We elect our representatives. They are our voice in making\nthe laws that govern us. Why do they need our input except at the ballot box\nevery two years? What purpose does this public testimony on proposed\nlegislation serve? If we do not have the backbone to hold them to account come\nelection, then why should they listen in their deliberations?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was almost relieving to see ten-term, 20-year State Senator\nLodge acknowledge this last week. As Chairman of the Senate State Affairs\ncommittee she had a roomful of people who had come from far and wide to speak\non SB 1159, changes to the Idaho initiative process. She let the three who\nwanted to speak in favor and then four of the 100+ who were opposed speak, then\nwanted to call for a vote. In her defense she said, \u201cAll the rest are opposed.\u201d\nSo, it\u2019s like she knew what the committee was going to hear and didn\u2019t see the\npurpose. After all, they are our elected representatives. Let them get on with\nit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There was another time I have seen such an overt sham of\npublic testimony. In my first term in the State Senate, 2011 Tom Luna, newly\nreelected Republican Superintendent of Public Instruction proposed his LUNA\nLaws. He had not mentioned them on the stump, campaigning just months before.\nBut here he had a new legislature and what he considered to be a mandate, so he\nproposed his new laws; funding technology over teachers in the classroom.\nPublic testimony ran for days, 95\/5 opposed. But the laws passed. Then came the\nreferenda and the laws were repealed at the next state-wide election 2 years\nlater by an overwhelming 70\/30 vote. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
But here\u2019s the thing: every legislator who voted for those laws was reelected<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Figure it out voters. I applaud that you might use the referendum\nprocess to rebuke your legislators for passing stupid laws. I acknowledge your\nwisdom when you want to initiate action like Medicaid Expansion because your\nelected legislators have ignored a problem with an easy fix. But I am amazed at\nthe insanity of reelecting the same people to represent us, when we disagree\nwith their decisions. Shame on us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Idaho\u2019s citizen Legislators, one Senator and two Representatives\neach serve districts of approximately 40,000 people. It is estimated that\npeople can only closely know approximately 150 people. That means, for each of\nus to know our representatives in the legislature well, we have to make a big effort;\nhave a cup of coffee, go to a town hall, make time for a meeting, or read their\nnewsletters. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When I was in the Senate I sent out a weekly newsletter that\napproximately 1500 people read. If they were all talking to 150 different\npeople, I would have been reelected easily. But I came to believe all these\npeople knew and talked to each other. We are talking to the people who agree\nwith us. Can we change this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Who are these elected officials who represent us talking to?\nWhere are they getting input? First, I would hope it\u2019s from the elected officials\nin their district: the county commissioners, the city councilors, the highway district\ncommissioners, the school board members. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Can this be dismissed to partisan affiliation? If so, we all\nshould be questioning that insanity. But it may be true. I have heard a\nlegislator say he met with his party central committee before each legislative\nsession to consider legislation. Welcome to the echo chamber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Don\u2019t expect your passionate testimony to persuade the\ncitizen legislators you have elected. It may be heartfelt and in fact, it may\nrepresent the sentiments of many of your fellow voters. But it is much more powerful\nto elect people who actually do represent your values. Share your values.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We elect our representatives. They are our voice in making the laws that govern us. Why do they need our input except at the ballot box every two years? What purpose does this public testimony on proposed legislation serve? If … Continue reading