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Democratic Caucus: Response to the State of the State Address

Tuesday, January 9, 2007

(Idaho Democratic Party)

State of the State: 2007
Response
of the
Democratic Caucus
Idaho Statehouse,
January 9^th

Sen. Clint Stennett (D-Ketchum, Senate Democratic Leader):

To all the reporters and media assembled here today, thank you for coming to hear our response to the governor’s State of the State message.

Idaho is unique in the world. As elected officials of this state, I believe it is our moral obligation to protect and preserve all that is Idaho. Even in today’s landscape of partisan politics, I believe that my friends across the aisle can agree with me on this point.

We would like to be able to begin this session with a hope for a new day. We want to work with the new governor and his administration to bring new hope for Idaho's struggling middle class.

While we are Democrats and Republicans, in our hearts we are all Idahoans, and we want to make the best public policy for the broadest range of people.

It is in this spirit that I and other members of the Idaho House Democratic Caucus look forward to the 2007 session of the Idaho Legislature.

Rep. Wendy Jaquet (D-Ketchum, House Democratic Leader):

This year, Democrats begin the 2007 legislative session with six more seats than the previous two-year term. This increase in Democrats is the result of the voters’ choice: they want change in their government.

What brought about this desire for change? It’s simple. People want their government to be fair, honest, respectful and responsive to their needs. This is not to say that some of those Republicans who were voted out of office failed. But clearly, the voters in these districts thought a change was needed to get Idaho back on track.

Democrats are still in the minority in both the House and Senate. Traditionally, the Democratic caucuses of both houses have served as a kind of “conscience” for this body. When our colleagues across the aisle move too far in one direction, it’s our job to stand up and remind them that there are some people in Idaho who do not share all their views.

I also understand we elected officials are indebted to the voters who sent us here today. The voters put their trust in us. And for the privilege of representing them, they expect us to not only make good government, but also to make government good.

With these thoughts in mind, we look forward to continuing the professional relationships with our colleagues across the aisle. And as we look forward to the weeks and months ahead, we welcome our new members and look forward to hearing their perspective on the important issues that we face.

(Sen. Stennett)

 

During this 2007 session, our caucus will be guided by three overriding values: Protecting Idaho’s way of life, standing up for the middle class, and making government more responsible and responsive to the voters. We hope that despite some differences, our Republican colleagues will join with us in upholding these principles.

Since Idaho’s statehood in 1890, the middle class has been the engine that pushed us forward, and it continues to be the backbone of our state. Yet today, people who once felt economically comfortable in the middle class are anxious and nervous about their future.

They are worried about their job security as more jobs are outsourced overseas. They’re worried about being able to provide a better life for their children, having enough money for college, and taking care of their elderly parents. They’re worried that their health insurance won’t be enough and their retirement might disappear as corporations shed themselves of debt. 

As Democrats, we hear you. Our role is to represent you. In that vein we provide this following vision for our state.

(Rep. Jaquet)

 

While there are a host of issues and specific bills that are important to our caucus, we understand that as the minority party, we must pick our most important initiatives carefully. That’s why today, we are setting forth just a few core issues. This list is by no means exhaustive, but it does reflect the kind of issues that we intend to move forward.

 

FOOD TAX

 

The first main issue for us will be repealing the sales tax on groceries. This has been a Democratic issue for more than a decade, and we congratulate the Republican leadership for finally coming around to it.

 

Idaho is one of only a handful of states that taxes food, the most basic necessity of life.

 

Clearly, this tax hits the middle class and working families the hardest. And, Idaho just raised this tax three months ago to 6 percent. To make matters worse, the revenue collected from this food tax increase is mostly given back to big businesses and second homeowners

 

The governor’s plan to provide a need-based tax credit is fine as far as it goes. But as we have always said, it would be much more meaningful to simply eliminate this tax so that the savings can be collected every week at the cash register rather than once a year – and then only after filing a government tax form. Once and for all, why don’t we just stop taxing food?

 

(Sen. Stennett)

 

EDUCATION

 

If there’s one issue that people associate with our Democratic Party, it’s quality education. This single issue has historically made up about half of the state budget every year. As such, there are many important topics to discuss in this area. For our purposes today, we are focusing on early childhood education, which is so important to success later in life; and affordable, career-related post-secondary education, which allows communities to respond quickly to the needs of their local economies.

 

Early Childhood Education

 

For every dollar spent in educating children in kindergarten and in pre-kindergarten years, society saves $19 dollars in costs that come later. Studies show those costs include a range of expenses from remedial classes for college bound students, to delayed high school graduation, to the cost of building prisons.

 

Unfortunately, Governor Otter made no mention of the importance of this emerging key reform that is needed in Idaho’s education system. Our governor and the Republicans in the legislature need to understand the multiple benefits. For example, full day kindergarten programs already running in some districts have been shown increase test scores. When children are in a structured educational environment, they learn how to learn and build better habits for their future. 

 

Right here in Idaho, more than 60 percent of mothers who have children of this age are working moms who put their children in some type of alternative care. We must ensure that these children and their families have the opportunity to voluntarily take the first steps toward formal education.

 

Community Colleges

 

At the other end of Idaho’s educational pipeline are those students who have graduated from high school and are looking to prepare for a professional or technical career in their communities. These students – young, energetic and anxious to begin contributing to our economy -- may not need a full four-year degree.

 

And there’s another important customer of education: the mid-career student who is changing paths to keep up with the global economy. The idea of working for one company and retiring at the end of 35 years with a pension and a gold watch is now a myth. It’s more common for middle-class workers to have two, three or four careers before retirement. Community colleges help these non-traditional students fast-track into the next phase of their lives.

 

Companies outside Idaho are looking for communities where the local population is well trained in electronics, computers, mechanics or other such professions. Community colleges can be the economic engine that drives these communities into the future.

 

We recognize and appreciate the regional differences, especially the unique situation presented at Idaho State University in eastern Idaho. We also recognize that regional needs call for regional answers, and so we also recognize this need in Boise and the Treasure Valley. If our own Idaho communities are going to be the architects of their own destiny, they must have the tools to move forward with their plans.

Therefore, we join the governor in calling for passing a law that will allow local communities to move ahead with their plans with a 60-percent majority vote.

 

(Rep. Jaquet)

 

ENERGY

 

While it gladdens us to hear the governor back the community college idea with $5 million in state support for new community colleges, we were disappointed in the lack of attention to several other key issues, especially our final focus of today: energy.

 

Idaho is wonderfully positioned to lead the nation in alternative energy resources. We have wind, we have sun, we have animal waste from dairies and other agriculture and timber industries that can be turned into power. The same spirit of developing cheap, reliable electricity that built our hydropower dams should be directed toward other industries, both reducing demand on hydropower and increasing research and development of alternate sources. Idaho and America must wean itself from reliance on expensive foreign oil – expensive in both dollars and in lives.

 

Idaho has world class technical and research capability at the Idaho National Laboratory, and at our research universities. We should be developing more ways to produce electricity in a clean, socially responsible way that both protects our way of life and fuels our need for power.

 

As an additional part of Idaho’s energy program, the state must be allowed to take an advisory capacity when power generation plants are being sited. Quite simply, a power plant in one county cannot be allowed to pollute another county, and it is the state’s responsibility to watchdog these situations to protect its own citizens.

(Sen. Stennett)

 

These are only a few of the many issues that are so important to our state. Many other are likely to rear up as the session moves along.

 

In particular, Democrats will certainly oppose any attempt to further allow massive tax giveaways to big business at the expense of the middle class. Like the special session last August, Democrats are targeting personal property tax exemptions for small businesses, but within reasonable limits. There is no free lunch.

 

In that same vein, it is high time that Idaho reward hard work and increase the minimum wage from the lowly $5.15 per hour federal minimum to $7.25 per hour. Doing so would be an immediate boost for 36,000 Idahoans who already scraping by.

 

(Rep. Jaquet)

 

This legislature also must recognize the fact that much of the state is becoming more urban. As such, cities and counties need to have the tools that allows them to plan smartly for the growth that is coming. Local option taxes that would pay for public transit could prevent the kind of Los Angeles sprawl that ruined the natural beauty of their area. Let’s not let Idaho become another California.

 

(Sen. Stennett)

 

This past year, an unfortunate event at an elk ranch in eastern Idaho has caused many hard feelings in that community. It all stems from one elk ranch that engages in the so-called “shooter bull” operations.

 

We must be clear: “Shooter Bull” operations are not part of Idaho’s way of life. They are a recent phenomenon that does little to help Idaho’s economy. Yet, it tarnishes our national image as a state where wild elk roam in large tracts of land that are accessible to the average hunter. We should end shooter bull operations in Idaho, but continue to allow responsible elk ranching.  

 

(Rep. Jaquet)

 

There are many others issues that we will discuss during the session, but these are representative of our core values; protecting Idaho’s way of life, standing up for the middle class, and making government more responsible and responsive to the people.

As we said in the beginning, Idaho is a place unlike any on earth. The natural beauty of our land and waters, combined with the vitality of our people, business and cultures, all add up to an earthly paradise.

 (Sen. Stennett)

And so today, we are reaching out to our Republican colleagues to join us in our quest to protect Idaho’s way of life, and especially the middle class and working families that make our state the best in the nation.

Thank you for coming, and we will take your questions now.