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.

Okay, I don’t love how my kids keep changing sizes so I have to keep buying clothes. I don’t love that they need enough school supplies to equip an army. I don’t love the endless driving: for shopping trips, for sports physicals, for random errands.

And my heart breaks a little each year that I watch my “little ones” take bigger and bigger steps out in the world.

But I love that we have schools to go back to!

You know who doesn’t love back-to-school time? My opponent, Speaker Scott Bedke, and anti-freedom extremists who he has rolled over for, like the Idaho Freedom Foundation (IFF).

Speaker Bedke supports “school choice.” That sounds nice, right? It’s not nice. It is double-talk from the far-right about its campaign to put public money into private schools. That’s a very bad idea.

IFF loves the idea of starving public schools, particularly rural ones. That’s a big reason why I refused to legitimize that radical organization when they wanted to host a debate. IFF is so radical that abolishing public schools is their top issue.

What’s not to love about public school?

Well, look at what happens in a school with professional teachers who challenge kids. The kids learn to live and work together. They learn that science is real and that it is the basis of medicine, solving modern problems, and exploring the stars. If they are lucky, kids share classes with kids who aren’t like them. They learn to love the differences, not fear them. They learn to respect other perspectives, not ignore them.

Public school kids learn the skills it takes to make democracy work.

It grieves me to say it, but that respect for diversity that kids might learn in public schools scares people like Speaker Bedke. It fuels his disdain for teachers and students.

The Idaho Freedom Foundation? They attack public schools to weaken our democracy.
Hey, but we still have back-to-school time. We are still strong people who can unite. We have power and we matter.

A vote for me is a vote for someone who will fight for your right to send a kid back to school every year–until they are old enough to vote.

The post Back-to-School Means Democracy is Alive 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.

The post I am the only candidate who will fight for you appeared first on Terri Pickens for Idaho Governor.

In Twin Falls, I spoke with students. Many were concerned about the direction Idaho is taking. I spoke with a nursing student who is deeply concerned about the nursing shortage in Idaho. She wants to see legislators help build her future profession by investing in education. Instead, she sees extreme politicians inventing reasons to attack higher education. She doesn’t see Republican leaders standing up to the Idaho Freedom Foundation and other groups that have vowed to defund education.

Students see what’s happening and they don’t like it.

In Coeur d’Alene, the local community college is also the talk of the town. Community members worry that extremists who took over the publicly elected board are threatening this wonderful college’s survival. The Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (the accrediting body) reported that, due to a politically divisive board election and the behavior of a top board member, “… there is reason to perceive that academic freedom is vulnerable to inappropriate pressure.”

And there it is, the theme that pops up wherever I go in Idaho: our freedom is vulnerable to inappropriate pressure.

In an interview with the Coeur d’Alene Press, I addressed this sharp turn away from personal freedom among today’s elected Republican politicians:

“That’s just the exact opposite of the GOP I was born and raised in,” said the Idaho native. “It was ‘the government stays out of your business.’ It just really hit me hard this last couple of years that it’s been just the opposite, where now they’re trying to jump in and say, ‘We want to control everything because it’s for your own good.’ This isn’t the Grand Old Party that I know.”

“Terri Pickens Manweiler: Ready to Fight,” April 22, 2022

The good news is that I meet Republicans, Democrats, and non-affiliated folks everywhere I go who are no longer willing to risk our freedom and our future to unqualified and unfit political extremists.

This November, when I am elected as Idaho’s Lieutenant Governor, we will make honesty, courage, and competence basic qualifications of leadership again.

The post Our Freedom is Vulnerable appeared first on Terri Pickens for Idaho Governor.

They want to control women. Bedke’s House passed an unconstitutional law that eliminates a woman’s right to make personal reproductive medical decisions. To add insult to injury, they’ve given a rapist’s family members the right to sue a woman who chooses to end the pregnancy. (SB1309)

They want to control election outcomes. Under the banner of false fraud claims, Bedke’s House tried to make it harder for hard-working Idahoans to vote out a bad representative. Work to eliminate ballot boxes, change voter registration deadlines, and outlaw absentee ballots hurts voters–a direct affront to freedom. (HB693)

They want to control what your children read. Bedke’s House voted to silence dissent and punish librarians. There is no freedom where the government chooses the reading lists. (HB666)

They want to control teachers. It’s bad enough that they won’t pay salaries large enough to keep professional teachers in Idaho. Bedke’s House also wants to force teachers to avoid teaching about racial inequities, science, and history. (SCR 118)

They want to control businesses. Bedke’s House would criminalize businesses that impose a vaccine requirement, regardless of the health and safety needs of employees and customers. (HB581)

They want to control the judiciary. Bedke’s House doesn’t respect a separate and equal branch of government. They want to take the Idaho State Bar’s right to select attorneys for consideration on the Idaho Judicial Council and give that power to the Governor. (HB782)

They want to control our doctors and parents. Bedke’s House think they know how best to raise your kids. They ignore doctors when it comes to gender-related health care for minors. (H675)

This year, the thriving extremist wing of the Idaho Republican Party unveiled its agenda–a full assault on our personal liberties. Speaker Scott Bedke’s House passed every one of these bills. Nevermind how extreme Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin has proven to be. Speaker Bedke is the one who is providing the “leadership” to make the extreme agenda a reality.

Idaho needs responsible and honest leadership. Our freedom is under fire. Idaho needs people who stand up for liberty, people who serve Idaho families, businesses, and communities, people who will not sacrifice freedom for political ambition. When I am elected to be Idaho’s next lieutenant governor, I will fight to protect our freedom.

The post The House That Would Control You appeared first on Terri Pickens for Idaho Governor.

She wanted to punish the schools for having programs that support underprivileged students. This is the same kind of political posturing that was behind current Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin’s so-called education indoctrination task force, which bullied Idaho teachers, spread fear among citizens, and inflamed her extreme base.

Last year, Giddings supported a successful “penalty” against Idaho universities. That time, House Speaker Scott Bedke—also running for Lt. Gov.—stood aside and let the extremists have the victory.

Giddings and Bedke may look different but they are two branches on the same rotting tree. They both put their personal political ambition above their duty to serve Idaho. Penalizing universities to score points with extremists raises costs for students, damages the school’s ability to deliver top quality programs, harms Idaho’s reputation, and threatens the health of Idaho’s overall economy.

It’s worth noting that Bedke and Giddings thrive on the chaos that this kind of inflammatory politics creates. These politicians are always self-styled Davids fighting Goliaths. Most of the time, they set themselves up to fail so they can show a few supporters how “brave” they are. They do it because it works. It’s the kind of politics that put McGeachin a heartbeat away from the governorship.

As Lieutenant Governor, I would not use my power to pursue ideological goals. I would put the children, families, and businesses of Idaho ahead of partisan gamesmanship. I believe Idaho is a great state which deserves strong, rational, and honest leadership.

The post Rep. Giddings Votes To Hurt Idaho Schools appeared first on Terri Pickens for Idaho Governor.

On my campaign swing through Latah, Nez Perce, and Idaho counties, I heard a version of the same question again and again: why do Republican leaders want to make it harder for Idaho families?

This week, top GOP politicians proposed hiking the sales tax by 33 percent to 8 cents. Tack that onto historically high inflation and you get a bad idea that no regular Idahoan would have lobbied for.

Seriously. Why? Who wants that? Homeowners want tax relief, but not like that.

Folks wonder why on earth aren’t the politicians investing in our kids. Most parents agree that early learning is a big boost for kids. Most parents agree that if a school building needs fixed, then it should get fixed. All parents understand that politicians are the last people who should decide what kids learn. 

But Republican leaders in Boise decided to short schoolkids and give big dollars to big businesses instead. Well, in rural Idaho, anytime a school-roof springs a leak, the droplets splashing onto a kid’s desk represent what “trickle down” economics means to them. 

And by the way, the most unpopular political opinion around northern Idaho doesn’t come from Washington, D.C. It comes from one of my opponents for this job, House Speaker Scott Bedke. He has dedicated his public life to trying to sell our public lands.

People up here value hunting, fishing, hiking, ATVing, you name it. It’s where we play, and work, and teach our kids to be tough and self-sufficient. The other trait that Speaker Bedke lacks is the political courage to talk straight. If he ever did, he’d know that people love public lands.

I’d be remiss not to mention that this is part of the state where my other opponent, Rep. Priscilla Giddings lives. But she has hitched her wagon to former Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin, who has made a mockery–literally–of her time in this position. People have seen that Giddings’ extremist views are likely to translate into an extremist kind of leadership that ignores the citizens of Idaho for the sake of splashy headlines and breathless fundraising appeals.

This part of the state is diverse: Moscow is a busy university town, Lewiston is a manufacturing center, and the growing community of Grangeville is a gateway to vast public lands. 

For their own reasons, hyper-partisan politicians will tell you that these neighbors are incapable of agreeing. That’s nonsense. I can tell you that they all want safe communities, well-built roads and bridges, good education for their kids, and they all want the government to stay out of their personal business. 

You know what else they agree on? 

They want politicians to stop making life harder. They want extremists out of government. And, I can tell you that I spoke with Independents, Democrats, and Republicans who say they are voting for me.

The post North Central Idaho: Why are politicians making life harder? appeared first on Terri Pickens for Idaho Governor.

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.

Plenty of lieutenant governors have used the seat as a personal political springboard. Think of U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, former Gov. Butch Otter, and current Gov. Brad Little. But McGeachin’s political abuse of the public trust has been uniquely awful. Here’s how former Idaho Chief Supreme Court Justice Jim Jones put it, “this is the only Lt. Governor … that has acted like an idiot.”

Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin made herself–and the office she holds–a household name for conspiracy, extremism, and national embarrassment. How did she accomplish so much in such little time? She shows audacious disregard for most standards of truth and decency.

Take a look at the farce she called “The Education Task Force (to) Examine Indoctrination in Idaho Education.” The task force was formed to hunt folks suspected of brewing caldrons full of critical race theory–aka Idaho teachers. For the record, despite McGeachin’s work, critical race theory still doesn’t exist in Idaho classrooms and Idaho teachers still do not perform witchcraft.

When the Idaho Press Club requested a peek at the progress of McGeachin’s inquisitors, Idaho’s attorney general office advised her to comply. McGeachin ignored the good advice and shopped for an attorney who would give her advice that matched her political agenda. Now, McGeachin wants taxpayers to pay her $29,000 in legal fees for her losing battle to make Idaho’s government opaque. 

For all that expensive work, McGeachin still didn’t have the decency to declare Idaho schools “sorcerer-free.”

Understand, McGeachin’s extremism has taken the office of lieutenant governor to a new low. Because of that, the GOP now has extremists vying to replace McGeachin. One person, Rep. Priscilla Giddings, is an ally of McGeachin and has shamed herself with behavior that a legislative ethics committee declared “unbecoming of a legislator and detrimental to the legislative body.” The other leading candidate, House Speaker Scott Bedke, has led the work to privatize public lands and has backed education goals that would devastate rural public schools, according to a recent opinion from three prominent former Idaho public school superintendents. 

Extremism creates more extremists. That’s the legacy of Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin. 

So, no thank you, Lt. Gov. McGeachin.

The post Lt. Governor’s Bad Ideas Cost Idaho Big appeared first on Terri Pickens for Idaho Governor.

That’s my wish for the 2022 Idaho Legislature that kicked off this week. What does a courageous Idaho leader look like? Look for the person who stands up to speak the truth.

If last year is any example, I am sure this year’s Legislature will offer our political leaders plenty of chances to show their mettle. Certainly, many will rise to the challenge. But among the ruling party, far too few have stepped forward. 

So far, Gov. Little has recommended addressing our maintenance backlog on state buildings, fixing dangerous and old bridges, funding some education priorities, and cutting taxes. Good for him. I thank the governor for kicking off the conversation.

Yesterday, a $600 million income tax cut was proposed, endorsed by Gov. Little. Obviously, the GOP majority will have a tax cut if they want a tax cut. At this point, I hope that same majority will have the courage to consider alternative ideas. Speaker Bedke should talk about why he thinks a tax cut that most greatly benefits the wealthy is more important than the broader benefit delivered with a food tax cut. That’s a good discussion to have. Everyone eats. Everyone pays food tax. Also, legislators explain why they believe an income tax cut is superior to tackling property taxes. I am sure plenty of homeowners would want to hear that discussion.

Right now, there’s a lot of jockeying for position since everyone in Boise is running for re-election, or at least has their favorites they are pushing to win. There’s no shame in standing up and trying to be heard above the clamor. Getting noticed is an important part of getting elected. But in a politician, that’s not courage. 

What I want to see are people standing up for Idaho families on the issues that matter today, now. I want to see leaders who have the courage to say no to nonsense. 

Last year, far too few stepped forward to block Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin’s “task force” designed to malign and intimidate public school teachers. As a parent, believe me, I am very concerned about what my children are taught in school. But no one in the Capitol was ever fooled by that blatant political ploy. Leaders, like Speaker Bedke, should have the courage and character to use their power to stop that kind of crass posturing. The Lt. Gov. should not be allowed to organize witch hunts on the people’s time with the people’s money.

It’s not easy to stand up to power. If courage were easy, we wouldn’t value it so highIy. Unfortunately, courage has become too hard for many of Idaho’s elected leaders. But, at this point in the session, we can still hope.

So, thanks ahead of time for our elected leaders who have the courage to speak the truth. I appreciate them and celebrate their commitment to honest public service. May the courageous few succeed, and may Idaho families be better for it.

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