Key Issues

Economy

The growth spurt our state has undergone in my life has been unprecedented. And our current economic landscape, which is defined by inflation caused by disastrous federal policies, presents unique challenges. I want to use the knowledge I’ve gained through my ten year business ownership career and graduate studies in finance to help work through them. While the state unfortunately can’t solve inflation by itself, we need to help our citizens get through this tough time.

1: Property Taxes. I’m grateful for the income tax cuts we’ve seen in this state the last two years. But after talking with voters in Meridian, it’s clear that property taxes are higher on people’s minds right now. Meaningful property tax relief will help both those just starting out in life and those who are retired on fixed incomes. It will also help make housing more affordable, which we desperately need to combat both the rising cost of living and our current worker shortage.

2: Small Business. Idaho has an incredible 170,000 small businesses, and they employ over half of our workers. I know first hand that we need to allow small businesses to operate freely in order to maximize our economy’s efficiency. That means cutting red tape and keeping tax burdens low. Limited government is how Idaho’s economy has succeeded so well in the past and will continue to succeed in the future.

3: Infrastructure. It’s abundantly clear to anyone who has ever driven in our state that we need to make investments in infrastructure now before it is too late. Our roads, bridges, water systems, and other critical infrastructure are barely handling our current growth, and we need to get ahead of it before it is too late.

Education

I went through Idaho’s public schools from kindergarten through college at Boise State University. I walked away with a great education, but I will be the first to tell you that our schools have problems. When I see something with problems, I want to fix it. Too often today our schools are vilified by angry voices, or simply put on the back burner. I hope that we can make Idaho’s education system world class. A few of my top priorities on education are:

1: Fix Broken School Funding Mechanisms. The state has a constitutional requirement to provide funding for a “general, uniform, and thorough” public education, and it isn’t meeting that standard. A big part of why is because they only allows schools to be built by passing a bond that increases property taxes. It’s time to open up more options so that we can let growth pay for itself and recruit and retain quality teachers.

2: Get Parents Involved. It’s more clear than ever that we need parents actively involved in their children’s education, and they need a voice to make sure that the right things are being taught.

3: Focus on Real World Outcomes. I’m a huge advocate of Career Technical Education, because I know from first hand experience how well it translates to real world success. We need our students to be prepared to enter the workforce.

4: Support Our Great Teachers. Our educators have an often thankless job, and I hope we can support them and reward them for the quality work they do. Like everyone else, their salaries are being eaten away by inflation right now, and we need to make sure they can keep up with the cost of living.

5: Continue to Open More Choices. Idaho has had a lot of success with our experiments in charter schools and other types of education options. I hope that we will continue to innovate and find more new solutions.

Keeping Idaho Home

I have never known a home other than Idaho, and I believe it is a place worth defending. Our state has seen tremendous growth in recent years. Meridian in particular has absolutely shot off the charts. This has brought a lot of great things to our state, including one of the nation’s leading economies. While we reap the benefits of that growth, we must be vigilant to defend what we have so we don’t lose touch with our conservative values and incredible quality of life. For example, we need to:

1: Manage growth in a responsible way. It’s going to take business-minded leaders to save our state from growing pains. We need to invest in critical infrastructure like roads, bridges, and water systems now before our current systems are completely overloaded.

2: Defend our constitutional rights. I believe the U.S. Constitution is still one of the greatest documents ever written about government. Too often in our country, the First and Second Amendment are trampled on. We need to hold the line here in Idaho and be ready to stand up to federal overreach.

3: Support First Responders. I will 100% back the blue in the legislature, support our fire fighters, and do everything I can to help everyone who puts their life on the line for our communities every day.

4: Protect the 70+% of our state that is public land. Unparalleled access to outdoor recreation is the biggest benefit of living in Idaho. It creates so many opportunities for us all to live out the dream of the American West. As a public-land hunter myself, I believe our lands must be defended at all costs.