Last month, I saw firsthand the wisdom of Justice Louis Brandeis when he described the states as laboratories of democracy. Joining with other Western legislators at the annual meeting for CSG West, the ideas for better public policy took center stage. Over four days, we explored a wide range of issues. Everything from education to economic development received a deep-dive …
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In all the noise that passes for news, one story in recent weeks stands out to me: the catastrophic flooding throughout the Midwest. Homes, businesses, roads, and farms all sit under feet of water with more projected to come. One farmer saw his 10,000 acres of wheat, two weeks from harvesting, swallowed by the Arkansas River. He estimated losses of …
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This morning, I sat down to run through my schedule for the rest of the week. With at least one thing on the calendar for each day, it reminded me of something Abigail Adams said, “Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with ardor and diligence.” Over the last few weeks, I’ve done my best to …
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With the 2019 session in the history books, I’ve debated whether to “review” what happened from January to April. It seems a little silly to go back and rank what did (or didn’t) happen only a few weeks after the final gavel. After all, some of the laws we passed won’t go into effect until July 1, and even then, …
Continue readingFew things are more personal than our religious beliefs. So, yesterday’s debate and vote on HR6, referred to as the Christian persecution resolution, hit home in a way I hadn’t anticipated. Everyone suffering religious persecution is worthy of defense, and I said as much during the floor debate. Below, I share my full statement, and you can watch the complete …
Continue readingIt’s been a big week in Boise. In the Senate, they focused on the voter initiative process. In the House, it was Medicaid. Both of these issues sucked up a lot of oxygen and raised a lot of questions. As you probably know by this point, I voted “no” against the Medicaid bill that came to the House. Below you’ll …
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