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Spencer Hutchings
Age: 55 Occupation: Gun Store Owner Education: Some College Town of residence: Sagle Q: Are you Pro-Life or Pro-Choice?
Bonner General no longer offers childbirth services because health care providers left for fear of prosecution. How should the state address the exodus of doctors who are leaving Idaho because of abortion bans?
A: Recruit doctors that are Pro-Life and want to live in our beautiful area.
Q: In 2024, the state approved a bare bones budget and then supplemental “trailers” to pay for additional items. Do you agree with the manner in which the legislature set the state budget this year? Why or why not?
A: Yes. The more individual chunks the budget is broken into the easier it is to trim the excess spending out of the budget.
Q: Do you believe Idaho spends too much on veterans? Not enough?
A: First, I am a Marine vet. I do not really think Idaho spends too much on vets. Idaho has a few modest programs to support them. The Federal government should be footing the bill for our vets.
Q: What should the Legislature do to better support Idaho Public Schools?
A: With an approximate 40% literacy rate among high school graduates in Idaho, the legislature needs to stop throwing money at education and start enforcing current standards. Parents should be able to pull their children from a failing public school and move the child and the money to a school of their choice with not government strings attached.
Mark Sauter
Age: 66 Occupation: Retired Fire Chief…..currently serving as State Representative for District #1 Seat A Education: Undergraduate degree Fire Administration Graduate degree Public Administration Town of residence: rural Dover Q: Are you Pro-Life or Pro-Choice? Bonner General no longer offers childbirth services because health care providers left for fear of prosecution. How should the state address the exodus of doctors who are leaving Idaho because of abortion bans?
A: I am Pro-Life. After studying this issue and speaking with many subject matter experts, I believe the Legislature needs to better clarify the abortion statutes. Some believe a lengthy Court Ruling provides enough medical direction. The exodus of our healthcare workers is proof this belief isn’t working. We owe our residents and medical community a clear set of guidelines to base their decisions on. The risk of criminalization for a doctor’s decision is adversely affecting patient care as well. With about 10% of pregnancies having some complication, we need to address this issue for women’s health too. Sending women with problem pregnancies to out-of-state hospitals jeopardizes a mother and child’s health, is more expensive and challenges our emergency medical transport system even more. Since some complications jeopardize a women’s future child-bearing possibilities, some type of women’s health exception is likely in order as well.
Q: In 2024, the state approved a bare bones budget and then supplemental “trailers” to pay for additional items. Do you agree with the manner in which the legislature set the state budget this year? Why or why not?
A: I do not believe the 2024 budget procedures by the Joint Finance and Appropriations Committee (JFAC) were an improvement. The changes politicized JFAC more than before. The information provided for Legislators has been the same for 2023 and 2024. The 2024 ‘bare bones‘ budgets were less than what was needed to operate a state agency.
These budgets did not include budget enhancements (for example, increases in students served), replacement equipment (such as patrol cars or body armor) or all of employee compensation ( only 1/3 of the 2024 change in employee compensation was included in the ‘bare bones’ budgets). Many of the ‘bare bones’ budgets were combined for a single (omnibus) vote taking away the option of ‘digging into’ a specific budget for a specific state division. The supplemental budgets included many necessary items (like firefighting equipment and staffing funds and the other 2/3 of 2024 change employee compensation).
The total compensation for state workers for 2024 is a 3% change. The 2024 changes to the JFAC process resulted in 15% fewer budget votes and therefore less scrutiny by Legislators. I support a return to the prior JFAC process that allows a more thorough review of each state agency, one vote at a time.
Q: Do you believe Idaho spends too much on veterans? Not enough?
A: Idaho is proud of our veterans and owes them the best we can offer. The 2023 and 2024 Legislature approved spending for the construction of new Veterans Housing in Boise, Lewiston and Post Falls and the rehabilitation of other facilities in Pocatello. The State also supports veterans’ service staff (over 400 state employees) at the County level and Veterans Administration (VA) medical care facilities across the State.
The legislature clarified a property tax exemption for disabled veterans in 2023 as well. I voted in favor of ALL veteran service bills.
I’m unaware of any veteran services the Legislature has turned down in the last two sessions.
Q: What should the Legislature do to better support Idaho Public Schools?
A: The Idaho legislature has a Constitutional duty to fund public education.
In 2023 the Legislature directed additional state funds to school districts to pay down levies and bonds. HB521 was signed into law in 2024 and committed millions of additional dollars to improving school facilities, statewide.
However, there is more to be done before the State has fulfilled its duty.
Many of our rural school districts are struggling to maintain or replace their aging school buildings. For years the State has relied on property owners to fund supplemental levies and bonds for everyday operational school costs.
As state revenues increase, there should be more funding to reduce the costs of school facilities. The funding of school operations needs to be improved as well, by modernizing the funding formula to address performance goals, student attendance, actual enrollment, and the costs of educating all students.
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