Water is critical to Idaho’s future. You don’t need a peer-reviewed study to know that. It’s common sense. Water is the lifeblood of local farmers, and I see it as the foundation of our community.
Without clean, sustainable water, families and businesses can’t thrive in Madison County. We must protect this critical resource, and I promise to do everything possible to safeguard our community’s water.
Part of that protection means treating water as a resource to serve Idahoans. To do that, we must keep EPA overreach out of Idaho. That means working closely with our local Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).
We’ve passed legislation that ensures our state agency handles national programs involving Idaho’s water. Working with DEQ allows us to keep oversight of Idaho’s water where it belongs—in the state. It means Idahoans work with each other and not some bureaucrat from Seattle telling us what to do.
Not everyone in the legislature agrees. Ron Nate voted against the DEQ budget (6 TIMES!) using a range of excuses that boil down to a simple reason.[1] He doesn’t think the agency should exist. Never mind that without it, we’d put Idaho’s water at the mercy of federal officials who have zero incentive to listen to us without DEQ.
Let’s be clear. With DEQ, Idaho maintains local control of our water—and our future. Ron would turn that management over to the feds without a second thought. That’s not the Republican way. His actions reveal a lack of understanding about how vital water is to our future and prove he is out of touch with our local farm community.
Idaho’s future success depends on its water. That’s why I made it a priority to carry successful bills that secured Idaho’s water during my time in the legislature. I worked with different stakeholders to resolve their concerns and protect this critical resource. With your vote, I can return to the Idaho House to continue this vital work. You can trust me to put Madison County first.
[1] S1163, 2015; S1415, 2016; S1187, 2017; S1360, 2018; S1188, 2021; H763, 2022