Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Senate race mostly about schools, money



 (The Spokesman-Review)

MOSCOW, Idaho — The Idaho District 6 Senate primary is all about education. The two Republicans vying for the state seat may claim other issues, but the spark in this race comes from schools and the money that goes to them.

Challenger Gregg Vance decided to run for office when his legislator, 12-year Idaho Senate veteran Gary Schroeder took a stand against limiting local school board control over charter schools. Vance’s four children are enrolled in the Idaho Virtual Academy, a computer-assisted home school program that made news this year when it asked the state for an annual $1.6 million to cover debt to its parent company.

This spring Schroeder tried to discourage his fellow senators from supporting legislation that would allow out-of-state businesses like the virtual academy’s private parent organization to get an increase in public money for educating Idaho children. There wasn’t enough information about how much of the money was going into the education program and how much was going back as profit to the parent company, he said.

The bill, which ultimately passed, allocated money to the academy to pay its debt. But Vance couldn’t forget that Schroeder, who is chair of the Senate Education Committee, opposed the payment.

Education is a key issue in this race, said Vance, but his candidacy is also about Schroeder holding left wing views and social policies. “He’s never seen a tax increase he doesn’t like,” said Vance.

Vance, 42, farms about 1,800 acres in Latah County. He and his wife Mindy also own and manage rental property in Moscow. He grew up in the Seattle area, lived in Alaska for about seven years and then earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. He worked at Boeing for several years, but as his family grew, “we decided Seattle just wasn’t the place for us,” he said. “We picked quality of life over big bucks.”

This is his first shot at public office.

Schroeder, on the other hand, is a Idaho Senate veteran.

As comfortable in a suit as in a flannel shirt, the 59-year-old moves easily between his legislative life and his role as business owner of Moscow Hide and Fur. The U.S. Navy veteran is an outdoorsman who hunts and hikes. After coming to Moscow from the Midwest to earn a master’s degree in zoology from the University of Idaho, he couldn’t bear to leave. “This is a paradise,” he said.

His first run at an office was for Moscow City Council in the 1990s. He lost the race, but “learned a lot about campaigning.” His next race, the bid for the Senate, went better. In his 12 years in the Legislature, he has served nine as chair of the Senate Education Committee. “I’m a fiscal conservative,” he said. “I believe in a work ethic, but I’m also pro-education.”

Vance said Schroeder has lost touch with Latah County’s Republicans, particularly in his stances favoring environmental issues over farmers and wanting to pour more money into public schools.

When asked if he thought K-12 education was underfunded, Vance laughed. “Are you kidding me?” he said, adding that the state’s education budget has more than doubled since Schroeder was first elected. “What do we have to show for that?” he said. “We need some accountability.”

Schroeder, on the other hand, notes that at one time, 50 percent of the state budget went to public schools, “and that percentage keeps going down every year.” Teachers are going without raises and the public schools need more general support, he said.

One issue on which Vance and Schroeder agree is that the University of Idaho could use more help from the Legislature. Both recognize that the university’s economic health impacts the local economy.

Schroeder notes that a new senator would have very little clout and a limited understanding of the state’s issues and that Vance’s main interest in running for office is largely based on his focus on charter schools.

As for his own voting record, Schroeder said he’s not swayed by special interests, and his environmental votes are based on public good. “I think Republicans like clean water, too,” he said. He’s also pro-hunter, pro-business and pro-agriculture, he said. “And I believe we should manage our resources so that we can manage them forever.”

He puzzles over Vance’s stance that he is inaccessible. “That’s a bunch of hooey, as they say. I had a local constituent here this morning asking for advice,” he said from his Moscow office last week. “And when we’re in session, my office is usually open from 7 or 8 a.m. to 7 or 8 p.m. and I’m there.”

Over the years, Schroeder has fought for education. “Public schools are the real issue in this campaign,” said Schroeder. “And Gregg Vance just doesn’t like public schools.” Schroeder said he voted for the state’s 1 percent tax hike, because otherwise, “they would have cut our university 10 percent.”

Vance describes himself as a conservative Republican, one who doesn’t believe in raising taxes, who is pro-life and who supports agriculture. “I’m a farmer, property manager and parent,” he said. “Now I want to be a citizen legislator.”

With nearly a decade as chair of the Senate Education Committee and as one of the more senior senators, Schroeder said he’s more a public servant than a politician. He said he’s not afraid to stand up to special interests and fight for what’s best for his constituents and the general public. “I’m down there to serve the public interest,” he said.

Spicing up the race is a Democrat write-in candidate, Patricia Scott of Moscow. She filed May 11. If she gets 50 write-in votes, she’ll qualify to be on the ballot opposite either Schroeder or Vance in November.