The Common Interest, the Idaho citizen group founded by Harvard Professor Keith Allred, has come out with its three top-ranked issues for the upcoming legislative session: Water, Transportation, and Growth Paying for Itself. The group will research those issues, decide on positions, and keep track of lawmakers’ votes. The group, whose 1,100-plus members all pledge to vote in both the primary and general elections, also will continue to work on two carry-over issues from last year, election reform and overcrowded prisons. Asked if the three issues that came out on top this year were really all the same issue – growth – Allred said yes. “It has really become more of a statewide issue, and not just Coeur d’Alene and the Treasure Valley,” he said. “I’m not so sure it’s an anti-growth sentiment. … There’s a question about whether we are managing it in a wise way.”

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