Week 2

From Boise to St. Louis.

In the second week, I was in my Senate chair for three short days. I took Thursday and Friday off to accompany Tom to the Schaeffer's Oil Convention, where he received an award for achieving his 100 percent quota. I am incredibly proud of him

Not much activity occurred in the Senate; most of the action was happening in the East Wing of the Capitol, on the House side. While I was away, I tuned into the Judiciary and Rules Committee, where they conducted three hours of testimony on mandatory minimum legislation. You can listen to it HERE I would encourage you to read H406 and share your expertise on this matter with me.

I am receiving numerous emails regarding H384, in which constituents express their desire for us not to compromise and dilute the Library bill. The latest update I have is that Committee Chairs are encouraging Rep. Crane, the sponsor of H384, along with Rep. Chenelle Dixon and Senator Schroeder, sponsors of S1221, to collaborate and present a unified bill. In my opinion, it's uncertain whether this collaboration can occur, given that Rep. Dixon and Senator Schroeder voted against the bill addressing harmful material in libraries in the last session.

JFAC (Joint Finance Appropriation Committe) are doing things a bit different this year. Idaho Freedom Caucus wrote a Substack on the Good, Bad and Ugly of this budgeting process.

“Idaho Gov. Brad Little is asking for almost $6.6 million in the Idaho Department of Agriculture’s fiscal year 2025 budget to continue the state’s response to invasive quagga mussels detected last year in the state’s longest river.“ Read Here. My concern lies in the necessity to trust what is said and done by the authorities, which is challenging for me due to the significant deception I have observed in other areas of our state government. Last year, our river access was closed because a single male quagga mussel was found in a two-mile stretch, an occurrence they described as akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Additionally, they discovered larvae visible only under a microscope. When one of my constituents inquired about seeing a video or photograph of these microscope slides, their request was dismissed. I also found it unusual that the town hall meeting was scheduled on a Sunday. Given their request for an additional $6.6 million, it appears they are anticipating another quagga mussel outbreak. I'm left wondering where it might emerge next—perhaps in Lake Coeur d'Alene?"

As Benjamin Franklin famously said, 'We have given you a Constitutional Republic, if you can keep it.' It is crucial that you stay informed, engaged, and fight boldly to preserve it. Our children are observing us, and our grandchildren are depending on us to pass on these freedoms.

My playlist song of the week, What are we waiting for.