Hello Friends,

It continues to be an honor and a pleasure to represent you in the Idaho Senate. Please remember the upcoming town hall meetings. They start at 7:00 PM.

February 18th at Timberline High School
(701 E. Boise, Boise)

March 18th at East Junior High
(5600 Warm Springs Ave., Boise)

It was great to see so many of you at the forum we had at Maple Grove Elementary School. It is always nice to receive feedback from constituents and to hear your concerns. Remember to follow me on Twitter and “like” my page on Facebook for legislative updates and other up-to-the-minute happenings around the State Capitol.

The halls of the Capitol and committee rooms were packed to overflowing on Wednesday morning as hundreds of Idahoans and community faith leaders testified in opposition to HB 427, a bill sponsored by Representative Lynn Luker. HB 427 would expressly allow individuals and businesses to refuse services, evict, or even fire anyone if they claim it violates their religious beliefs. This bill is so broad that it could be used to discriminate against virtually anyone for any reason and would render our state and city non-discrimination laws meaningless. The bill was passed out of committee and sent to general orders on the House floor.

Mark your calendars for next Friday, February 14th. The Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC) will be holding a public listening session to gather insight from the public on how to prioritize funding decisions. The session will be 8:00-12:00 AM. JFAC controls the purse strings on funding for education and other state programs. Education funding and the Governor’s Task Force recommendations continue to be a top priority for many of us. Getting additional educational funding and implementing the recommendations are critical.

The question of guns on Idaho’s college campuses has also reemerged as a controversial issue during this legislative session. I am troubled by this piece of legislation for a number of reasons. First, college presidents in Idaho do not support it. All eight presidents of the state’s universities and colleges have come out against SB1254, including Boise State President Dr. Bob Kustra who recently told the Spokesman-Review, “There is no current problem or crisis to address on our state’s campuses that would be solved by this legislation.”

They are not alone, either. The State Board of Education voted unanimously to reject the proposed legislation as well. I believe that as legislators, we have the responsibility to listen to our constituents and all applicable stakeholders. This includes Dr. Kustra, whose opinion is founded on first-hand knowledge and years of expertise. As state legislators and Idahoans, we believe wholeheartedly in respecting our citizens’ Second Amendment rights. I am also sensitive to protecting our children from dangerous situations and concerned about running roughshod over principles of local control. I believe SB1254 is a legislative overreach and the wrong choice for Idaho.

At the same time, Medicaid expansion is still languishing on the sidelines. On Wednesday, GOP members of the House Health & Welfare Committee shot down a bill sponsored by House Minority Leader John Rusche (D) that would have guaranteed healthcare for 80,000-100,000 hardworking Idaho families. Their rationale? Unable to deny the benefits of expansion, they simply argued that this year was “not the right time.” I could not disagree more! Now is the right time to save Idaho taxpayers more than $60 million dollars. Now is the right time to provide healthcare for needy families. Rep. John Rusche said it best when he declared: “We need this bill and we need it now. It saves lives and saves money.”

I have had the pleasure of working with Les Bois Junior High School student, Ilah Hickman, on a bill to make the Idaho Giant Salamander the state’s official amphibian.

This marks the third straight year Ilah has brought this issue to the legislature. She told committee members that what started out as a fourth grade assignment to write a mock letter to legislators became a real life exercise for her. Ilah told committee members she was following Sir Winston Churchill’s advice, “Never, never, never give up.” The committee voted to print Ilah’s bill and she is looking forward to a full hearing regarding this bill.