Tomorrow, our leaders will honor our right to make reproductive healthcare decisions. 

Tomorrow, leaders won’t create outrage over every little thing to raise a campaign dollar.

Tomorrow, our kids will feel safe in the park and in their schools.

Tomorrow, Idaho will reduce our role in changing the world’s climate.

Tomorrow, businesses will love Idaho because we are welcoming and kind.

Tomorrow, freedom won’t just be words on a flag flown in the back of a pickup truck.

Tomorrow, our leaders will understand that serving the people is a sacred trust.

Tomorrow, our leaders will debate the best way to accomplish our dreams.

Tomorrow, the light of liberty will dispel the darkness we may see today.

What tomorrow looks like is decided by who shows up to the ballot box today.

Your vote matters Nov. 8.

The post Tomorrow Needs You Today appeared first on Terri Pickens for Idaho Governor.

I am running against a pervasive sense of entitlement that settled over Idaho government like a toxic fog. The politicians in the supermajority have become completely disconnected to regular Idaho people.

I’ve said it before and I will say it again: Idaho political leaders have become too extreme.

I am the only candidate who will oppose laws that limit our freedom.

I will never hide my decision-making behind closed-door committee rooms.

I will never refuse to share the public’s records with the public.

I will be a tireless advocate for public education.

I will stand up for librarians, kids, parents, and local decision-makers.

I will stand up for the rights of women to make personal reproductive medical decisions.

I will work to make Idaho’s economy give everyone a chance to succeed.

I will not support tax cuts for corporations that raise taxes for homeowners.

I will not let public lands be sold off.

I will not coddle militias and white nationalists.

I will stop the chaos that is so bad for business.

I will not let bullies push us around.

I will be honest, straight-talking and true.

I understand Idaho. I choose to live here and I’ve chosen to raise my children here. I have built my own successful business. I pay attention to the issues that matter to regular people. I always strive to make decisions that benefit us all.

We need to make a difference. Now. 

Please vote for me on Tuesday, May 17.

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To be clear, the responsible use of this year’s budget surplus would be to pay our bills and invest in essential infrastructure. I mean, if politicians truly wanted to make Idaho more competitive, wouldn’t they connect rural communities to the world economy via high-speed internet? Wouldn’t they make sure roads and bridges were safe? Wouldn’t they keep school buildings in good repair?

As it is, the one-party rule over Idaho politics limits our options—they took full investment in roads and schools off the table.

So be it. Tax reform it is. 

The debate shows sharp contrasts between me and my fellow contenders for the Idaho Office of Lieutenant Governor, Rep. Priscilla Giddings and House Speaker Scott Bedke.

Bedke likes the food tax on families. He accuses folks who want to repeal food taxes of “demagoguery,” according to the Idaho Capital Sun. He claims there is “no good solution to replacing the revenue.” It’s curious that he didn’t have those concerns about hundreds of millions in tax cuts he backed to benefit the wealthiest Idahoans.

Giddings, on the other hand, has a record of supporting food tax cuts. But, it is hard to take her seriously when she talks about fairness. In 2016, Giddings claimed two homeowner exemptions for herself—tax relief that is intended for just one home per owner. She even convinced the Board of Tax Appeals to let her do it. It’s curious how well-connected people like Giddings tend to get “fairer” deals from the system than regular folks.

As for me, I believe the debate about tax reform is a debate about fairness and opportunity. I value fairness. Fairness creates more opportunity. If more people have an opportunity to succeed, we all benefit. Conversely, we penalize ourselves if we close the doors of opportunity to people who otherwise may have become some of our brightest lights.

Right now, cutting or eliminating Idaho’s tax on food would be fair. Everyone, rich or poor, buys food. The added benefit is that lower and middle income earners would keep a greater percentage of their incomes. That’s a group who would put that savings back into the economy. They’d buy school supplies and reliable transportation. They’d put it toward rent or homeownership. Certainly the cut would offer true relief as families battle the effects of inflation.

Our future spreads out before us and it is, of course, impossible to see what lies ahead. But, Idaho leaders had the power to make sure that our bridges would be strong. Our roads wouldn’t damage our vehicles. Our school buildings would be safe and well-kept. Or, at the very least, they could have made sure families wouldn’t have to pay taxes on food.

The politicians I am running against had other priorities.

The post Politicians Chose to Keep Family Food Costs High appeared first on Terri Pickens for Idaho Governor.

Not so many years ago, Idaho business owners knew the state would stay out of their business. Times have changed. 

Last July, the Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry protested after Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin and a handful of far-right legislators demanded that House Speaker Scott Bedke reconvene the Legislature. This group sought to make outlaws of hospital administrators who required COVID-19 vaccines for their employees. 

“An employer should not be forced to keep an employee who does not adhere to the standards and requirements of the enterprise,” IACI President Alex LeBeau wrote to Speaker Bedke and Idaho Senate President Pro Tem Chuck Winder. “Unfortunately, erroneous information continues to be pushed by those who would seek political gain at the expense of saving lives.”

That’s the key to all this political chaos: political gain.

Some Idaho Republican politicians have exploited uncertainty and anxiety surrounding the pandemic. They have stoked the flames of skepticism of COVID-19 vaccines. They have fueled those fires with half-truths, fantastical conspiracy theories, and outright lies. Their work–with the selfish goal of promoting their personal political ambitions–has made Idaho the least-vaccinated state in the nation as of December.

The result has been deadly as hospitals have been overwhelmed with unvaccinated patients.  At the same time, hospitals are losing staff who have been worn out by the sad, long days full of loss. St. Alphonsus reported losing 50 percent of its staff since the pandemic began.

 That’s not only bad for the health of Idahoans, it’s bad for business.

The same group that McGeachin spurred to interfere in the employee-employer relationship ignores the work our constitution actually obliges them to do: maintain a uniform and thorough public education system. Idaho teachers are leaving their profession, or leaving Idaho, due to the strain of the pandemic and the lack of funding and support. Parents, local school boards, teachers and school principals are harassed for trying to save lives. This turmoil can only hurt our children. When young people are poorly prepared for life after highschool, businesses will struggle to recruit qualified workers.

Simply put, if it is bad for schools, it is bad for business.

Idaho colleges and universities have also been harmed by the overreach of these cynical politicians. In 2021, Republicans cut Boise State University’s funding, shouting “critical race theory” at the top of their lungs. To be very clear: there still is no such thing as an Idaho school that has taught this imaginary curriculum. This truth is a simple truth. This truth is well-known among politicians. And, leaders who are too gullible or too dishonorable to reject this crass ploy to whip up public outrage for political gain are failing us all. 

Bad political leadership is bad for business.

Again, the hopeful message is that there is time to do better. We can unite. We can choose to reject the kind of violence that overwhelmed our nation’s Capitol on January 6 of 2021. We can demand better. We can say no to chaos and extremism. We can make Idaho a state that promotes freedom through truth and transparency. We can, and we must, stop voting for a single-party that has allowed extremists to flourish.

We can vote for good business.

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