Well, in the grand scheme of things, not a whole lot has changed. Most incumbents held their ground, the public infighting within the Republican Party seems to have had little effect on the election, but what might transpire won’t be known until the session actually begins in January. And, of course, winners are breathing a sigh of relief. The closed primary seemed to have little impact, at least for the candidates themselves.

Much was made about Republican leaders attacking fellow legislators in an attempt to oust them. But, most of those attacked came away unscathed. House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, and House Speaker Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, gave money to a PAC that supported incumbent Ken Roberts’ opponent. Roberts, R-Donnelly, won handily.

Rep. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, gave money supporting the opponent of Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, the co-chairman of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC). Cameron also won easily.

The infighting led state Republican chairman Norm Semanko to release a statement Wednesday, asking for Republicans to commit to working together.

In a race that matched two incumbents against each other thanks to redistricting, Sen. Tim Corder, R-Mountain Home, lost to Sen. Bert Brackett, R-Rogerson. Corder is seen as a very moderate Republican. What makes this interesting is that last April, during an appearance at an Idaho Education Association conference, Corder told the crowd he would not win in a closed primary.

So, do candidates feel the closed primary or riffs within the party will have much, if any, long-lasting repercussions?

Rep. Steve Thayn, R-Emmett, who was running for a Senate seat and won, says he stays away from the fighting within the party and instead will focus on the issues he has always focused on: education, health and welfare issues, empowering people. “I stick with issues,” he said. “That’s what I do, that’s what I’ve always done.”

Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, who also was running for a Senate seat and won, agreed with Thayn and says he sticks with the issues as well. Hagedorn does, however, believe the changes in the primary, as well as the caucus, had an affect on the voter turnout. “The low voter turnout, in my opinion, is directly attributable to the closed primary, as well as the presidential caucus. I think both of those things influenced voter turnout.”

Hagedorn also believes that some of the party fighting won’t be checked at the door. “Those kinds of things are bound to be reflected, either in the session or in the November election.”

He also said the back and forth within the party isn’t a good thing. “Internal battles like that are just not good to have and you don’t want to ‘pick em.’ It’s just not a wise thing to do.”

He agreed with Thayn on not changing his approach simply because he’ll be in different chamber. “I’ll continue to do what I always do, look at things that need to be taken care of and build coalitions of people to take care of them.”

While Hagedorn felt the party infighting wasn’t a good thing, in north Idaho, Sen. Shawn Keough, R-Silverton, was appalled by it. Keough, in an interview with Boise Weekly, described the opposition to her and others as being nasty. “It’s the people who are supporting our opponents who are bringing the nastiness that we’re not used to.”

Keough also said the Republican Party in the state has shifted in recent years. “There’s definitely a divide in the party and it’s expressed itself in Bonner and Boundary counties and also in Kootenai. I think some folks have become active in our party about four years ago and have really taken it in a different direction that lines up differently than has our traditional Republican Party. It’s very strict ideology.”

GOP Rep. Phil Hart of Hayden lost a four-way race to challenger Ed Morse, ending an eight-year legislative career that has been criticized for an ongoing battle with state and federal tax collectors. Hart ended the night with 31.2 percent of the vote to Morse’s 35.4 percent.

Nampa Rep. Robert Schaefer, a 28-year legislative veteran, lost to former Canyon County Commissioner Todd Lakey in a rout. Lakey scored 61.4 percent of the vote.

Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee Chairman Tim Corder of Mountain Home lost in the redrawn legislative district that found him opposite Senate colleague Bert Brackett of Rogerson. Brackett collected 57.4 percent of the vote to Corder’s 42.6 percent.

In another tussle among incumbents, freshman Dan Johnson, recently appointed to the Senate, put down a challenge from Rep. Jim Nessett. The two-way race for the Lewiston-area district ended with Johnson securing more than 59 percent of the vote.

Elsewhere, incumbents held their ground despite plenty of money and advertising intended to unseat them. Panhandle Sen. Shawn Keough and Reps. George Eskridge and Eric Anderson easily put away challenges from the right with 70.7 percent, 66.8 percent and 63 percent, respectively.

In Kootenai County, freshman Sen. Steve Vick walked away with 61.8 percent of the vote against rival and former Sen. Mike Jorgenson, whom Vick defeated two years ago.

In the Benewah-Latah District 5, Greshman Bouma, who defeated Sen. Gary Schroeder in the GOP Primary in 2010, won a contest against Schoeder’s son, Barrett, with 68 percent of the vote. That means Bouma will have a rematch against incumbent Democrat Sen. Dan Schmidt in November.

Freshman Rep. Shannon McMillan of Silverton grabbed 47 percent of the vote in a three-way contest featuring Rex Rammell, who is known for his bids for statewide office. Rammell mustered just less than 31 percent of the vote.

Rep. Steven Thayn of Emmett won the GOP nomination in his quest to move to the Senate. The three-way race garnered him 44.6 percent of the vote in a sweeping new District 8 that covers five counties: Boise, Custer, Gem, Lemhi and Valley.

House Majority Caucus Chairman Ken Roberts of Donnelly, who was targeted for defeat by his own House leadership team, won the GOP nomination with a plurality of almost 45 percent in a three-way race.

Rep. Lenore Barrett of Challis also chalked up a win in a four-way race, with more than 37 percent of the vote.

Sen. Monty Pearce of New Plymouth put away his opposition, Matthew Faulks of Parma, with 56 percent of the vote despite a challenge that focused on last legislative session’s ethics inquiry (for which Pearce was exonerated) and his support for new oil and gas regulations.

Likewise, Pearce’s District 9 House colleague, Rep. Judy Boyle of Midvale, amassed an almost 57 percent majority despite facing a four-way race and heavy criticism for the new oil and gas statutes.

Newly-minted Sen. Jim Rice of Caldwell, appointed a few months ago to replace Sen. John McGee who resigned, easily dispatched Kent Marmon with 68.8 percent of the vote.

Senate Health and Welfare Chairman Patti Anne Lodge captured 59.8 percent of the vote over former Rep. Maurice Clements, to claim the GOP nomination for the Canyon County District 11 seat. Both of her House seatmates, Gayle Batt and Christy Perry, also won Tuesday and face no opposition in the fall.

Senate State Affairs Chairman Curt McKenzie fended off a challenge from retired dairy farmer Hubert Osborne, securing the GOP nomination for the Canyon County seat with 54.3 percent of the vote.

In Ada County, Rep. Marv Hagedorn will move to the Senate later this year, securing 55.5 percent of the vote against former legislators Stan Bastian and Gary Bauer.

Tom Dayley, a former Department of Agriculture employee, picked up 34.3 percent of the vote in a four-way race to win the GOP nomination in an open District 21 seat.

In District 22, Jason Monks won the GOP nomination with 39.7 percent of the vote, narrowly beating out former representative and county commissioner Fred Tilman and three other rivals.

In the Mini-Cassia area, Senate Finance Chairman Dean Cameron of Rupert gained re-election to the new District 27 by defeating Cassia County rancher Doug Pickett. Cameron scored almost 57 percent of the vote.

In southeastern Idaho, former Rep. Rusty Barlow couldn’t come close to beating freshman Rep. Jim Guthrie of McCammon. Guthrie won the GOP nomination with 65.3 percent of the vote, but still faces opposition in November. Sen. John Tippetts of Montpelier, won re-election with 57.5 percent over Scott Workman.

In eastern Idaho, Dell Raybould, the House Environment, Energy and Technology Committee chairman, had no problem securing re-election against two challengers with 58.6 percent of the vote.

Finally, two former legislators switched from the Statehouse to the county courthouse. Sen. Joyce Broadsword of Sagle, who did not seek re-election, beat incumbent Cornel Rasor for a seat on the Bonner County Commission. Broadsword collected 51 percent of the vote. Rep. Carlos Bilbao won a four-way race for a spot on the Gem County Commission.

The dress code already is in affect for the middle schools and elementary schools. It requires students to wear collared shirts of a solid color and darker colored bottoms. The district’s interim superintendent was in favor of the code, claiming it has reduced problems in the lower grades.

Students are not allowed to wear navy blue or red shirts, as they often carry gang notoriety. Girls are also not allowed to wear dresses, and jeans with holes or decorative stitching are also a no-no.

With redistricting, many candidates now are in new districts with new constituents and, in some cases, running against other incumbents. The closed primary for the Republicans means that only registered Republicans can vote for Republican candidates. An element of intrigue for the Republicans is a number of races where moderate Republicans are challenged by opponents touting conservative credentials.

Perhaps the biggest race to keep an eye on, from a potential change in leadership point of view, is the race for senator in District 27. Sen. Dean Cameron, R-Rupert, is the incumbent in that race. He is also the head of the Joint Finance-Appropriations Committee (JFAC). His challenger, Douglas Pickett, Oakley, is backed by current Rep. Bob Nonini’s PAC. Nonini is attempting to switch from the House to the Senate in his north Idaho district.

Always-in-the-spotlight Rex Rammell, a seemingly career politician who has yet to hold office, is challenging incumbent Shannon McMillan, R-Silverton, for the House in District 7. Rammell, who located to north-central Idaho in 2011, is hoping to cash in on support he received while challenging Gov. Butch Otter in the last primary election. McMillan has been very vocal against the EPA and environmental regulations she believes have hurt her home area in the Silver Valley, but is otherwise a fairly quiet legislator. Will this be the year Rammell finally gets elected?

Sen. Patti Anne Lodge, R-Huston, chairwoman of the Senate House and Welfare Committee, who was moved to District 11 by redistricting, will be going against former Rep. Maurice Clements of Nampa. Clements is a libertarian-conservative running in a new district so it is anyone’s guess if he can give Lodge a good run. He and Gov. Butch Otter are also longtime friends. Perhaps that is what makes this race even more interesting; Otter has publicly endorsed Lodge.

Rep. Marv Hagedorn, R-Meridian, is attempting to switch to the Senate in District 14. Hagedorn has served six years in the House and is a member of JFAC. His main opponent, Stan Bastian, a former legislator, was endorsed by the Idaho Statesman.

One of the more intriguing races of the day is in District 23, matching Sen. Tim Corder, R-Mountain Home, and Sen. Bert Brackett, R-Rogerson. GOP-leaning PACs have poured money into the district to unseat Corder. Otter has endorsed Brackett. Corder, who is chairman of the Senate Local Government and Taxation Committee, is considered a much more moderate Republican than Brackett.

Rep. Ken Roberts in District 8 will have a tough fight on his hands, as House Speaker Lawerence Denney, R-Midvale, and House Majority Leader Mike Moyle, R-Star, have both given thousands of dollars through PACs to his main opponent, John Blattler. Denney has been fairly mum on the issue, but Moyle made it clear he opposes Roberts, who may run against Moyle for his House majority leader post if he survives the primary challenge.

Rep. Phil Hart, R-Athol, may be known more for his tax troubles than his voting record. He will be running against three opponents, which may actually improve his chances of winning. If those three candidates happen to split up the opposition vote to Hart, he could survive the primary in District 3 without a majority of the vote.

Some other incumbent races to watch in the House include:

- Incumbent Joe Palmer, R-Meridian, in District 20, is running against Richard Dees and Chris MacCloud. All three candidates are from Meridian. Palmer is chairman of the House Transportation and Defense Committee.

- Incumbent GOPer Pete Nielsen from Mountain Home in District 23 is challenged by Matthew Bundy and Steven Millington. Some in the district feel Nielsen’s time is up, but don’t really point to any single issue as causing him trouble.

Other races to watch in the Senate include:

- Incumbent Shawn Keough, R-Sandpoint, in District 1, is challenged by Danielle Ahrens. Keough has seen some out-of-district money come into her district favoring her opponent.

- Incumbent Steve Vick, R-Dalton Gardens, in District 2, is opposed by Mike Jorgenson, a former two-term state senator. Vick served as a legislator in Montana prior to moving to Idaho. The race is seen as a battle of the more moderate Jorgenson against conservative Vick.

- Dan Johnson, R-Lewiston, is opposed by Jeff Nessett in District 6. Johnson was appointed by Otter to fill the term of Sen. Joe Stegner, who resigned from the office to become a lobbyist for the University of Idaho. Many Republicans supported Nessett at the time Johnson was appointed so this contested race was not unexpected.

- Steven Thayn, R-Emmett, is attempting to switch from the House to the Senate in District 8. He is running against Alan Ward and Terry Gestrin. Thayn gained a reputation in the House for a number of innovative approaches to K-12 education issues.

- Current Sen. Curt McKenzie, R-Nampa, is challenged by newcomer Hubert Osborne in District 13. McKenzie and former Sen. John McGee of Caldwell admitted during the 2012 session to receiving state reimbursement monies for mileage and housing despite not being eligible for the money.

Founded in 1991, its website says its “mission is to provide pro bono legal advice and representation, litigating strategically to pursue its goal of a rule of law under which individuals can control their destinies as free and responsible members of society. It litigates in four core areas: economic liberty, property rights, free speech and school choice.”

The report defines an occupational license as “government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam.” The report contrasts licensing today with the past. “In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in three.”

One of the study’s conclusions is that occupational licensing is a barrier making “it harder for people to find jobs and build new businesses that create jobs, particularly minorities, those of lesser means and those with less education.”

The study says that “occupational licensing is not only widespread, but also overly burdensome and frequently irrational.”

For examples:

- There are 10 states requiring four months or more of training for manicurists. By contrast, Alaska demands only about three days and Iowa about nine days. Idaho requires 93 days of training.

- Public health and safety risks for occupations are a moving target among the states. There are 66 of the studied occupations requiring greater average licensing burdens than for emergency medical technicians (EMT). On average, for instance, a cosmetologist spends 372 days in training; the average for an EMT is 33. In Idaho, a would-be cosmetologist has 467 days of training, an EMT 26 days.

The IJ report, “License to Work: A National Study of Burdens from Occupational Licensing,” looked at 102 occupations in 50 states and the District of Columbia. It then ranked them based on cost of obtaining a license, educational requirements, exams involved to obtain a license and how many states require licensure of those 102 occupations.

Using those markers, Idaho ranked as the 36th most burdensome state. Of the 102 occupations considered, Idaho has occupational licensing requirements for 47 of them; the all-state average is 43. The 47 occupations requiring licensing put the Gem State in 23rd position in the number of occupations needing a license. Wyoming licenses the fewest occupations at 24; Louisiana the most at 71.

States surrounding Idaho and their occupational licensing burden rank: Nevada, 3rd; Oregon, 6th; Utah, 13th; Wyoming, 32nd; and Montana, 49th. Hawaii is ranked as the most burdensome state for licensing, Pennsylvania the least.
Idaho finds itself in rare company for two of the 102 occupations in the report. The state is one of only two licensing log scalers (who must pass two exams for a license) and one of nine licensing farm labor contractors (who must pay $250 to the state for a license).

There are more than a dozen occupations requiring licenses in at least 80 percent of the states including: teacher, heating and cooling contractor, athletic trainer, barber, cosmetologist, bus driver, truck driver, earth driller, skin care specialist, manicurist, emergency medical technician and pest and pesticide applicator.

On the other end of the licensing spectrum—the occupations with less than 20 states mandating licensing—include cathodic protection tester, backflow prevention assembly tester, log scaler, farm labor contractor, interior designer, florist, forest worker, pipe layer, fire sprinkler tester, conveyor operator and nursery worker.

The report provides a state-by-state summary comparing individual state licensing to other states. It say on average in Idaho “those seeking jobs in these occupations must pay $122 in fees, lose 240 days to training mandates and must pass one exam,” adding “Idaho’s licensing rules present a heavy burden to people seeking to enter specific occupations.”

Idaho examples in the report:

- The report cites fire alarm and security alarm installers in Idaho as “required to obtain four years of education and experience before receiving a license. The national average for these occupations is 486 days and 535 days, respectively.”

- It also notes Idaho is one of only eight states mandating that that truck drivers and bus drivers possess a driver’s license for a year (or more) as a condition for licensing and is also one of 20 states with a similar requirement for school bus drivers. “Other states require only tests, fees, a minimum age and in some states a short course or training session for these occupations,” says the study.

- Idaho requires barbers receive 630 days training compared to the national average of 416 days.

- Cosmetologists must obtain 467 days training with the national average at 372 days.

- HVAC contractors take 1,494 days training versus a national average of 891 days.

The report questions the value of licensing given so many variations among the states, concluding, “Such inconsistencies give good reason to doubt that many licensing schemes are necessary. These inconsistencies may reflect not the relative public health and safety risks of occupations but instead the lobbying prowess of practitioners in securing laws to shut out competition.”

According to a story in the Idaho Press-Tribune, the attorney sent a letter to the Caldwell Education Association stating that the failure of them to bring up the issue before the year began is an indication they understood the furlough days from the previous year would be enacted this year as well.

If the grievance filed by the union is successful, it will cost the district $893,000, according to interim superintendent Jonathan Cline.

The wolf population has risen 15 percent in the last year, with gray wolves now reaching over 650 in numbers. The goal for Montana is to get that number down to 425.

Ranchers and hunters have expressed concerns over the growing population due to wolves destroying livestock and wildlife populations.

But, what is done “for” some business or industry does something “to” others. Taxpayers foot the bill to assist one business over another, an existing business is forced to compete with someone subsidized by his own tax dollars. Tax break opponents believe such breaks puts local, state or federal governments in the position of, essentially, the government picking winners and losers.

The Idaho Freedom Foundation asked candidates competing in the May 15 primary if they support giving such tax breaks.

IdahoReporter.com has looked at eight separate questions leading up to the primary, and this one was the most evenly divided among the issues. Looking back at the issues already published, candidates favored the state allowing sales of health insurance across state lines, opposed taxing online sales, were against the state banning minors from using tanning beds, wanted urban renewal laws reformed or repealed, do not want the Land Board competing with the private sector, favor super majority votes by the Legislature on tax increases, but are less enamored of such a limitation on fees.

As has been the case with respondents on other survey questions, some candidates chose not to answer the question. However, for those who did, 20 supported giving tax breaks, 25 were opposed to it and 29 were unsure.

Most of those supporting the idea of giving tax breaks to certain industries felt it was an essential tool for incentivizing new businesses to come to Idaho and set up shop or grow an Idaho business.

One supporter, Roger Hunt, a Republican running for a House seat in District 12, took it even further, saying not only should we have them but they should be permanent as well. “Tax breaks should be an important ingredient in the recipe for economic growth and job creation. These breaks should be permanent; otherwise businesses will not act on them.”

Small businesses are often referred to as the backbone of local economies. Many tax break supporters felt breaks were essential for smaller businesses to be successful.

Candidates who were opposed to the idea felt the government would be singling out certain industries for favorable taxing, while leaving others behind. They believe this is a government intrusion into the free market.

Mike Duff, a Republican running for a House seat in District 31, had a bit of a different view of the issue, arguing for tax reform that is applied evenly and equally. “I am pro-business. But I believe that in the long run we need a level, fair, flat tax that will be applied to all citizens and businesses. It is in the best interests of the people and our state and republic that everyone pay something to support the state, as everyone benefits from it.”

Duff repeated one of the arguments against tax breaks—that inserting the government into the marketplace is not good public policy. “I do not believe that government should be in the business of picking winners and losers. Tax policy should encourage free market enterprise, but not by granting special treatment, but from being as unobtrusive as possible.”

The largest group of candidate responses—those who were unsure—had varied reasons for their respective positions. Some felt they would need to see the specific legislation before making a final decision on whether they would support the idea. Others felt that the issue needed to be addressed on a case-by-case basis, possibly including a sunset clause to be able to review and determine if it was worth it. A sunset clause establishes a time limit for the life of a particular piece of legislation or policy.

Kelley Packer, who is running for the House in District 12 as a Republican, said that there are occasions when providing tax breaks or tax incentives would be needed to encourage economic growth in Idaho.

But, Packer said such decisions should be made carefully. “I don’t feel that any one industry should be treated more favorably than another and I don’t feel that the incentives should be used without reviewing how they will affect the infrastructure of the city, county or state where they are used. We must ensure that if we are giving a break, to encourage growth and jobs, that it will not put a burden on those that will need to care for the public needs of the business acquired.”

Note: IdahoReporter.com is published by the Idaho Freedom Foundation.

During the 2010-11 school year, the district negotiated for the 173 days of pay. But, the unions claim that agreement was good for just one year and has expired.

Union reps say they will file a wage claim against the district if the additional 10 days of pay are not given.

Companies rated the states based on the ease of setting up shop within the state, as well as if they would recommend other businesses to establish themselves in the state.

Businesses cited Idaho’s tax code regulations and business regulations as reassons for Idaho being top-ranked.