House Concurrent Resolution 51 celebrated the federal act that officially preserved the 760,000-acre land in 1972. An earlier resolution, Senate Concurrent Resolution 117, was killed in the House on an 18-51 vote March 10 after unanimously passing the Senate several weeks prior. Both were sponsored by Sen. Michelle Stennett (D-Ketchum) and Reps. Ned Burns (D-Bellevue) and Sally Toone (D-Gooding), all of whom represent District 26.

“We were just trying to honor the fine, hard-working people who’ve worked there for the last 50 years and recognize some beautiful land in our state,” Burns said. “Politics got in the way both times. It’s incredibly disappointing. I thank the representatives, particularly those in the Magic Valley, who rose above the political games to celebrate this remarkable area.”

Burns reintroduced HCR 51 on Monday in the House Ways and Means Committee, and removed language House Republicans objected to when it first came to the floor. This time, they took issue with the resolution because the land is managed by the federal government — and has been long before 1972, dating back to the 1890s, which Burns pointed out.

“The SNRA is truly one of the greatest gems in our state,” Toone said. “The federal act has helped ensure that land stays pristine and Idahoans can continue to enjoy it. That deserves recognition.”

“The Senate recognizes the extraordinary beauty in the SNRA and its economic benefit to many Idahoans who live and work in and around its boundaries. Without this act, it would have been privatized and Idahoans would have lost the amazing access they now enjoy,” Stennett said. “It mystifies me why the House does not also recognize its importance. HCR 51 was a 50-year anniversary celebration of a universally loved place.”

Roads, bridges, and railway systems are aging out and incapable of safely handling the heavier, longer, faster loads pressuring their antiquated structures. This is particularly true within our underfunded counties, where an unsafe bridge forces detours to school buses and commercial trucks, seriously impacting local economies. Two thousand county and state bridges have timed out, and some are deemed unfit to travel on. Water and sewer systems are either inadequate for the increased demand, or so old that they need to be replaced. Growth is exacerbating the need for safe water and waste treatment facilities.

Sen. Michelle Stennett

Coming out of one of the driest years on record, water management is critical. The United States Geological Survey rates Idaho the first in beneficial water consumption per capita in the nation and second in agricultural water consumption. This is unsustainable. Infrastructure efficiencies and water saving policies are critical to manage this diminishing resource.

Public schools remain underfunded, leading to insufficient teacher pay, no ability to find housing, increased staff turnover, and crumbling facilities in both rural and urban areas. Adding more students and curtailing educational services in an already beleaguered education system, harms teachers and students, and does not adequately provide a skilled workforce for commerce. 

The health care industry continues to struggle amid the pandemic, with too few workers and too little housing. Idaho has the least amount of health care workers per capita in the nation. A transition to telehealth has given some relief for patients, but many areas in Idaho — particularly medically underserved areas — have poor broadband. This is also true for remote learning in our schools. With our population growth and these added loads, our broadband demand is beyond capacity.

The housing market has exploded, with little remaining inventory and inflated prices. Wages in Idaho are low and are not keeping up with this boom. This unaffordability shuts out our hard-working families, our first responders, our workers, our seniors, and our young adults who are the fabric of our communities.  

We have a rare opportunity to be creative and strategic with these resources at all levels of government and the private sector. Partnerships and pooling resources can successfully tackle larger projects. More funding options and autonomy to local governments are imperative for local services and programs.  Our ailing infrastructure needs cannot continue to be ignored or they will collapse. Idahoans deserve long-term benefits from their tax investment.

Sens. Michelle Stennett, Grant Burgoyne, and Janie Ward-Engelking raised concerns about the possible legal ramifications that could stem from the Senate, specifically, coming back into session after adjourning in May, not recessing like the House. No mechanism exists for the body to reconvene once its members officially sine die unless the governor calls a special session.

The three said the majority isn’t adhering to proper protocol, and seem more focused on political grandstanding than passing legally-sound legislation aimed at mitigating the state’s ongoing health crisis. Since Sept. 16, Idaho has been in crisis standards of care.

Senate Republicans are expected to propose a bill to set up another defense fund to join other state legal actions against the Biden administration over its COVID-19 rules for employers. Like the Constitutional Defense Fund, this legal defense fund would authorize the legislature to give sole power to the speaker of the House and the Senate pro-tem to use state funds to pay for litigation expenses, such as hiring outside counsel.

“Other states have been leading this charge and already filed lawsuits against the Biden administration; there’s no need for Idaho to be spending its own money,” Burgoyne said. “We should wait for the federal courts to make a decision rather than writing another blank check to lawyers.”

The group told reporters Senate Democrats have drafted legislation to direct COVID-19 relief funds to help Idaho workers and their families. Some of the bill’s provisions include:

• Reimbursing employers for wages paid to staff in need of time off to get the vaccine and recover from any side effects, or assist a family member in getting it or their recovery
• Rapid testing for businesses and schools
• Compensation for anyone missing work after contracting COVID-19 or being exposed
• A sick-leave bank for all public employees and school personnel
• One-time bonus payments to essential workers

“If we’re going to be here, we should be doing some actual good for Idahoans, not misusing their hard-earned tax dollars on likely unconstitutional bills,” Stennett said. 

“People across our state are struggling, especially our teachers. We are sitting on more than two billion in state and federal funds right now. Why not direct some of that money toward helping Idaho’s working families?” Ward-Engelking said. “Let’s not continue to sit on it; let’s invest it in our people when they need it most.

Senate Democratic Leader Michelle Stennett will appoint Dan Schmidt, a physician from Moscow, Idaho, where he has practiced family medicine for 32 years. Schmidt attended Stanford University before completing his education at University of Washington School of Medicine: WWAMI Medical Education Program. He served as the Latah County Coroner from 1991-2006, and represented Latah and Benewah Counties in the Idaho State Senate from 2010-2016. 

House Democratic Leader Ilana Rubel will appoint Amber Pence, a resident of Tetonia, Idaho, where she works as the special assistant to the Teton County Board of County Commissioners. Pence was raised in Burley and attended Utah State University. She previously worked as the minority chief of staff in the Idaho House of Representatives and the director of intergovernmental relations for the city of Boise.

Idaho Democratic Party Chair Fred Cornforth will appoint Nels Mitchell, a resident of Boise, Idaho. Mitchell attended Columbia University before pursuing his law degree from the University of Idaho College of Law, where he later became a professor. He also worked with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and oversaw a staff of 75 lawyers and investigators. Mitchell ran for U.S. Senate in 2014, as the Democratic nominee.

“When Idaho voters established an independent redistricting commission in 1994, they created a model for the nation. As appointing authorities, protecting the integrity of the commission is our top priority in selecting commissioners. These individuals share our commitment to a fair and independent redistricting process. We have full confidence in their ability to work with their counterparts to produce publicly favorable and legally sound maps in a timely manner, which will serve our state well for the next decade,” the three said in a joint statement.

Sen. Michelle Stennett

Democratic Leaders Ilana Rubel and Michelle Stennett said they wish the individuals who’ve tested positive a full and speedy recovery, and are thankful for the decision to take a two-week pause. However, it shouldn’t have taken an outbreak for lawmakers to start addressing the seriousness of the coronavirus, since the Statehouse is equipped with fully functional remote capabilities, they added.

“We hope our colleagues are able to heal quickly and return, so we can finish the session. But we can’t help but be disappointed in how bad things have become at the Capitol, when we could’ve prevented this from becoming a hot spot all along,” the pair said in a joint statement.

Rep. Ilana Rubel

“We are just so sorry it took so many people getting sick for us to act. We must do better when we return, or else we’ll keep finding ourselves in this position.”

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, the state had logged more than 177,000 confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases, as well as nearly 2,000 deaths. This week, The New York Times reported Idaho Falls was the nation’s worst hot spot, with Rexburg as number three. 

The GOP-sponsored legislation sought to cap local governments’ budgets in an effort to lower property taxes for residents. However, opponents of the bill, which included all seven Democrats, said it provided minimal relief at great expense to cities and counties, forcing cuts to vital services, such as police, paramedics and fire departments. 

Sen. Michelle Stennett

Sen. Ali Rabe, D-Boise, said under the legislation, residents in Ada County would’ve received a $13 reduction in property taxes. 

“This bill would have reduced local government budgets and their ability to build more housing to address the housing crisis, rather than reduce residential property taxes.” Rabe said following the legislation’s defeat. “People have been asking us to address property tax fairness and the shift from commercial to residential that’s occurred over the last five years. Rather than addressing the root of the problem, this would have acted as a disincentive for our local governments to annex land and build more housing, making our housing prices even worse. If local governments can’t pay for essential services such as water, sewer, trash, police, and fire, they can’t build.”

Sen. Ali Rabe

Senate Democratic Leader Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum, said S1108 — drafted by Sen. Rice, R-Caldwell — was amended numerous times before the Thursday vote, but was still insufficient. 

This session, Democrats in both the House and Senate have attempted to bring several bills to reduce property taxes for Idahoans, like re-indexing the homeowners exemption and increasing the circuit breaker, but all have been denied hearings.

“People want property tax relief. I experienced this personally when my building designed to provide workforce housing burned down this week. People are desperate for that kind of housing. I talked to the firefighters who told me, ‘I’m getting priced out. I can’t live here anymore,’” Stennett said. “People are in need, and we need to do a better job.”

Sen. Michelle Stennett

Dr. Dan Zuckerman, a veteran cancer oncologist at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Boise, confirmed the passage of this constitutional amendment would reduce health care opportunities for Idahoans who are enduring severe, intense pain. Idaho’s “Right to Try” law is thought of as a way for terminally ill patients to access drugs that would otherwise be illegal. Zuckerman pointed out that isn’t how it really works, and he does not feel he can prescribe an illegal drug, such as cannabis, that will not cure a terminally ill patient for pain relief. 

SJR101 permits legalization in Idaho only if approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or part of a documented clinical investigation under the FDA, but cannabis is a natural plant and unlikely to be patented. The cost associated with approval also is extreme, and no pharmaceutical company is going to bear that expense without the ability to retain a patent and recoup on the investment.

If passed, the proposed amendment would effectively operate as a permanent ban on medical cannabis, and under current code, even most CBD oil, as a product containing any quantity of THC is considered a Schedule 1 drug in Idaho. These products are commonly utilized to help manage pain for cancer patients and individuals with chronic diseases and seizures.

Sen. Grant Burgoyne

Hemp and CBD oil are legal federally, as well as in most states, but not Idaho. This bill could put the state at an economic and medical disadvantage. Constitutionally prohibiting drugs that other states and the federal government have approved could compromise medical reimbursements, like Medicare and Medicaid.

We are deeply concerned about the potential medical consequences of allowing the government to prohibit a patient’s health care options. This bill would not protect Idahoans’ quality of life, but diminish it. If there were any medical advancements involving substances not yet legalized, Idahoans would not have access to it under this law. This is unacceptable and insensitive to our citizens’ health crises. We must do better.

A vote on the legislation will take place Wednesday during the 8 a.m. Senate State Affairs Committee meeting. More information can be found on the Legislature’s website.

Senate Minority Leader Sen. Michelle Stennett, D-Ketchum, and House Minority Leader Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, discussed potential legislation with members of the media during the event, and also issued a response to Gov. Brad Little’s State of the State address, which had been delivered earlier in the Capitol’s Lincoln Auditorium.

The pair said the main priorities for the Idaho Joint Democratic Caucus included legislation to ensure fair taxes, affordable health care, access to quality education, criminal justice reform, and economic prosperity.

Both Stennett and Rubel said they, along with the other members of the caucus, looked forward to working with the governor and Republican lawmakers to find bipartisan solutions to provide a better quality of life for all Idahoans, especially working families, who’ve been critically impacted the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“The Legislature must work together to represent the best interests of every Idahoan in our rapidly changing political, social, and economic environment — now more than ever,” Stennett said. “Our Democratic Caucus remains strong and committed to advocating on behalf of all Idahoans, not only those at the top of the economic ladder.”

“We think there is much opportunity for bipartisan progress this session to benefit the lives of Idahoans,” Rubel added. “And we are ready to work to make that happen during the 2021 Legislative Session.”

The 19th amendment was passed in August 1920 and added to the U.S. Constitution. Idaho was ahead of the curve and was the 4th state in the nation to grant women the right to vote, which was passed by a Senate Joint Resolution in 1896. Women have been influential throughout Idaho’s history, but this year we are celebrating the contributions that Idaho women have made to our state for the last 100 years.

The first Idaho Women’s Suffrage meeting happened in November 1895 with plans to convince the state government that women deserve equal suffrage. Fast forward to 1899 and Idaho elected its first three women to the Idaho legislature (in the House). District 26 is represented by three women in the legislature (one Senator and two representatives). There are currently 3 Idaho legislative districts that are represented entirely by women in the statehouse. Both the House and Senate Democratic leaders are women. We know that our positions and our work would not be possible without the work of our ancestors. Women’s suffrage activists fought for nearly 100 years to earn the right to vote. Before the Civil War even began, women’s suffrage reformers were fighting battles across the country to convince governments, politicians, and citizens that women deserved a say in their representation.

After decades of work, Congress finally voted to ratify the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. In the November election that year, over 8 million women across the country voted for the first time ever. Idaho played an early role in passing women’s suffrage, and we have an important role to play in our nation’s future. There are women across the state in leadership positions in government, academic, industry, and so much more. However, the Idaho legislature’s gender demographic is still only about 30% female. We have a responsibility to foster women leaders and celebrate their accomplishments.

In commemoration of this momentous accomplishment, several of us women legislators, women leaders, and the Idaho State Treasurer are unveiling a silver medallion at the end of September embossed with 5 Idaho women veterans who served during wars in different military branches. There will be a celebration of these extraordinary women and all women veterans and the silver medallion will be available to purchase.

Our state inherited the perseverance and heart of the generations of women before us. The District 26 representatives are honoring their work by fighting for a better future for every Idahoan. As the saying goes, “we stand on the shoulders of giants” and we hope you’ll help us lift up the next generation of Idahoans. In 100 years, we want our families to be celebrating the accomplishments that we made thanks to the work of the women’s suffrage movement.

2020 is an unprecedented year. Although residents of South-Central Idaho continue to face hardships that defy imagination, our communities have proven their resolve through a heroic commitment to stand together in this time of need. 2020 will surely be seen as a major historical juncture for years to come. Lost amidst all of this year’s turmoil, however, has been another era-defining moment: the 2020 Census.