Idaho Statesman’s annual list of top do’s and don’ts for the Idaho Legislature | Opinion

Idaho Gov. Brad Little is scheduled to give his inaugural address on Jan. 6, and his State of the State address is scheduled for the following Monday, officially kicking off the next Idaho legislative session.

As we tend to do this time each year, we’re sharing our top legislative do’s and don’ts for the upcoming session. If legislators would just follow our list, we have confidence the session would take three or four weeks, tops — especially if legislators stay away from those pesky don’ts that seem to dominate the session and waste valuable time each year.

As you read the list, we warn that you may experience deja vu. Don’t worry, though, it’s just that some of the items on our list have made appearances before, and are worthy of repeating.

DO: Continue increasing funding for public education. Education outcomes can be improved by reducing class sizes, limiting teacher turnover and increasing professional and non-professional staff, among other measures. That takes money — to hire more teachers, increase teacher pay to reduce turnover and hire more counselors and paraprofessionals. If you want to continue to improve rural schools, make them better.

DO: Follow the will of the Idaho voters, who overwhelmingly approved an advisory vote to spend $410 million passed by the Legislature on public education.

DON’T: Fall for the “education savings accounts” gimmick, which is just another way to say “voucher,” which diverts our taxpayer dollars to private schools. According to the Idaho Constitution, our tax dollars are intended “to establish and maintain a general, uniform and thorough system of public, free common schools.”

DON’T: Attack Idaho’s higher education system with baseless claims and unfounded fears. Higher education is a vital economic driver that needs to attract the best and the brightest. Our colleges and universities need champions in the Legislature, not enemies.

DO: Support K-12 programs that provide broad access to both vocational training and advanced college credit courses. It’s not either-or. Do both.

DO: Come up with a better, statewide solution for funding school building maintenance and construction that doesn’t continue to dump the burden on residential property taxes.

DO: Fix the property tax imbalance by restoring the inflation-adjusted homeowners exemption.

DON’T: Try to “solve” the property tax imbalance by limiting local governments’ ability to respond to growth.

DON’T: Pass another disastrous bill like House Bill 389, which mucked up local governments’ ability to set their budgets.

DO: Listen to your local government leaders, such as city council members, mayors, school board members, county commissioners and fire district commissioners, when crafting property tax policy.

DON’T: Call yourselves back into session on a whim. Yes, congratulations, legislators, voters somehow decided to give you more power by approving a constitutional amendment that allows you to call yourselves back into session for whatever reason. Don’t abuse the trust voters placed in you.

DO: Prove us wrong. Many of us predicted that you’ll abuse that power to call yourselves back into session, leading to bigger, more expensive government for the sake of responding to the latest culture war fervor stirred up by something you saw on Fox News. Prove to us that you’re better than that.

DO: Remember that you’re here to make laws and govern.

DON’T: Come to Boise to “own the libs,” exact revenge on political enemies or create a theocracy.

DO: Represent all Idahoans, including women, the LGBTQ community, families with transgender children, atheists, Jews, Muslims and people who didn’t vote for you.

DON’T: Legislate based on your own personal agenda.

DO: Legislate based on real problems facing Idaho.

DON’T: Focus on perceived problems that may or may not be affecting some other state, trying to pass legislation that seeks to prevent a problem before it hits Idaho. That’s like paying a debt that may never come due.

DON’T: Let shadowy outsiders, such as ALEC, the Federalist Society and dark money lobbying groups, dictate Idaho laws.

DON’T: Do or say things that will embarrass Idaho and make us the laughingstock of the country.

DO: Keep Idaho moving forward and build on our successes.

DO: Protect Idaho’s valuable resources, especially water and public lands.

DO: Acknowledge climate change is real and plan accordingly.

DON’T: Impose your religious beliefs on others.

DO: Listen to the people testifying at your committee hearings — all the people, not just the two or three you agree with.

DON’T: Pass laws that lead to losing lawsuits.

DO: Read the actual language of a bill before you vote.

DON’T: Just read the summary.

DO: Think for yourself and do what’s best for Idaho.

DON’T: Just read the talking points from the Idaho Freedom Foundation, which doesn’t always have the best interests of Idahoans in mind.

DON’T: Disenfranchise Idaho voters based on the big lie that elections are rigged.

DO: Put policy over politics. Bad legislators seek to make a statement. Good legislators seek to make a difference.

DO: Add the words “sexual orientation” and “gender identity” to the Idaho Human Rights Act.

DO: Get rid of the religious exemption that allows parents to refuse medical treatment for their children.

DO: Adjourn early.