George Will makes the argument that the way to protect free speech is to protect individuals from government intrusion.

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/05/24/end_run_on_free_speech_96637.html

This well written and thought provoking article is valuable because it shows that we have "handed over" an important issue- our free speech, and let it become a "liberal"...read more

Adam's Blog:

http://www.adamsweb.us/blog/idaho-conservative-scorecard-2/

Congrats to the legislators honored for holding the line!

Dear Friend,

As Chairman of the Idaho Republican Party, I need your help. The Idaho Republican Central Committee and I realize that we can always improve how we listen to our supporters, how we communicate our message to all Idaho Republicans and how we put our resources to work as we serve Idaho.

1. What are the key strengths and beliefs of the Idaho Republican Party that we can build on? How...read more

Finally, a deal everyone can live with. House members held the line, and there will be no gas tax for the moment. They did leave the question open to discussion- long term solutions will have to be found.

Summary of the deal:

Lawmakers have agreed to take part in two task forces this summer focused on transportation. While this deal will not end the debate, even after the legislature approved roughly...read more

Representative Rich Jarvis

We have finished our work here in the Legislature. Everyone has been saying that this first regular session of Idaho's Sixtieth Legislature is probably one of the most difficult sessions in Idaho's history. This is the first time in Idaho's history that we have had two successive years of negative growth projected for General Fund revenues.

The Governor said...read more

Representative Jim Patrick

It has been a very difficult session and all of want to go home. I believe the end is near with the governor possibly willing to compromise further. I do believe we need to maintain the huge investment in bridges and roads, however the voters are simply are not able to bear the additional costs these economic times.

While the economic situation and our lack of funding...read more

The Idaho Legislature is at a standoff. House members cite the struggling economy and refuse to raise taxes. They believe that the economy may still sink lower, and are concerned that tax hikes will limit the ability of the private sector to bounce back. "We have not hit bottom, as evidenced by these preliminary April numbers," said Assistant Majority Leader Scott Bedke, R-Oakley. "It's...read more

BY REPRESENTATIVE FRANK HENDERSON

Our economy is in trouble, and that means that some of our Idaho families are in trouble too. As we work to rebuild businesses and industry, we can't forget to lend a helping hand to our neighbors. Families, Churches and Volunteers are doing amazing work across Idaho, providing critical support to our most vulnerable citizens. Additionally, the Idaho Department...read more

By Senator John McGee (10) & Senator Chuck Winder (14)

Idaho's Legislators and Governor Otter are nearing an important mile marker on a journey critical to all Idahoans. Do we step up to the job of upkeep and maintenance of our roads or do we let a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity slip away?

The state of Idaho is poised to issue $125 million of additional GARVEE road building bonds, which...read more

By Representative Brent Crane

The Idaho House has taken one giant step toward bringing about consistency and predictability in the election process. I was pleased to be among the overwhelming number of representatives in supporting election consolidation. Idaho has more than 400 elections every year, including school boards, supplemental levies, fire districts, and many of those elections are...read more

It might seem strange that the Legislature is considering action to declare Idaho's sovereignty under the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. State sovereignty should be a given. Yet, it isn't. "Change" is the latest buzzword in politics; that's what President Obama campaigned for when he ran for office and since he took office in January. He wants "change" in...read more

By Representative Bob Nonini

Representative Anderson has taken the lead to address an environmental issue with far reaching consequences. Experts recently testified that Idaho water ways are facing an expensive infestation of the invasive quagga and zebra mussels if we don't take action this spring. The mussels are already causing damage in many other states. The mussels reproduce and spread...read more

By Representative Brent Crane

Given these difficult economic times, this is no time to be raising taxes - especially a 246 percent increase. It's an even worse time to be imposing a higher tax on a business enterprise.In essence, those were my reasons for opposing the proposed tax increase on beer and wine. The House Revenue and Taxation Committee held hearings on the issue last week and for...read more

Represntative Carlos Bilbao

Perhaps the Idaho Department of commerce didnt't get the memo about the states's sliding economy and the need to cut state budgets. For almost a month, legislators have been trying to make ends meet on a budget. With declining revenues coming into the state, there is little choice but to make cuts in education, health and welfare and other worthwhile programs...read more

By Reps. Darrell Bolz and Pat Takasugi (District 10) and Reps. Steven Thayn and Carlost Bilbao (District 12)

Recently, an editorial appeared in another newspaper that carried this headline: "No federal funds yet, but plan for them anyway." The editorial suggests that the Legislature should think proactively and develop a strategy to invest the dollars wisely - areas that "will foster...read more

The Governor has presented his plan for funding highway maintenance projects in Idaho, and now the debate begins. As the Governor acknowledged in his news conference last week at the State Capitol Annex, his is only one proposal. No doubt, many more proposals will surface in the House and Senate Transportation Committees and we will be debating those as they come up.

As your State Representatives...read more

By Senator Brent Hill

As the citizens of Idaho feel the ever-increasing burden of property taxes, they are seeking other alternatives to fund local needs. Because property taxes have generally been the only viable option for residents to finance street maintenance, sewer and water systems, school improvements, etc., the State Legislature is looking at ways to grant limited local option taxing authority...read more

By Senator Joyce Broadsword

Recently I set off a media firestorm by proposing legislation in the Idaho Senate that would terminate the Idaho Women's Commission. There have been many suggestions regarding my motives that are disappointing in the least, but repugnant to me as a legislator and a woman at worst.

We are facing the toughest budgetary year since I was elected to the Legislature five...read more

By Senator Lee Heinrich

This past week I traveled to San Diego with my Senate colleague, Senator Tim Corder and our House colleague Representative Tom Trail. We had been invited to the 8th Annual Legislative Ag Chairs Meeting, which is the premier event for agriculture legislators from the US, Canada and Mexico to meet and discuss the great challenges and opportunities facing agriculture in our...read more

Symbols Do Matter

By Dr. Jasper M. LiCalzi

In the Idaho Statesman Blog: "Inside Politics"

I was very proud of my state representative, Darrell Bolz, for proposing the resolution to have the state legislature forego their pay raise and other benefit changes during the next two years. Some will try to argue that this is just symbolic window dressing that will not have a significant...read more

THE IDAHO STATESMAN "INSIDE THE IDAHO STATE LEGISLATURE"

BY BRIAN MURPHY

Beware foreignoregonian!

A bill by Rep. Stephen Hartgen, R-Twin Falls, would expand the state's harassment law to include e-mail and Internet postings. The bill is in response to the infamous MySpace case, which led the suicide of a teen-age girl in Missouri.

Currently the law includes telephone harassment...read more

By Representative Tom Loertscher

Being on the House Health and Welfare Committee has been one those bitter sweet experiences for me over the years. With the exposure that I have had to all sorts of programs, it has given me some insights thatnot many around this place get to see. And as we have been looking these past couple of weeks at the effect of budget cuts on real people it is leading...read more

I am concerned about the approximately 4800 students that did not graduate from Idaho's high schools last year. As the attached fact sheet shows, the negative impact on our Idaho economy is tremendous.

I believe we are sending a negative message to the youth by making it "legal" to drop out of high school at age 16 with no questions asked. I am proposing changing the law to age 18 or...read more

By Senator John McGee

This week in the Idaho Legislature we have been focusing on budget cuts with the Senate Health and Welfare Committee. For most of this week we have been listening to presentations regarding Medicaid benefits, and we are faced with these tough decisions largely because of the current state of the economy.

One important distinction to remember is the difference between our...read more

By Representative Raul Labrador

In the past few weeks, there has been a great deal of discussion about the willingness (or unwillingness) of legislators to compromise. The "Local Option Tax" debate of last session has been held up as an example of the deadlock that some perceive in the Idaho Legislature.

The underlying charge is that conservative legislators are limiting the ability...read more

By Sen. Michael Jorgenson

As the 60th Legislature begins I am disturbed to find myself writing about local discord directed at the long-resolved Lake Management Agreement for our beloved Lake Coeur d'Alene.

I say discord because the mediated result of long and sometimes acrimonious debate between the state of Idaho, the sovereign nation of the Coeur d'Alene tribe and federal government...read more

On Monday, January 26th Senator John Goedde, Chairman of Senate Education, Representative Bob Nonini, Chairman of House Education and Representative Brent Crane of District 13 will be on KBOI discussing the current situation in Idaho Educaiton.

Thanks to Vickie Holbrook and the IPT for noting Rep. Bolz & Crane's leadership on the legislative pay raise issue. We would also like to thank the Democrats who supported the measure.

There has been a lot of talk about who gets credit for this- but when it comes down to it- who cares?

The legislature has stepped up to do the right thing.

Score one for Idaho.

The 60th legislative session has begun. It is a privilege to represent the folks of western Canyon County. With mostly committee work occurring now, we are fortunate in Idaho to have the ability and responsibility to review and determine if rules created by the many state agencies are to become permanent or not.

As many folks know, the devil is in the details and in the legislative world it is...read more

The Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee began agency/departments budget presentations on Jan. 16. These are scheduled to finish, including the germane committees on Feb. 19. Feb. 20 is scheduled for completion of any supplemental appropriations as well as looking at statewide budget decisions for FY2010. Setting of the budget will begin on Feb. 23 and is scheduled to be completed on March 13....read more

In the last two weeks, legislators have heard testimony from a lot of economic experts who have been telling us how bad things are and they have presented a lot of charts and graphics to illustrate their points

I certainly paid close attention to the testimony, along with my other legislative colleagues. But to me, the advice I pay closest attention to comes from the people of District 11 where...read more

Greetings from the Capitol Annex. The Capitol renovation project in on schedule and it appears that next year we will be back in the Capitol Building where there will be more space. The extra space will make it easier for citizens to have access to legislators

This year we have a very difficult session because of revenue shortfalls. I understand that many Idahoans are struggling with economic uncertainty...read more

Idaho House of Representatives

01/21/2009

This morning, Representative Darrell Bolz introduced a bill in the house State Affairs committee to decline a scheduled pay increase for legislators. Representative Brent Crane co-sponsored the bill. The measure was passed by the committee with overwhelming support.

According to Representative Bolz, "If legislators are going to ask state employees...read more

Senator Brent Hill

A dense fog lay across the Boise Valley this week as if to embody the cloud of dreariness that hovered over our state capital. Although Idaho's economic woes came as no surprise, the governor's announcement that the budget he is recommending to the legislature presumes a 9.5% downturn in Idaho's revenues this year had a sobering effect.

The governor calls for cutting...read more

By Senator Patti Anne Lodge, Representative Brent Crane & Representative Steve Kren

Even during these difficult economic times there is good news in Idaho. We just heard from the Department of Corrections that the number of people in prison in Idaho went DOWN this past year. You might ask; does this mean we are putting more dangerous people back out on the streets? The answer is no, and you...read more

By Chuck Malloy

When I wrote editorials for the Idaho Statesman, our editorial board would come to the Idaho Statehouse and talk to some of the key players involved with the legislative session - including the Governor and leadership from both parties.

But the visit our editorial board looked forward to most was with the co-chairs of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee - Rep. Maxine Bell...read more

By Representative Brent Crane

The Idaho Republicans are sending out weekly newsletters by email and by regular mail. Would you like to be on our list?

This link will take you to a format for emailing me:

http://www.legislature.idaho.gov/about/contactmembersform.cfm? ID=21

Or, send an email directly to my account at:

bcrane@house.idaho.gov

Let me know what District you are in and what...read more

Beginning January 19th you will be able to hear your Idaho Republican leaders on KBOI with Paul J. and Steve from 8:30-9:00 AM. We will be previewing the issues that will be discussed that week on the floor of the Idaho State Legislature.

On the 19th Representatives Brent Crane and Raul Labrador will be responding to the Governor's State of the State address, framing the issues that will dominate...read more

By Rep. Bob Nonini

During last year's legislative session, it was my pleasure to work with fellow Rep. Eric Anderson of Priest Lake on an innovative approach to provide additional funding for our public schools.

We successfully pushed through House Bill 500, which would open some of Idaho's 2.5 million acres of endowment lands for the capture of renewable energy sources such as wind, geothermal...read more

Representative Brent Crane 

The 2009 session of the Idaho Legislature is beginning, and I know we will have hard choices to make. Unlike the federal government, Idaho Legislators have a constitutional duty to balance the State budget. That means that when State revenues go down, spending has to go down too. There are those who would claim that progress cannot happen and investments in our long...read more

By Representative Darrell Bolz

The legislative session beginning in January 2009 will be an interesting one, to say the least.  The main issue will be the state budget for fiscal year 2010.  With the economic downturn, the state has and most likely will continue to see revenues decline to a point where there will not be any options except to reduce spending.  How much the reduction...read more

By Representative Raul Labrador

As we begin the New Year, our celebrations are tempered by the knowledge that many Idaho families are struggling. Our economy is a mess, our government is in debt and rising prices make it hard for hard working people to buy the basic things they need- housing, fuel and even food.  We also know that the strong, conservative values and work ethic that have allowed...read more

By Rep. Maxine Bell

The other day I was talking with local educators about the 2009 legislative session and they brought up several funding needs – which is usually the case when I meet with constituents this time of the year. But, as I reminded my friends, the 2009 session is not going to be a "usual" year. It's quite apparent that the growth in the economy is not there...read more

Welcome to our new Republican blog! Many important issues will be debated during the 2009 Legislative session. As a business owner and as one of your Legislators, I know that we have no more important job than reaching out to you, hearing your concerns and responding to your questions. Throughout the 2009 legislative session, I will be communicating with you through this blog. Check in regularly, and I will keep you up to date about what is going on in the Idaho Legislature. I hope that you will contact me, too.

In the meantime, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and I will look forward to working with you come January to make the great State of Idaho even greater!

Sincerely,

    Brent 

Representative Brent Crane

Email Brent Crane:        bcrane@brentcrane.com