A lot has happened in the first week of December…
On December 4th, the Senate Republican Majority Caucus gathered at The Brickyard Restaurant for an enjoyable dinner and to elect our new leadership team. The speeches were inspiring and filled with excellent ideas aimed at creating a better Senate for the people. Below are the candidates and winners for each leadership position:
Pro Tem: Senator Kelly Anthon (won), Senator Scott Grow and Senator Doug Okuniewicz.
Majority Leader: Senator Lori Den Hartog (won) and Senator Jim Guthrie.
Assistant Majority Leader: Senator Mark Harris (won) and Senator Doug Rick’s withdrew from race.
Caucus Chair: Senator Ben Toews (won) and Senator Treg Burnt.December 5th, we were sworn into office at 8:00 AM on the Senate floor by Lt. Governor Scott Bedke. The session began with a prayer led by Senator Burtenshaw and the Pledge of Allegiance, conducted by our Sergeant-at-Arms, Sarah Jane McDonald.
Afterward, we selected our seats on the Senate floor, and I chose to retain my current seat. Following this, we recessed to finalize our committee assignments. My committee responsibilities are substantial and will keep me very busy. I am honored to serve on the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC) and the Health and Welfare Committee.
To view the committee assignments for other Senate members, [click here].
Your District 24 Statesmen: Rep. Clint Hostetler, Senator Glenneda Zuiderveld and Rep. Steve Miller.
Other news from the first week of December was deeply disappointing. The Bureau of Land Management approved the Lava Ridge Turbine Project in Jerome County. As I read newsletters from other legislators, I am disheartened by the lack of resistance in their responses.
I, for one, am not done fighting to stop the invasion of these towering red-eyed monstrosities from encroaching on our beloved Idaho. This is our home, our land, and I refuse to yield to the greed-driven global green agenda. The fight to protect our communities and preserve the integrity of our state is far from over for me.
A Battery Storage System is being proposed by Jupiter Energy on Highway 30 in Hagerman. There will be an important meeting at the Gooding County P and Z on December 10th at 5:30. Please help spread the word about this devastating proposal.
I've attached a copy of the informational flyer and the link to the website, as well as to the X and Facebook accounts.
A reminder, we have won a few battles the last elections but we are still at war. The evil principalities never rest so we can never let up. We must always keep on our full battle rattle.
Complacency Kills!!!
Thank you, Sen. Glenneda. We didn’t get what we hoped for in some leadership positions, so your efforts on JFAC and H&W will be even more important than ever. Thank you for representing the people on these important committees!
The BLM and Lava Ridge decision is a travesty. Rep Simpson and Sen Risch, Gov Little, AG Labrador, and others at high levels seem determined to fight this egregious overstep to the last windmill blade. RFK Jr. also knows the issues with wind energy. So maybe if everyone shows up in Washington to oppose this, they can appeal to the Trump administration to stop the willful destruction of Idaho (for CA and special interest benefit).
P.S. We’re hoping to get some much-needed health freedom legislation passed this year (see https://eolson47.substack.com/p/health-freedom-and-other-solutions for ideas).
In 2023 the state raked in $403M in tax revenue from the tax on food at the grocery store. The state refunded $199M via the grocery tax credit. The state made a profit off of Idahoans of $200M!!
Where did that "profit" go? How was it spent? Idaho needs to repeal the tax we pay on food at the grocery store. We are being taxed to death and also being taxed on a basic human need, like food, is not a good look for Idaho. There are 13 states that charge people tax on groceries and it really needs to stop.
Will anything be done this session to repeal the grocery tax?