MINORITY REPORT: The 2008 Idaho Democratic Legislative Caucus

Rep. Wendy Jaquet, Ketchum,
House Democratic Leader

Sen. Clint Stennett, Ketchum,
Senate Democratic Leader

Rep. George Sayler,
Coeur d’Alene House Assistant Democratic Leader

Sen. David Langhorst, Senate Assistant Democratic Leader

Rep. Dr. John Rusche, Lewiston, Democratic Caucus Chairman

Sen. Kate Kelly, Boise,
Senate Democratic Caucus Chair

2008 Idaho Democratic Legislative Caucus

Minority Report

When The Idaho Legislature started its session last January, we asked our Republican colleagues to help us make progress on the issues of importance to Idaho citizens.

Democrats came to the Idaho Statehouse ready to:

• Protect our unique quality of life and public lands while we face a period of rapid and unmanaged growth.
• Strengthen our schools so Idahoans can create prosperous small businesses with employees who can compete globally for the good-paying jobs.
• Strengthen the middle class through sound tax policy rather than giving yet another tax break to big corporations.
• Protect our young children by enacting minimal safety standards and requiring background checks in the child day care centers that are currently unregulated.
• Make our government more transparent through more stringent ethical reporting requirements aimed at legislators, lobbyists and high government officials.

Yet now, after 87 days in session at a cost of nearly $30,000 per day, it is clear that the Republican leaders have failed to make progress on the vast majority of issues ordinary Idahoans care most about.

As this session started, we learned that the economy was cooling and that revenue – the money we collect from taxes – was likely to be less than we had originally expected. People are buying and spending less because people are hurting financially. Just this week, we learned that more than 10,170 Idaho families were delinquent on their mortgages at the end of last year; while 2,705 homes were in actual foreclosure across the state.

This downturn in the economy has truly colored this session. But certain outdated ideas and traditions also colored the way this Legislature has reacted to the economic downturn. As a result, one of the greatest failures was to recognize the needs of Idaho’s families – and the fact that it was our job as lawmakers to make progress on their issues: child safety, transportation, and health care.

We wasted more time this session debating licensing regulations for naturopaths and midwives than we did talking about the true cost of health insurance and the availability of doctors in our communities. We can no longer ignore the rising cost of healthcare.

Here’s how far behind we are on the issue of child safety: Idaho law currently requires background checks on construction or other mechanical workers who enter public schools. Yet, the Republican leadership refused to even consider health and safety standards for the most vulnerable Idahoans – the little children who go to child daycare. You can still be an employee or even operate some types of child daycare facilities and not even have to pass a criminal background check. Working parents need some assurance that their children will be safe -- but the obstructionist Republican leadership turned them away.  

On the issue of transportation, we recognized that there were hundreds of millions of dollars worth of unmet maintenance needs for our crumbling roads and aging bridges. Even Gov. Butch Otter said the Republican leadership lacked the vision and the political will to raise the revenue needed to address these issues – at least, not in an election year. Yet the backlog of wheel warping, suspension snapping problems will continue to exist next year – only next year, the potholes will be even bigger.

Very little was done this year to address the rapid growth that is choking many of Idaho’s communities. These cities and towns need to be treasured and preserved to protect Idaho’s way of life.

Instead, a carefully crafted compromise on voluntary farm, ranch and timber preservation was shot down; a bill that would have allowed communities to protect property taxpayers through local option taxes failed; and an effort that would have let county governments identify the decreasing market values of residential properties for property tax purposes was defeated – all at the hands of GOP leadership. The real estate developers won again.

We cannot forget also that Republicans blocked a Democratic attempt to make government more open and responsible. While Republicans can fly on private jets across the state and back, one bill that would have made them more responsible lawmakers never got off the ground. However, they did manage to close government further by limiting primary elections to party members only. Meanwhile, the special interests will continue to be able to buy access to their legislators – even if it means cornering them on a private jet to get their attention.

Fortunately, all was not lost this session. Thanks to our work in the budget committee, proposed cuts in Headstart programs were avoided and it will be funded at the same level as last year; and there was another installment made on college scholarships. We also continued to make headway on our effort to eliminate the tax on food at the cash register. This year, we achieved a food tax credit. Next year, it will be at the check-out counter. Additionally, Democrats were able to secure $1 million in funding for the Community Health Center Grant Fund. Finally, we were able to reduce taxes and eliminate the personal property taxes on small business.

In summary, this year’s outcome is just like last year’s: a “do-nothing” legislative session marked by Republican leadership that even Republican Gov. Butch Otter has publicly criticized.

We had hoped to avoid this kind of gridlock, but with the same Republican leaders, it was really inevitable. Idaho – YOU -- deserve better government.

The Idaho Democratic Caucus Leadership