Letters to the editor: Preschool grant, ballot initiatives, power grab, mask burning
Preschool grant
Every day, United Way of Treasure Valley sees local people working together with locally created plans as a recipe for community success. That opportunity for success was taken from Idaho communities with the recent defeat of House Bill 266 (Preschool Development Grant) in the Idaho legislature.
When House Bill 266 was defeated, it meant resources to help communities unite for success were gone. So who lost? Families with young children? Certainly. Our littlest learners? Without question. But there is more. Local nonprofit organizations that provide high-quality early learning lost. Local businesses that rely on early care to help their employees remain employed lost. Community groups that were ready to help provide family support and literacy programs based on local needs and interests lost.
There is no prescription curriculum for this program. Just funds needed for local communities to accelerate early learning in a way that makes sense for their families.
Idaho can unite for success. Let’s tell our local legislators to support local success by supporting early childhood education.
Nora Carpenter, Boise, President & CEO, United Way of Treasure Valley
Ballot initiative
Our ballot initiative process is under attack right now as the bill S1110 makes its way through our legislature, which would impose ludicrous restrictions on the ability of citizens’ initiatives to appear on the ballot. This is based on the fallacious idea that a geographical region ought to have veto power over an initiative reaching the ballot. In reality, S1110’s proponents’ stated goal of giving rural Idahoans more of a voice in the initiative process is bogus, as the bill only increases the hurdle for initiatives to reach the ballot.
I don’t understand why one would want to make democracy more restrictive, this looks more like an effort by the legislature to usurp more power. As a student and soon-to-be voter, I want to vote in a system in which everybody is heard.
This isn’t about Republican vs. Democratic, urban vs. rural, or even whether you’ve supported an initiative or not. This is about the fundamental American ideals of democracy, separation of powers, and our constitutional right as Idahoans to bring citizens’ initiatives before the ballot.
Please tell Governor Little to veto the bill if it reaches his desk.
David Ballard, Meridian
Power grab
This list of bills proposed by Idaho legislature grasping for more power and weakening city and individual freedoms are unconstitutional and do nothing but show fear.
House bills 65 and 90 will prevent a city renaming memorials even on city-owned property, both by Rep. Doug Okuniewicz, R-Hayden.
House Bill 87 clamps a city’s right to elect development members, by Rep. Bruce Skaug, R-Nampa and Rep. Lance Clow, R-Twin Falls. House Bill 281 would disallow mask mandates by cities during health emergencies, by Rep. Karey Hanks, R-St. Anthony.
Senate Bill 101 arbitrarily would rewrite the Idaho Constitution to ban all forms of marijuana now and forever including medical and prescription use (even in life critical situations from out of state visitors being treated for cancer and multiple sclerosis), by Sen. C. Scott Grow, R-Eagle.
Senate Bill 1110 demonstrates significant overreach of the state legislature to squash the will and ability of the people’s right for ballot initiatives. This gem sponsored by Sen. Steve Vick, R-Dalton Gardens.
They need to be called out for egregious overstep of this legislature. Freedom is an individual right.
Perry Lea, Eagle
Mask burning
After reading the article “Right-wing activists burn masks, decry virus restrictions” in the Idaho Statesman, I felt compelled to voice my opinion for the first time publicly. I am educated regarding false reporting of COVID-19 in Idaho, and I truly think that is a shame! I also have researched at length what the reports say about the number of people who have died and/or tested positive for this deadly disease. But what affects my “heart-strings” the most are the articles I have read from those who have lost one of their loved ones, or was infected and the long journey it has taken them (or will be a long-term issue for the rest of their lives from side effects) to recover and what they went through. So to the right-wingers, please rethink your strategy. Wearing a mask is not being controlled, it is loving yourself or others around you enough to protect us all.
Trisha Dunkle, Meridian