What are your top issues for 2025?
Let me know what you think the Legislature should do this session
The first general session of the 68th Legislature of the State of Idaho begins in just over six weeks. 105 senators and representatives from throughout the state, each with different backgrounds, perspectives, and ideas, will convene in Boise to make laws on our behalf. Our legislators will be hearing many voices — lobbyists, bureaucrats, activists, and constituents all compete to persuade them to vote one way or another.
This coming session could be the most conservative in Idaho history, which means expectations are high. There are more self-identified “freedom” legislators than Democrats, which means we expect to see conservative policy come out of the session.
I would like to ask you, the thousands of subscribers to the Gem State Chronicle, what you would like to see. What bills should the Legislature pass? What issues are most important? I’ve opened up the comments section to all free subscribers, so let me know what you think below. I'll collect responses and report back in a few days!
Secure our elections from outside funded propositions. Not sure how, but it needs to happen.
Repeal the dang grocery tax, reduce the budget and cut unconstitutional programs.
School choice.
Work on ways to restore Idaho Sovereignty over Federal lands. This is a long term issue, but we’ve got to start somewhere if we’re going to save our forests and our wildlife.
That should keep everyone pretty busy. 😁
Property Tax. It is interesting that there was such a widespread backlash to the proposal for a tax on unrealized capital gains, as if this was some sort of novel idea. Most people seem to believe, and everyone I talked to about thinks that tax is ridiculous. I submit to you that our property tax system in Idaho is exactly that since it levies the tax on the presumed increase in value of a property that the owner has not realized. Thanks for your consideration of this issue.