The Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the 2023 Idaho Legislative Session
Idaho Freedom Caucus Legislative update. We outline the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly relative to the 2023 session. We aim to shoot straight with our assessment, no sugarcoating. Read on...
The 2023 Legislative Session is over, and here’s the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.
After 88 days, legislators are home and reporting on the outcomes of the 67th legislative session. This is the first update from the Idaho Freedom Caucus (IDFC), and we outline the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly relative to the 2023 session. We aim to shoot straight with our assessment, with no sugarcoating and no fluff. Read on…
The Good….
House Bill (H71), which prohibits puberty blockers, cross-sex hormones, and sex reassignment surgery for minors, was signed into law. Children in Idaho will no longer be subject to these radical Frankenstein-type surgeries, which cause irreversible damage. Children who struggle with gender dysphoria need love, support, and mental health treatment, not dangerous chemical and physical castration or mutilation.
The IDFC led the charge against Senate Joint Memorial 1 (SJM1), a pay-to-stay-amnesty scheme. This Memorial, if passed, would have further emboldened illegal immigration by giving those who violate our laws the freedom to stay and work in the US without consequences other than simply paying a fine. Amnesty in any form is unfair and not a solution to our immigration crisis. Without the quick action of IDFC members, this Memorial would have sailed through the legislature unnoticed and sent the wrong message to Washington, DC, that Idaho is open to illegal immigrants and welcomes law-breakers. Instead, it was held in the House Agricultural Affairs Committee and thus killed during the 2023 session.
Idahoans will experience modest property tax relief with the passage of H292, a complex property tax reduction bill. Homeowners could see a 10-20% lower property tax bill in 2024 and slightly smaller decreases in future years. The total amount of tax relief is estimated to be as high as $355 million, but compared to our current $1.5 billion surplus, much more tax relief should have been accomplished this session. IDFC members will continue to fight for the forgotten and overburdened taxpayer.
The Bad…
Idaho's entrepreneurial ingenuity and creativity took a heavy blow with the passage of the Idaho Launch Program, H24. This “workforce development” training scheme is a thinly veiled centralized workforce plan heavily pushed by the state’s largest lobby group, The Idaho Association of Commerce & Industry (IACI). This Big Business fraternity is dominated by special interests who are large donors to the Governor and will be the primary beneficiaries of this corporate welfare program. IACI is the puppet master, steering much of the corporatist legislation that stomps out the competition to favor their selected business interests.
Watch IDFC Members Representative Tony Wisniewski (R-D5) and Senator Dan Foreman (R-D6) speak about the pitfalls of H24, the Governor’s latest massive spending program.
Idaho government spending grew a whopping 12% this year, making this the largest single-year increase in General Fund spending in 22 years. In 2020, the total appropriation for Idaho’s government was $9 billion. In 2024 it will be $13.9 billion. That’s a 50% plus increase in 4 years. Aside from IDFC members, the legislature had little appetite to cut spending. This unsustainable growth will be a significant focus of the IDFC, who are committed to the principles of a smaller, leaner, and limited government.
The Ugly….
Two bills to prevent children from obtaining objectionable materials in government-funded schools and public libraries wound their way through the legislature. Despite overwhelming evidence of the filth and salacious materials available to children at dozens of libraries across Idaho, H139 did not pass out of the House Education Committee. A similar bill, H314 passed both chambers and was vetoed by the Governor. Unfortunately, the House override failed by just one vote. IDFC member, Senator Cindy Carlson, championed this bill and promises it will be back next session. Watch the astonishing testimony of Representative Dan Garner (R-D28) as he asserts that the images of kids having sex with kids, graphic depictions of gay sex, and gender-bending sexual images are no worse than what he sees in the Bible. Yikes. Elections have consequences, and Rep. Garner is one of them.
In the House, a disheartening trend developed as a group of very moderate Republicans regularly teamed up with the Democrats to pass horrible legislation or kill good legislation. The IDFC will expose more of this over the summer, stay tuned!
The IDFC is part of a nationwide network committed to fighting federal overreach. We stand firm against those – in both parties – who prioritize seizing political power over representing constituents. The IDFC fosters and bolsters the conservative conscience in the Idaho Legislature.
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