The decision to run for the office of State Representative for District 2, Seat B, was not an easy one. I really like the current representative as a person and as a friend, but as the 2015 legislative session progressed, I was increasingly frustrated at the way the votes were going against freedom and were growing government. It all ended with a vote in the middle of the night to pass a bill for transportation which, among other things, raised vehicle registration fees $21, an 89.5% increase for those of us driving vehicles 7 years old and older. My wife and I felt that this should be voted on by the people and decided to get a referendum on the November 2016 ballot as is designated in the Idaho State Constitution, Article III, Section 1: “The people reserve to themselves the power to approve or reject at the polls any act or measure passed by the legislature. This power is known as the referendum, and legal voters may, under such conditions and in such manner as may be provided by acts of the legislature, demand a referendum vote on any act or measure passed by the legislature and cause the same to be submitted to a vote of the people for their approval or rejection.”
We soon found out that the conditions set by previous legislatures made it impossible for all but a well-funded and well organized group to accomplish such a thing with legislation passed at the end of the session. We went through the entire process and received our final title certification on May 29, 2015. We then had until June 9, 2015 to print up petitions and have people all across the state gather at least 48,000 signatures and get these certified and in to the Secretary of State’s Office. We realized this was an impossible feat and stopped at this point.
I wanted to present some legislation to curtail forgone taxes and also to set the bar for passing school levies higher during the 2016 legislative session. Both are a strain on property owners, especially those on fixed incomes since property taxes never go away even when the mortgage is paid. Since it is also in the Idaho Constitution, Article I, Section 2 that “All power is inherent in the people”, I thought I would give it a try. Eric helped me to get those written up, and at the end of January 2016, I went to Boise to “sell” my legislation and hopefully get a hearing. Long story, short, everyone kept asking who the sponsor was, and saying they liked it, but no one would step up and be the sponsor. Needless to say, neither one ever received a hearing.
Then, as the 2016 session continued, I saw more of the same voting to grow government and regulate to the point of putting people out of business. As the filing deadline approached, I felt more and more that I needed to step up and do something sooner, rather than later. After much prayer, and encouragement from friends, I filed to run. Given the passing of H0513, the bill to implement the Federal REAL ID Act 2005, I believe it was the right decision.
