A Republican Contract With Idaho

When in the course of American politics, one party seeks a mandate for change, a decent respect for the intelligence and judgment of the people requires that the party set forth the legislative agenda for which it seeks the power and the mandate to act.

Therefore, Phil Batt, the Republican candidate for governor, other statewide Republican candidates and Republican candidates for the Idaho Senate and House affix their names to this contract with Idaho voters.

We set forth this agenda in advance so that the people of Idaho can hold us accountable for our actions.

Upon the election of a Republican governor and a Republican Legislature beginning January 1995, Republicans will:

1. Protect Idaho’s water & private property rights.

We will file suit to assert state sovereignty over water and will seek economic damages stemming from the draining of Idaho’s reservoirs. Government should be required to compensate landowners when a “taking” of private property occurs.

2. Provide property tax relief.

We will: 1) Use the budget surplus to remove “Maintenance and Operations” from local school property taxes, and 2) Take indigent catastrophic health care bills off the backs of the county property taxes.

3. Cut government spending increases.

Implement zero-based budgeting and performance-based audits of all government agencies.

4. Provide education reform.

School choice, merit pay and programs that direct more money into the classroom where learning takes place are ideas that must be pursued to ensure that Idaho students receive a quality education.

5. Create a constitutional defense fund to promote and protect Idaho state’s rights.

The fund will seek to restore, maintain and advance the sovereignty and authority over issues that affect Idaho and the well-being of its citizens.

6. Get tough on criminals.

We will move jurisdiction of juvenile justice from Health & Welfare. We will appoint judges who will enforce the law.

7. Roll back government regulations.

State agencies must include economic impact statements with agency rules and regulations and the Legislature must have the ability to change or repeal state agency rules.

8. Use balance in protecting our environment.

It’s wrong to put the interests of fish and birds before the interests of people, families and farmers trying to make a living. We must have a balance.

9. Promote health care reform.

Health care insurance should be portable from job to job and provide access for those with pre-existing medical conditions. Our reforms will be market-based and fight efforts for socialized, government-controlled care.

10. Implement welfare reform.

The government should encourage families to stay together and for people to work, not to have children out of wedlock.

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