Serving as a State Representative in the Idaho House was an awesome experience. It was an honor to serve in the opportunity to help protect the liberties and freedoms which our Constitution bestows and which so many of us hold dear as Republicans. As one of the more conservative members of the House, we helped elect a conservative Speaker of the House. This started a successful new era of conservatism in Idaho politics.
As the lead sponsor in the House, we implemented stronger protections for the unborn child and the health of women by improving Idaho’s Informed Consent laws and implementing ultrasound requirements. We pushed forward an amendment to the Idaho Constitution which defined marriage between a man and a woman. We consistently resisted efforts to raise taxes on Idahoans, especially during tough economic times. We worked to keep the growth of government spending in line with the economy. And during my last year as Chair of the Health & Welfare Committee, we successfully prevented the implementation of Obamacare in Idaho. After serving for ten years, and honoring the will of the voters of Idaho, I term-limited myself and went back to the private sector. I honestly believed that Idaho was in good hands.
What I have seen in the last six years, however, has me deeply troubled. Lobbyists, insiders, and special interests have run Boise and rigged the system for themselves. They have increased taxes and fees, increased licensure requirements, implemented Obamacare and Common Core, and increased our dependence on the federal government. Now, Idaho’s budget is comprised of 35% debt-financed federal dollars which our kids must repay. These federal dollars come with strings attached. Now, in Idaho, education policy, health care policy, road building, and how we manage our resources is dictated by the federal government.
As your next Lt. Governor, I will support a return to local control of the standards in our classrooms instead of the one size fits none federal standard. This year, an effort was made to remove from law important language about the primary role of the family in teaching about sex and morality and insert the national standards of comprehensive sex education. This effort prompted a primary challenge to the House Education Committee Chair. We will quit wasting money on ill-fated efforts to increase Idaho’s post-secondary graduation rates, like the Adult College Dropout Scholarship Bill, which three of my opponents in the legislature supported. Instead, we will focus on forming partnerships between industry leaders and educational institutions to provide skill-based training starting in high school. Our goal will be to prepare our kids for their futures, whether they receive a four-year college degree or certification in the skilled trades.
As your next Lt. Governor, I will work to eliminate special interest tax incentives which favor the political class, and work to reduce grocery tax, income tax, and unemployment tax for the middle class. I will look to the professionals in the industry, not the special interests, to help reduce health care costs and increase free market choices for Idahoans. As President of the Senate, I will make sure that important bills brought by the citizens of Idaho do not get buried in the drawers of Committee Chairs.
As your next Lt. Governor, I will work hard for active management of our natural resources. The traditional use of which has been greatly diminished, and is threatened even more today. The Salmon-Challis forest is currently in the Assessment Phase of forest plan revision. Rules implemented in 2012 during the Obama Administration are threatening the livelihoods of our rural communities, and are in direct violation of current federal law. The local residents were given only 45 days to submit comments to the US Forest Service. Only because of the persistence of Representative Dorothy Moon were they granted an extension on the deadline so that their voices could be heard in this process.
As your next Lt. Governor, I will push back against any and all encroachments of our 2nd Amendment right to keep and bear arms. This right of the individual to possess a firearm for traditionally lawful purposes to defend life, liberty, and property was upheld by SCOTUS almost ten years ago in the case of District of Columbia v. Heller. I am honored to receive the personal endorsement of Dick Heller in my campaign to become Idaho’s next Lt. Governor.
My opponents are all professional politicians, having been elected a combined 32 years in public office or as a government lobbyist. What do we have to show for the past six years? Do we have more freedoms? Do we have better choices in healthcare and education? Do we have more productivity in Idaho? Do we live by a better standard of living? There are no excuses for those who have been a part of this failed process. The path to prosperity will be through increasing our liberties and freedoms, which have been eroded by career politicians and special interests. As President Trump would say YOU’RE FIRED!!
As a small business owner, I know how to create jobs, build and maintain Idaho companies. Like so many others, we struggle under the burden of excessive taxation and regulation. It is shocking how difficult it has become to start a new business. I believe that government is best which governs the least. I humbly and respectfully ask for your vote to become Idaho’s next Lt. Governor.
I love America and I love Idaho!
