next day or two!
The bill appropriates a $6 million federal grant to the Idaho Association for the Education of Young Children (IDAEYC), an activist nonprofit group that is affiliated with the National Association of the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). The money will be used at least in part for a federal program to indoctrinate children from birth to 5 with Critical Race Theory and Social Justice ideology. The NAEYC makes it a goal to fund this program for a few years, then leave it up to the state to take over the program and pay for it.
Adding to these concerns is a new federal rule about grants (ED-2021-OESE-0033) making the inclusion of Critical Race Theory the first priority in applying for, winning, and administering federal grants. The rule is now part of the federal requirements. If Idaho wants to maintain its sovereignty regarding education, we should reject S1193, and find better alternatives for educating and caring for thousands of Idaho kids in the pre-K age range. Families and communities will no-doubt do much better for our kids than a federal program tied to Marxist ideas ever will. This will be a close vote and I plan to vote against this bill while encouraging alternatives that better support Idaho and American values.
To highlight the potential problems with the federal grant, please take a look at these examples of 3 of the 85 books that were listed on IDAEYC's website. These are suggested books for the pre-K ages. After House members raised concerns about these books during the House debate, IDAEYC hid the books from their website, but the link still works.
If you are concerned about this type of early indoctrination, please contact your House Representatives and ask them to vote NO on this type of teaching for our kids! Thank you for caring about Idaho!
Book 1 Example: A is for activist
Book 2 Example: Antiracist Baby
Book 3 Example:
Not My Idea-A Book About Whiteness
House Bills:
H1 Governor's Powers in Emergency House State Affairs
H4 Parental Rights in Disasters House Judiciary and Rules
H7 Idaho Treasury Gold/Silver Holdings Senate State Affairs
H21 Lemonade Stand Freedom Senate Local Government - held
H53 Electronic Public Notice House Failed
H56 Abolish Abortion House Ways and Means
H63 Vaccination Freedom House Ways and Means
H66 Bond and Levy Ballot Disclosure Senate Amending Orders
H72 Powerball Lottery Continuance House State Affairs - dead
H77 Responsible Childhood Independence House Judiciary and Rules - held
H133 Idaho Roads and Bridges House Transportation
H135 Emergency Declarations, Const. Rights To Governor
H140 Vaccination Freedom Protections Senate Commerce
H175 Mandates In-Person Public Schools Senate 3rd Reading
H195 Targeted Picketing House Failed - dead
H199 Sales / Income Tax Cuts House Revenue & Taxation - dead
H213 Income Tax Exemption, Relief House Revenue & Taxation - dead
H216 Medicaid, Supplemental Appropriation Signed, LAW
H238 Wolves, Predator & Hunting House Resources
H246 Disasters, Parental Rights Senate Amending Orders
H256 Sales in Cash, Requirement House Revenue & Taxation
H266 Cloud Seeding Senate 3rd Reading
H291 Business Bill of Rights Senate State Affairs
H294 Education Expenses, School Choice Senate - Failed
H300 2nd Amendment Firearms House State Affairs - Held
H332 Income Tax Cut, Rebates Senate Amending Orders
H339 Prohibiting Mask Mandates House General Orders
H342 Local and State Roads Projects Senate Transportation
H347 Income Tax Filing Deadline House 3rd Reading
H352 Education, Racist & Sexist Concepts House - Held at Desk
H354 Appropriation, Education - Teachers House - Failed
H362 Local and State Roads Projects Senate 3rd Reading
H377 Education, Critical Race Theory House 2nd Reading
H380 Income Taxes, Rebates House 2nd Reading
HCR1 Resolution to End Emergency House State Affairs
HCR5 Gatherings and Group Size Senate State Affairs
HJR1 Legislature Calling Sessions Senate State Affairs - held
HJR4 Psychoactive Drugs Amendment House - Failed
Senate Bills:
S1001 Disaster, Governor Powers Senate State Affairs
S1002 Disaster, Governor Spending Powers Senate State Affairs
S1003 Governor Powers, Martial Law Senate State Affairs
S1027 Idaho Wrongful Conviction Act Signed, LAW
S1028 Minimum Wage Increase Senate State Affairs
S1044 Eminent Domain Limitation Signed, LAW
S1069 Elections, Absentee Ballots House State Affairs
S1085 Fetal Heartbeat - Pro-Life Senate State Affairs
S1087 Smoking Age to 21 House FAILED
S1099 Red Light Fines - Triple Senate Transportation
S1043 Student Expulsions, Exec. Session House 3rd Reading
S1110 Ballot Initiatives, Voting To Governor
S1135 Firearms, Schools Senate State Affairs
S1136 Emergencies, Authority of Governor Veto Override failed in Senate
S1179 Appropriations, Colleges & Universities House - FAILED
S1193 Pre-K Federal Grant House 3rd Reading
S1202 State Board / Pre-K Federal Grant House 1st Reading
S1205 2nd Amendment, Firearms Senate State Affairs
SCR101 Terminating Disaster Emergency Senate State Affairs
SJR101 Psychoactive Drugs Amendment House State Affairs
SJR102 Legislative Sessions, Special Call House State Affairs
You can learn more about all the legislation being considered in the legislature.
Just check the House and Senate Reading Calendars found at the links below:
House Reading Calendar: https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/agenda/hcal/
Senate Reading Calendar: https://legislature.idaho.gov/sessioninfo/agenda/scal/
How Are Your Legislators Voting?
Every vote your legislator makes offers insight into their beliefs, principles and willingness to follow the constitution. Below is a link to a website that tracks Idaho legislators' votes, and scored them. How do your legislators rate? Click below to find out!
Here is a link to a non-profit (Idaho Freedom Foundation) that tracks all Idaho legislators' voting records. Bills are scored using a rating metric based on adherence to the constitution, if the bill grows government, if it hinders private business, along with other standards. Where does your legislator stand? Will you hold them accountable?
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