Yesterday, I sat through one of the most intense budget hearings of the session. Over the last few months, there’s been a lot of focus on education and healthcare in Idaho. But Wednesday morning (you can download video from the hearing) I got a deep dive into our Department of Corrections. Director Josh Tewalt’s opening remarks were startling. Over 77% of …
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When I started to write this week’s newsletter, I was stumped. How do you shove a full week of stuff into single email? I thought it might help to take a look at an average day. Most days start at 7 a.m. with meetings of some sort. Most days end with a reception or dinner that goes until 8:30 or …
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I went back to school this week. Educators, administrators, and students joined us at the Capitol for our annual Education Week. We’ve heard from folks representing everything from K-12 and stem learning to our public universities and community colleges. The kids we met are amazing. The educators who want to help our students pursue their dreams are pretty amazing, too. …
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This second week has gone by fast. From hearings on agency budgets to reviewing administrative rules, we’ve been working our way through the early days of the 2019 session. For the most part, it feels like the House is finding its groove, and everyone new seems to have figured out where to find the bathrooms. Now, I know you’ll find it shocking, …
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It’s been a week of firsts. The first State of the State watching from the floor of the House. The first JFAC committee meeting. The first time my niece got to see me on TV. (She was very excited.) The best thing about these firsts: They are the start of many wonderful things to come. Over the next few weeks, I’ll …
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A week from tomorrow, Idaho’s constitutional officers will take the oath of office on the steps of our Capitol. It may seem like a small thing, almost an afterthought. In fact, we tend to take this transition for granted because that’s how it’s always been. But what if it wasn’t? What if every election tested our American ideal of a …
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