Both Raul Labrador and Tommy Ahlquist, rivals for the GOP nomination for governor in the May primary, have issued statements on the brouhaha over the CBD oil bill in the Idaho Legislature, which passed the House but hasn’t had a hearing in the Senate. The third major candidate in that race, Lt. Gov. Brad Little, is currently presiding over the Senate, which is on the floor holding an afternoon session; I’ll add a new post with Little’s comments once he’s available. Here are Labrador’s and Ahlquist’s full statements:

LABRADOR:

“Leaders in Idaho should encourage open, heartfelt debate on important issues.  Which is why I’m so disappointed to see the Otter-Little administration manipulate the legislature, usurp the legislative process, and deny our citizens a voice in this important debate.  That is politics at it’s worst. If this administration has real valid reasons to oppose the CBD oil legislation, they should present them in a public, open forum.  They should defeat ideas in committee, not hide behind a committee chairman to avoid the public debate. This won’t happen under my administration. Every Idahoan should ask themselves where the President of the Senate is on this issue? Lt. Gov. Brad Little stood on the sidelines while the governor usurped the legislative process.  Unfortunately, this is not the first time he has failed to be the leader the people of Idaho can trust.  This is not the kind of leadership the people of Idaho deserve. This is why I’m running for governor.”

AHLQUIST:

“Since day one of this campaign, I have supported the legalization of CBD oil that helps sick people as long as the THC is removed and it’s prescribed by a doctor. One thing is for sure, a professional politician from D.C. or Boise as our next governor is not the solution here. We need a governor with real world leadership and a track record of getting things done who can work with the Legislature to build a legislative agenda that prevents situations like this.”