I am sure you are thinking about the coronavirus and how it will affect or could affect our communities. I want to address this important topic first. Governor Little has a well thought out plan to deal with the current crisis. He has asked the legislature, and we approved, $2 million that will be reimbursed by [...]
Recently I have been asked about what is known to some conservative groups as my "Freedom Score", so I checked it out. I have been ranked as the MOST conservative voting Senator in Idaho by the Idaho Freedom Foundation. I take my opportunity to vote on behalf of all of you very seriously. Thank you [...]
The bill I carried to keep convicted violent felons from teaching school in Idaho passed the Senate, but not without one of the most dramatic debates and votes that I have seen in my four years in office. The conversation wasn't about this being a bad idea, but whether someone's livelihood would come to an end because of [...]
I had breakfast with nearly 200 4-H members from all over the state who were in town to learn the inner workings of state government. They spent last weekend at the Capitol in a mock legislative session. As you may know, I am a former 4-Her and worked with 4-H kids for years. There are few programs [...]
Before you read any further, I want to clarify that 99.99% of our teachers and school staff are talented, passionate and the utmost professional. They care about our kids and they put their heart and souls into preparing the future of this great nation. With that said, we need to be aware of the exceptions. [...]
Those of you interested in education have been hearing a lot about educational content standards, commonly known as Common Core. There is a lot of enthusiasm on both sides of this issue, which I appreciate. This week the House of Representatives voted to repeal these standards, so they have made their way to the Senate [...]
This past week in the legislature, we saw a parade of education department heads and university presidents come before JFAC, each one subject to the Governors 2% budget hold back, right off the top. Then, the universities decided to not charge tuition this year, reducing their income substantially. *photo courtesy KIVI The Governor has suggested [...]
My second week here in the Capitol was spent working on rules, connecting with the movers and shakers here and beginning the budgeting process. Here are some of the highlights. Transportation rules As Vice Chair of Senate Transportation part of my duties are to streamline the process for existing rules, eliminate outdated ones, combine others and [...]
It is exciting to be back in Boise to help bring our District 7 voice to the rest of the state! I see it as my job to be influential enough down here to actually bring our conservative values to the front of the room. It is good to see the enthusiasm of the other [...]
It has been one week since our Capital for a Day in Grangeville and I am still ecstatic about the turnout. I would like to thank the 225 people who took time out of their busy day to come and talk with Governor Little, department heads and myself. To make real change and address concerns, [...]
