In this Issue:
2011 Survey Results

Ethics Reform – An Update

Tangled Web

IJOBs 2.0

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE

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FROM TEAM 17

Team 17

Senator Elliot Werk
Representative Sue Chew

Representative Bill Killen

Public Forum

THIS THURSDAY! February 9, 2012, 7 PM Bishop Kelly High Library 

Office Hours!

Every Thursday, 7:00 – 8:30 PM in the Borah High Career Center

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We need your expertise.
To help with legislation or community projects call:

Senator Werk
208-658-0388

Rep Killen
208-345-2956

Rep Chew
208-344-0098

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Contribute with a click

Chew for House

Werk for Senate

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In 2011 we received 384 constituent surveys (of about 15,000 we distributed). Online surveys outnumbered mailed surveys 294 to 90. Below is a summary of results. For full results please visit any of our web sites.

1. As state revenue improves, which critical service should receive funding first?

K-12 62%, Medicaid 16%, Safety 7%, Other 15%

2. Do you believe that colleges are made safer by allowing guns on campus?

No 80%, Yes 11%, No Opinion 5%, Need More Info. 4%

3. Do you support the new requirement for mandatory political party registration?
No 77%, Yes 8%, No Opinion 7%, Need More Info. 8%

4. If during the next legislative session there is a desire to add revenue to avoid further cuts what revenue source(s) would you prefer?
Income Tax High Earners 23%, Tobacco 19%, Internet 18%, Elim. Exemptions 18%, Temp Sales Tax 19%, none 3%, other 10%

5. Grade the performance of the Idaho Legislature
A 4%, B 5%, C 17%, D 37%, F 37%

6. Grade the performance of Team 17
A 41%, B 30%, C 13%, D 5%, F 11%

For full survey results please visit any of our web sites.

Team 17 will keep you informed as the big issues are debated with a newsletter every few weeks. Pass this newsletter forward and please tell your friends about the newsletter and have them send us a request to be included at team17@mindspring.com.

From the Desk of Senator Werk:

Ethics – An Update

During the past year or so we have seen a continual litany of news reports about state government officials engaging in illegal and unethical activities, questionable practices, abuse of power, and selling their inside knowledge to the highest bidder.

Recently we saw the Speaker of the House and the Chairman of the Republican Party trying to fire redistricting commissioners (that work for The People) for not heeling to the Republican Party line (i.e., eliminate Democrats). The commission had placed the Speaker into a district with four other colleagues and he faced a primary election – unfortunately this called his actions into question as did the ill-advised attempt to interfere with the People’s commission).

These kinds of abuses of power are now endemic in state government – they are a part of a tone-deaf culture that comes from unchecked one party rule for over two decades. Recently the culture of state government has been called one of arrogance and entitlement (and worse).

Democrats have made ethics a sentinel issue this year since the crisis of confidence in state government and elected officials threatens our democracy. We proposed four ethics reform bills in our Restore Ethics and Accountability (REA) package. In addition, I proposed three other reform bills with some of my colleagues.

So where does ethics reform sit today?

There is no movement on any ethics reform so far. The governor continues his silence on ethical issues. My three bills languish without a hearing in committee. The REA bills were sent to the bipartisan working group but so far they’ve only researched the independent ethics commission (a task we have done). We’ve seen almost no progress over the last three weeks.

If serious ethics reform is to occur, The People will need to speak loudly in the legislature. I encourage you to contact both House and Senate leadership and let them know that you want meaningful ethics reform now. You can contact Senate leadership by going tohttp://legislature.idaho.gov/senate/leadership.htm and House leadership by going tohttp://legislature.idaho.gov/house/leadership.htm.

I hope that you share my view that the people’s confidence will continue to wane and anything that is done will be suspect until we change the culture of state government. I find our current culture unacceptable and I will continue to work for the reform that is needed to return state government back to The People.

From the Desk of Representative Killen:“Oh what a tangled web we weave…”

With apologies to Sir Walter Scott, a visit to the House side of the capitol is a case study in such consequences.  Last week an ID badge turned up missing in the one of the representative’s cubicles in the garden floor office area.  That same day members of the Occupy Boise group were given a tour of areas of the statehouse by Representative Brian Cronin (D).  Somehow Speaker Lawerence Denney (Boss Denney per Kevin Richert of the Statesman Editorial Board) concluded the two were connected, announcing that one from the tour group must have stolen the badge.

This insight produced immediate action on the Speaker’s part.  He proceeded to order beefed up security on the House side, locking down all office areas, bringing in Idaho State Troopers and instituting an unheard of check-in requirement for members of the public to visit their elected representatives.  Additionally he announced to the media his conclusion that someone from Occupy Boise had lifted the badge.  When it was pointed out to him that the tour group never even stepped foot on the House side, he stuck to his obviously inaccurate story; facts apparently being of little importance.

House Bill 404 , the House leadership response to the Occupy Boise movement, prohibiting camping on state lands not expressly opened for camping, came forward for debate on the House floor recently, easily gaining passage by a 54 -16 margin.  Both sides were in agreement that such a prohibition was constitutional; the question was whether it was necessary or prudent, or could be accomplished in a more accommodating fashion.  The penalty for a violation of the bill’s provisions is an infraction – essentially a civil violation (like a traffic ticket).  The Republican sponsor of the bill, asst. majority leader Scott Bedke, emphasized that the bill was not intended to stifle dissent or protest, but merely to protect and safeguard state property and visiting school children (apparently under threat by empty tents), and that the use of an infraction as a penalty expressed this view.

What Rep. Bedke failed to mention is that the penalty provision gives the state the right to seize and dispose of any personal property as litter, with no recourse available to the owner.  I would point out that our current criminal laws provide that when a drug dealer is stopped and arrested on the street, his automobile is subject to seizure and disposition as well.  He, however, first gets a notice and hearing before an impartial magistrate to contest the state’s right to such a seizure.  It would appear the property rights of felony drug dealers in Idaho are deemed to deserve more protection than those of citizens’ exercising their rights to assemble and protest – an interesting policy message.

The Occupy bill moved to the Senate where they chose to send the bill out for amendments. One would correct this seizure provision and another eliminates the emergency clause that would result in eviction upon the governor’s signature on the bill. Any Senator can offer amendments and it might be interesting to see what comes up this coming Tuesday.

From the Desk of Representative Sue Chew: 

Idaho Jobs and Opportunity Blueprint (IJOBs) 2.0 – Moving Idaho Forward

IJOBs 2.0 (building on our 2010 IJOBs proposal) is the second major policy platform from the Idaho Democratic Legislative Caucus this session and (once again) the only job creation package introduced in the legislature.

In IJOBs 2.0 we’re proposing laws that will bring added prosperity to Idaho. Like you, we recognize that responsible and effective economic policies are needed to rebuild the middle class and empower businesses to grow. The IJOBs 2.0 package includes common sense solutions to keep Idaho companies growing and utilizing existing companies to lure new businesses to our beautiful state. The package is designed to create jobs while improving corporate transparency and accountability.  A brief description of the seven bills is presented below:

Value-Added Agriculture and Farmer Empowerment Act: Helps local farmers work together to create processing plants or farm-to-market cooperatives to increase local jobs, enhance state agricultural exports, and keep value-added revenue in Idaho.

Idaho Partnership Bank (HCR030):  An Idaho Partnership Bank would provide capital to small businesses at a time when many businesses are finding loans harder and more expensive to access. The bill creates a committee to study the feasibility of a state bank.

Business Relocation & Finder’s Fee Initiative:  The bill  increases the potential for stronger, broader industry clusters which will result in increased productivity, decreased production costs, and the creation of many new Idaho jobs. This is done by encouraging and incentivizing Idaho businesses to persuade vendors, partners, and like-minded businesses to relocate to Idaho.

Idaho Corporate Accountability and Transparency Act (HO435):Use of taxpayer dollars by corporations should be accountable and transparent. The Idaho Corporate Accountability and Transparency Act requires public disclosure of the use and outcomes of corporate tax incentives. This will ensure that Idaho taxpayers are getting the best possible return on their economic development investments.

Buy Idaho First Contracting Act (HO429): The bill would allow government agencies to award contracts to Idaho companies that bid up to 5% higher than the lowest out-of-state bidder. This boosts our economy since each dollar that circulates in Idaho boosts local economic activity, employment, and – ultimately - tax revenue. Keeping our money in Idaho produces returns many times over and is worth a small up-front cost.

Micro Enterprise Bridge Loan Program:  The bill establishes a revolving loan fund (from bonds), providing early stage companies with crucial loans for start-up, expansion, or modernization. Enhancing capital for entrepreneurial start-ups will create high paying jobs for Idaho citizens and enhance our economy.

Rural Broadband Service Memorial - Idaho’s economy depends on the success of our rural communities; yet difficult terrain impedes access to affordable broadband service. This bill encourages investment that will connect rural Idaho to the worldwide marketplace and bring badly needed jobs to hard hit communities.

In addition to IJOBs 2.0, Democrats announced our support for the governor’s IGEM technology transfer concept. Ideas like these are badly needed to help us escape from the low wage trap plauging Idaho. Senator Werk proposed an early version of this concept in 2010. As then, it is a good idea. You can use this link to see his original University Technology Transfer Act .

We look forward to working with our GOP colleagues to pass the IJOBs 2.0 package and to benefit all Idahoans.

Contacting Team 17

Public Forums to Discuss Legislative Issues

The legislative forums that we have held in past years have proven a great way to keep in close contact with the people we represent. Of course we want to keep these lines of communication open and we will hold more forums this year.

Here is the schedule of our remaining forums

Weekly Office Hours

Once again Team 17 will offer the people that we serve the opportunity to meet individually with the Team on a first come – first served basis. Office hours will be every Thursday (except forum nights) from 7:00 – 8:30 PM in the Career Center at Borah High School.