Democrat challenges five-term Republican from Nampa: the Statesman’s endorsement
In his five terms as state representative, Idaho Rep. John Vander Woude, R-Nampa, has become a leader in his party and in the Legislature.
We don’t like all of his positions, and we think he could tone down his style of hard-ball politicking which at times can seem petty. But we appreciate his openness to alternative solutions to Idaho’s challenges and his growing clout in the House.
The Idaho Statesman editorial board endorses Vander Woude for reelection to the Idaho House of Representatives in District 22, Seat A.
Vander Woude’s challenger, Democrat Diane Jensen, shares many similar views as this board, such as improving early education, increasing funding for education, expanding Medicaid without sideboards and expanding impact fees on developers to manage growth. But we found that she was short on many details and background, and we question whether she would be an effective legislator as a member of the superminority party in the House.
We struggled with this endorsement, and if Vander Woude had a stronger challenger, we could have gone the other way on this seat. We find ourselves disagreeing with Vander Woude on a number of issues, such as school vouchers, or “scholarships” as he calls them. His support for restrictive sideboards on Medicaid expansion comes across as simple mean-spiritedness. We’re disappointed that he voted in favor of adding restrictions to the initiative process that would have made it nearly impossible to get an initiative on the ballot. He concedes it “went too far,” but he voted for it anyway. He voted for a dangerous bill that would have eliminated state licensing for a residential drug and alcohol treatment facility for teenagers.
When it comes to being an effective representative for the constituents of District 22, though, Vanderwoude has the experience and political clout to get good legislation passed.
Vander Woude recognizes the need to improve Idaho’s public education system, and he expresses his dissatisfaction with test scores. We are encouraged that Vander Woude doesn’t fall into that Republican camp that Idaho’s test scores are “good enough” for what we spend on education. He wants better.
He also rightly points out that he’s not the expert in education, and he expects solutions to improving Idaho’s performance to come from the experts in education, and he’s willing to listen.
Vander Woude wants more flexibility for parents to change schools and he wants to see better results before giving public education more money. We believe a greater investment in education, giving schools more resources for higher teacher pay, more teachers, smaller class sizes, more counselors and more technology, will result in higher test scores.
Vander Woude said he would be open to allowing school districts to collect impact fees, as a way to get rid of the voter-approved bonds they rely on to build new schools. Hopefully, Vander Woude can lead the charge and get this done for the fast-growing districts, such as Kuna, that he represents.
One idea to increase public education funding that Vander Woude champions is to put revenue generated by state endowment land directly to public education, as that money is intended for, rather than into the general fund. We would like to see him find other similar ideas to increasing funding for public schools.
We are encouraged that Vander Woude said he is open to reducing the supermajority requirement for the passage of bonds (in which one “no” vote has the same weight as two “yes” votes) as long as it’s tied to some restriction, such as allowing bond votes only twice a year to improve voter participation. That’s a practical solution that both sides could cheer and is the kind of horse trading that Vander Woude could push through.
Vander Woude is also open to solutions to rising property taxes, including raising the homeowners exemption and adding to the exemption for residents 65 and older who have lived in their house for a certain amount of time to provide relief for that vulnerable population. He also thinks it’s reasonable to set some sort of different limits on local spending as a way to control property tax bills.
Having been a business owner of a store that sold grocery and non-grocery items, Vander Woude argues forcefully to get rid of the state’s sales tax on groceries. Given the years of debate and back and forth and nitpicking with still nothing done about it, we’re starting to come around to Vander Woude’s point of view. We also like his idea of taxing the lottery to make up any lost revenue.
If Vander Woude can keep an open mind to practical solutions and legislate with more humanity, we believe he could accomplish a lot of good for his constituents and for Idaho.
This story was originally published October 14, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
BEHIND THE STORY
MOREHow we write endorsements
Who decides the endorsements?
Members of Idaho Statesman editorial board interview political candidates, as well as advocates and opponents of ballot measures. The editorial board is composed of journalists and community members. Members of the Statesman editorial board are: Statesman editor Chadd Cripe, opinion editor Scott McIntosh, opinion writer Bryan Clark, newsroom editors Dana Oland and Jim Keyser and community members John Hess, Debbie McCormick and Julie Yamamoto.
What does the endorsement process entail?
The Statesman editorial board meets with political candidates and asks them a series of questions about policy issues. The editorial board discusses the candidates in each race. Board members seek to reach a consensus on the endorsements, but not every decision is unanimous. The editorial board generally will not endorse a candidate who does not agree to an interview with the board members.
Is the editorial board partisan?
No. In making endorsements, members of the editorial board consider which candidates are well-prepared to represent their constituents — not whether they belong to a particular political party. We evaluate candidates’ relevant experience, their readiness for office, their depth of knowledge of key issues and their understanding of public policy. We’re seeking candidates who are thoughtful and who offer more than just party-line talking points. The editorial board will endorse both Republicans and Democrats. We make recommendations about who the best-qualified candidates for these jobs are.
Why are endorsements unsigned?
Endorsements reflect the collective views of the Statesman’s editorial board — not just the opinion of one writer. Board members all discuss and contribute ideas to each endorsement editorial.
Do I have to vote for the candidate the Statesman endorses?
Of course not. An endorsement is just our recommendation based on the candidates’ backgrounds and their answers to editorial board questions.
Can I disagree with the Statesman’s endorsement?
Of course you can. We encourage voters to do their own research and choose the candidate who best represents your views.
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