Idaho legislators are on the verge of becoming the highest-paid part-time lawmakers in the country. If the Compensation Committee approves the 43% pay increase and legislators do nothing to stop it, it will be clear that priorities in the Statehouse need realigning—toward the true needs of Idahoans, not higher pay for lawmakers.
Leadership’s proposal (read here) attempts to justify this increase by citing “current legislator demands,” changes in statewide employee compensation (CEC), and legislative staff support. However, a recent survey on legislative needs—sent to all current legislators by two members—received few responses. As a result, these “demands” do not represent the views of all legislators, including us. At a time when hard-working Idahoans face rising costs, these demands seem out of touch with what truly matters to the public.
Legislators should not accept this significant pay boost; instead, we must focus on the real priorities of Idahoans. Let’s start with tax cuts, beginning with the grocery tax repeal. We also need to reduce the size of government, which has seen a 55% budget increase over five years, and curb unchecked spending by state bureaucracies. We shouldn’t trade a liberal nanny state for a conservative nanny state. Only after these steps are taken should the legislature consider increasing their pay.
We have crisscrossed our legislative districts, listening to Idahoans’ concerns. People are struggling; families are worried about how they will feed, dress, and educate their children. Our senior citizens, too, are anxious—many fear they’ll be forced to sell the homes they’ve worked their whole lives to own because they can’t afford rising property taxes. These taxes punish homeowners based on unrealized gains in property value, an unfair burden on those who built their lives here.
Our farmers also struggle with rising input costs that drive up grocery store prices. Meanwhile, millions are spent on individuals crossing our borders illegally—funds that Idahoans need for tax relief. Our elections need protection; we should not spend $40 million on Dominion machines supporting ranked-choice voting.
We won’t forget the hard-working men and women in Idaho who pay their taxes only to see their money go to a bloated and wasteful government. Idahoans deserve a government that respects their sacrifices and puts them first. In the upcoming legislative session, let’s work together to put Idaho’s citizens first.
2 replies on “Paying More for Less”
This is ridiculous! The two Senators above sure hit the nail on the head. Those who are asking for a raise like that do not deserve a raise that high and should be ashamed of themselves. They keep making promises of lowering costs and never vote for them. They must be stopped.
Our “representatives” FAILED to pass a simple denial of taxpayer funded “benefits” to illegal aliens. They have repeatedly FAILED to protect property owners from the threat of losing their property to unrealized gains tax (property tax), forcing them to continue to pay rent in perpetuity to the county for the use of property they have already paid for. There are many instances of legislators not well representing their constituents. They certainly don’t need to be approving more money for themselves.