Category Archives: Idaho Politics

Where’s the leverage?

  Idaho leaders are considering plans to carve up the health care market to save you money. You better be sure which side of the health and wealth teeter totter you fall on, because this could be great news for … Continue reading

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My First Bill

  I learned about politics and civility my first year in the Idaho legislature. If one doesn’t pay attention it can seem brutal. The state and the nation were facing the 2010 downturn, so budget cuts were proposed to Medicaid. … Continue reading

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Harass, Uncivil, Who Cares

My last session in the Idaho legislature leadership decided legislators needed training in “civility”. It was a required afternoon and I attended, though some skipped it. We all first met in the lunch room before being assigned to working groups. … Continue reading

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A Modest Proposal

It’s hard having discussions about difficult issues, but we need to. The state legislature should be a place for our elected representatives to have these difficult but necessary conversations. Getting the discussion going is an art. Advice can be helpful; … Continue reading

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Health Care and Justice: No Slogans

I want to applaud Director Cameron and former Director Armstrong for their creative and courageous work to bring down health care costs for all Idahoans and bring more of our neighbors out from under the threat of medical bankruptcy. If … Continue reading

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Nobody Minding the Store

Democrats are getting their hair on fire about all of Trumps executive orders. Well, I’m an Idaho Democrat so I’m concerned with Idaho’s Acting Governor’s executive orders. My hair isn’t burning, but I can see why the public isn’t paying … Continue reading

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Idaho’s Unfair Religious Shield Laws

We just had a woman here in our county convicted of animal cruelty to her horses. They were found starving, dehydrated in a pen here in town. How people treat their animals is regulated in Idaho law. And all people … Continue reading

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Let’s Fix our Roads

photo KHQ local news   The Idaho legislature is tied in knots at the end of a do-nothing session. They got their budgets filled out with very small exceptions to the governor’s recommendations and want to head out of town. … Continue reading

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Abortion: Can We Please Talk about it? Please?

I’ve seen this from so many sides. I’ve been yelled at as a politician, I’ve delivered babies as a doctor, and I’ve investigated deaths of infants as county coroner. But none of this makes my perspective more valid than yours. … Continue reading

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Keep the Puppy

The ObamaCare replacement plan the House Republicans are offering gets me off the hook for paying the penalty for being uninsured, but it’s like they want to give me a puppy. There’s a bigger obligation behind this little cute furry … Continue reading

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